DIY Black Magic: Naturally Whiter Teeth with Activated Charcoal Toothpaste

As strange as it may sound, brushing with a readily available black powder can help polish and whiten your teeth - all without harsh chemicals. To be honest, I was doubtful this homemade toothpaste would really work, but was curious enough to give it a go. The results were surprising. 

After a bit of research, I discovered that activated charcoal is an astonishing magnet for anything from poisons to bacteria to stains on your teeth. Apparently, activated charcoal absorbs and encapsulates harmful substances, then safely escorts it out of the system without risk of absorption. This is why hospitals keep a hearty supply of the stuff on hand for poisoning victims.

Scientists in London Develop Pain-Free Filling That Allows Teeth to Repair Themselves Without Drilling or Injection

(The Guardian) A tooth-rebuilding technique developed at King's College London does away with fillings and instead encourages teeth to repair themselves.

Tooth decay is normally removed by drilling, after which the cavity is filled with a material such as amalgam or composite resin.

The new treatment, called Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER), accelerates the natural movement of calcium and phosphate minerals into the damaged tooth.

A two-step process first prepares the damaged area of enamel, then uses a tiny electric current to push minerals into the repair site. It could be available within three years.

Is Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash Harmful for Teeth?

(GreenMed Info) Hydrogen peroxide is praised for its antiseptic and healing properties. In fact, there is a new urban myth proclaiming that hydrogen peroxide is universally beneficial for all the body organs and tissues. Regarding dental health, this couldn't be further from the truth as evidence shows that hydrogen peroxide is actually toxic for the cells in the inner part of the teeth, also known as the dental pulp. Without a doubt, hydrogen peroxide does a really good job at bleaching and disinfecting teeth; hydrogen peroxide- based bleaching gels are essential for dentists and there is solid evidence demonstrating the efficacy of these protocols. On the other hand, there is a lot of uncontrolled information and advice, recommending hydrogen peroxide as an ideal everyday mouthwash. Taking into account that over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide concentrations can be as high as the formulas used by dentists in bleaching sessions (20-30%) and the growing popularity of hydrogen peroxide as an alternative therapy, the danger of potential long-term teeth damage by using high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide as a casual mouthwash are unknown, underestimated and largely under-discussed.

Scientists create candy that's good for teeth

(Medical Xpress) Dentists warn us that too many sweets can cause cavities. In fact, it’s not candy, but bacteria on the tooth surface that cause tooth decay. If you reduce the amount of cavity-causing bacteria, the number of cavities should decrease. Christine Lang of the Berlin biotech firm ORGANOBALANCE and her colleagues have developed a candy that can do this. This candy contains dead bacteria that bind to the bacteria most likely to cause cavities. Subjects who ate the candy had reduced levels of “bad” bacteria in their mouths. The research appears in Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins.

After you eat, bacteria attached to the surface of your teeth release acid. Slowly, this acid dissolves your tooth enamel. As the enamel wears down, cavities can develop. The strain of bacteria most likely to cause cavities is mutansstreptococci. When you chew, you shed mutans streptococci into your saliva. Swallowing or spitting removes some of the bacteria from your mouth after you finish chewing. The remaining bacteria reattach themselves to your teeth.

Flash greens with red pepper, olives and bacon + Why I switched to a Paleo diet

Fast, easy and delicious is the name of the game this summer. If truth be told, who wants to spend time slaving over a hot stove when the weather is sparkling bright and a host of outdoor activities beckon? Yet we also don't want to substitute convenience for good food. Man (nor woman) can live by protein bar alone. So a happy medium is struck with a medley of colorful vegetables and a smattering of bacon with a few choice olives tossed in. A squeeze of lemon along with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and you're set. For those who have the time and inclination, roasting the red peppers is a nice touch – although it isn't necessary. I am not a big fan of pork for health reasons, but thankfully we live in an abundant age where convincing organic and nitrate/preservative free turkey alternatives are available.