Simple Health Prevention = Saving Lots of Money.

I haven't really made much these past couple of weeks as I am in the middle of brainstorming and writing essays about myself. Those are the worst because it requires a lot of introspection which is starting to make me doubt myself and think that I'm not good enough for this or anything really...

Maybe that's the point... to wear you down a little bit... D: WHY DO THEY DO THAT! They already take my $$$ that I can't afford.

Mom has made a few dinners over the weekend so all I have to do is heat it up and make the rice and veggies. She made Minced Beef with Peas (meen jee gnow yuk fan - in Cantonese) actually I know how to make that... I learned last summer before I started school. She also made Chicken Curry (yum) that is not spicy... I think we all know how well I handle spicy foods = tears. I'm heating that up tonight and cooking Shanghai Bak Choy for a side dish.

I was thinking about preventative care today because I've been money conscious lately, as some of you can tell. (Hole in shirt? Buy a new one? Nope: learn to sew)

This year, I lost my excellent dental insurance after I quit my job and went back to school and got school dental insurance which covers almost nothing.

During school, a filling fell out and I needed to get it replaced ASAP. Without good insurance, it cost me $$$ to get it fixed.

I learned something important in one of my classes last semester. I would like to bestow this knowledge on you now.

Teeth are important to overall health and nutrition.

• Tooth pain can cause malnutrition b/c people tend to eat softer foods which tend to be less nutritious (fresh apple vs. pie).
• Tooth loss in old age is not inevitable with good dental hygiene. Dentures are not a cure-all. In fact, people with dentures are more prone to choking b/c normal sensation that tells you when you have chewed food well enough to swallow is diminished.

CAVITIES

Cavities are not caused by sweets alone as some cartoons in dentists offices may tell you. The bacteria living in your mouth likes to eat carbohydrates. It does not discriminate between candy, soda, juice, or bread. After "eating" the carbs, the bacteria release acid. Meanwhile, teeth are demineralized and remineralized by saliva constantly. Teeth are pH sensitive, meaning that below pH 5.5 (greater acidity), demineralization occurs faster than remineralization can occur. THIS IS BAD. Demineralization of teeth leads to cavities.

PREVENTION #1: BRUSHING

Plaque, as everyone knows, is also BAD. Plaque is a sticky biofilm made by bacteria to let it stick to your teeth instead of getting swished around in your saliva. It allows it to feed on the carbohydrates that you ate. It takes about 48 hours for this bacteria on your teeth to begin to harden and then you need your dentist to scrape it off. So brush well at an angle (if you really want to be accurate --> 45 degree angle) at your gum line where the bacteria tend to hide.

I recently invested in a Sonicare toothbrush... it's so worth it, although it is expensive :(

TIMING IS IMPORTANT
How long carbohydrates stay on your teeth with the growing bacterial plaque is key. Drinking juice or soda in one sitting is BETTER than sipping on it all day b/c you are constantly exposing your teeth to sugar.

Since I had cavities when I was a kid, I am prone to get more cavities. In the past few years, I have quit drinking sodas and juice in favor of tea and water.

I personally like my water at slightly warmer than room temp - about 15 degrees below boiling. Yes, I've been told that I was weird... wahhh.

The problem with sugary drinks is that sugar gets in between your teeth more easily.

PREVENTION #2: Flossing is important...so floss all the time.

Has anyone heard of this? MOUNTAIN DEW MOUTH

Check it out... I used to drink Mtn Dew mainly for the caffeine after I did a chemistry experiment in school and found out that Mountain Dew had a high amt of caffeine in it. I don't drink this anymore... thank goodness.

PREVENTION #3: RINSE YOUR MOUTH WITH FLUORIDE

EVERY DAY.

Teeth is made up of a hard material called hydroxyapatite made of calcium phosphate. When you rinse with fluoride, the fluoride will be incorporated in the apatite crystal of your teeth making the tooth more resistant to demineralization (i.e. it makes your teeth stronger).

Fluoride also increases remineralization and may prevent bacteria from releasing acid.

I didn't start to rinse with fluoride regularly until a few years ago. Since then, I can tell that my teeth are now less sensitive and I haven't had the cavities.

COST

CVS is selling fluoride rinse for $4.99. The bottle will last more than a month... let's say you buy a new bottle every other month... $5 x 6 months = $30.

THIS WILL SAVE YOU more than $200 dollars for 1 filling or root canal and pain associated with it, both physical and wallet pain.

PREVENTION #4?

Since acid is the main cause of pain, raising the pH could prevent decay.

Certain foods can help.

Some examples:

• Cheese is one of the foods that will raise pH above 5.5. Also contains calcium and phosphate to remineralize teeth.
• Sugar-free Gum makes you produce more saliva which may neutralize the bacteria and also gum sweetened with Xylitol may prevent the growth of bacteria that contributes most to tooth decay.

And this is what I know... and hopefully, now you know too. Excellent. :)