Green Dentistry In The News

If you’ve been wishing your smile was a little brighter, you’re not alone. While there’s no shortage of various whitening products out there—both over-the-counter and professional options ranging from pens to gels to trays—whitening strips offer one of the easiest ways to score pearly (or at the very least, pearlier) whites.

The rules of good dental hygiene are pretty simple: brush and floss at least twice a day and use mouthwash when you want to freshen up. But not all mouthwashes are created equal. And if you’re consistently using the wrong type of mouthwash, it might actually hurt your overall dental health. It might be time to consider an alcohol-free mouthwash.

If you wake up with morning dragon breath (raises hand), you might make a beeline for the bathroom to brush your teeth ASAP. Instantly, your breath feels fresher and you’re ready to greet the day. The downside is that if you eat breakfast or drink coffee after, you’ll leave the house — or hop on your first Zoom call — with mucky java breath and possibly food stuck in your teeth.

If you want a stellar smile, you probably know you shouldn’t be scuffling over to the pantry to grab handfuls of candy throughout the day. Luckily, there are better snacks that actually help your teeth. One of those is fruit.

We’re in a cracked tooth epidemic. And it would be easy to call out stress as the primary cause of grinding teeth. Stress over the impending election. Stress over the impending second wave of COVID-19. Stress over what to make for dinner. It makes sense if you’ve been grinding your teeth out of stress, but according to a recent New York Times report, bad posture might actually be to blame for a chipped tooth.

Can you imagine pulling your own tooth with a pair of pliers? How about punching it out with a dowel rod? Or trying to whiten your teeth at home with undiluted bleach?

These are examples of do-it-yourself (DIY) dentistry being shown on social media sites such as TikTok and YouTube, and dental professionals are concerned that too many people are following the amateurs’ advice.

How does San Francisco dentist Dr. Nammy Patel set her practice apart, keep her patients engaged, and her staff happy? For 15 years she’s developed a reputation for activism, and she’s kept that up in the current environment.

That parched feeling you get after a long workout or full night of sleep isn’t exactly fun—but it’s totally normal. Luckily, a tall glass of water quickly soothes your sticky, dry mouth.

If you feel like your mouth is constantly dry, though, that’s another story. “Dry mouth” is an actual health condition—and, in addition to being uncomfortable, it can have some undesirable effects.

On days when I don’t feel like flossing, I find the motivation by remembering that an unexpected tooth issue could lead to a very unexpected trip to the dentist. With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m trying not to make any trips I don’t have to. To make sure I was taking care of my teeth the best way I could, I was curious about easy ways to improve oral health at home.

The millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought globally are creating stress over everything from personal health to employment, lifestyle, and finances.

Like many dentists, Nammy Patel, DDS, has faced her share of challenges over the past couple of months. With a dental practice in the Union Square area of downtown San Francisco, Dr. Patel has seen her business disrupted not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but also by the recent number of protests in the city’s business district spurred by the death of George Floyd.

As COVID-19 has spread around the world, data has shown that those with weakened immune systems are among the most susceptible to severe illness from the virus.

When it comes to toothpaste, the choices can be overwhelming. It turns out, a lot of what’s out there might not even be good for us.

“When we see something that’s over-the-counter, we think it’s totally safe and it’s not,” said dentist and author, Dr. Nammy Patel.

Dr. Patel explains how for a growing number of patients, a trip to the dentist isn’t what it used to be – and that’s how they want it. This emerging branch of dentistry – which dental professionals say is largely patient-driven – is called “holistic” or “holistic biological.”

Dr. Patel writes about how professional teeth whitening continues to grow in popularity. What was formerly a process used chiefly by actors and newscasters has become the new normal for anyone who cares how they look.

There are many products that we use to eat and help maintain our health. However, you can now feel a bit comfortable with what goes into your mouth. We had Dr. Nammy Patel to show us how to make our own toothpaste and mouthwash with products at home.

“Taking moments here and there for self-oral care, throughout your busy day, can make a big difference,” Dr. Patel says. “It just means a little more planning and taken individually they are small things that can prevent major problems.”

Dr. Patel says that bacteria invisible to the naked eye hides everywhere. “The snake-like microscopic bacteria get stuck in between bristles,” she says.

Dr. Patel explains the importance of dentistry to prevent major costs later in life: Where do you put your energy, money, and attention when it comes to taking care of your health? If you’re in your twenties, I’m going to hazard a guess; everywhere but your mouth.

ForbesBooks reports on Dr. Patel’s Amazon bestseller, Age with Style: Your Guide to a Youthful Smile & Healthy Living. Dr. Patel says, “Oral health involves more than just keeping your teeth clean and pearly white…”

Listen to this interview with Dr. Patel on WOCA radio.

In this feature article, Dr. Patel shares her thought process when designing the Green Dentistry office to make it stand out from other San Francisco dentists. “When you come in you can’t even tell it’s a dental office. It doesn’t have that chemical dental smell.”