Everyone wants a nice smile but we’re often guilty of procrastinating with our dental checkups. Achieving healthy teeth takes a lifetime of care, and your dental health is important to your overall health. We sit down with our favourite holistic dentist on the island, Daniel from Clinica Dental Peralta Silverstone to chat about how the latest wellbeing crazes affect our teeth, and what natural tips we can implement to give our teeth the care they deserve.

In the wellness world we’re all encouraged to drink a big glass of warm lemon water every morning for improved digestion, however we’ve also heard this can be bad news for the enamel on your teeth. Is this true, and what can we do to minimise the harmful effects?

Warm water with lemon is known to boost your immune system, improve digestion and even some claim it helps with weight loss. On the other hand, the citric acid of the lemon can affect your enamel and adding sugar to your water can cause tooth decay. At Peralta Silverstone we recommend the following tips:

• brush your teeth before drinking lemon water
• use lemon juice from fresh ecological lemons (don’t use concentrated lemon juices)
• drink through a paper or metal straw to minimise contact with your teeth. Contact Hannah at Viveco to get your hands on one.
• drink it quickly, rather than sipping
• rinse your mouth with plain water after drinking
• wait two hours to brush your teeth after drinking to allow the calcium in your saliva to re-mineralise your teeth

Are there any foods that are particularly good for naturally whitening your teeth?

Yes, they are not as effective as professional teeth whitening products but there are a few:

• Strawberries contain an enzyme called malic acid. Try mashing up strawberries and rubbing them on your teeth. Leave on for five minutes then rinse with water and brush and floss as usual.
• Apples, celery and carrots, help remove stains by increasing saliva production. Also oranges and pineapples (remember not to confuse with lemons that are acidic).
• Baking soda. Studies reveal that toothpaste that contains it removes more plaque. You could brush occasionally with it straight from the box.

Elle McPherson recently said she’s started brushing her teeth more often because her daily green juices were discolouring her teeth. Should we be brushing more than twice a day?

Yes. The idea is we should all brush for 12 minutes a day, so try and divide those minutes throughout the day. Try brushing 3 – 4 times a day for 4 minutes. A good trick is to play your favourite song while brushing your teeth, a song usually lasts from 3-4 minutes.

There’s mixed messages out there about fluoride versus non-fluoride toothpaste – which should we be choosing?

High levels of fluoride act as a hormonal disruptor. We already ingest fluoride in food, water and beverages so if you have no dental issues, I would recommend a non-fluoride toothpaste. My team and I only suggest fluoride toothpaste in very specific cases and for topical use. There are many toxic free toothpastes available in todays market to choose from.

What’s a perfect teethcare routine to follow?

Brush your teeth 3 to 4 times a day. The most important times being before going to bed, and in the morning.

Chose the toothbrush you feel most comfortable with, manual (always medium or soft) or electric (with a charger battery and not disposable batteries). I would suggest starting with the more difficult parts of your mouth, like the inside and back of your teeth, then, the top and bottom surfaces and finally the front, don’t forget to get all the way to the back, we sometimes forget those back molars just because we can’t see them.

Ideally floss every day, and if not try every other day. Just because you don’t feel food trapped in the spaces between your teeth it doesn’t mean that bacteria isn’t building up.

Mouth wash is good compliment, but I always leave that up to personal choice, just remember to pick an alcohol free one.

Should we be getting our teeth professionally cleaned as well as having a general check-up? How often?

Definitely. All our patients come in twice a year for a professional cleaning, and in that same visit have a regular check-up. That way we can treat diseases through prevention.

Any final tips you have for a healthy smile?

Keep a balanced diet, partake in regular exercise, make sure you practice nasal breathing and not oral breathing, go and see your dentist regularly. Be happy!

 

Clinica Dental Peralta Silverstone is a holistic dental clinic in Palma. They not only offer conventional dentistry (using the latest techniques), but also Neurofocal Dentistry which involves treating your overall health and well-being, not only the visible symptoms but the root cause. This could include utlising acupuncture, kinesiolgy, kobido, nutrition and more alongside your regular dental treatments. Daniel and his team will put you at ease with their dedicated care and knowledge within a comfortable and relaxing environment.

CLINICA DENTAL PERALTA SILVERSTONE
Foners 6, 2 B, Palma
07006, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
608 672 639 / 971 465 161
www.clinicadentalps.com
info@clinicadentalps.com

 

Written by Ché Miller

About the author Ché has always had a passion for hospitality having completed a conjoint Bachelors Degree in International Business and Hospitality Management. She has spent the last 15 years working in the hospitality industry. This passion led her to working in a premier health retreat in Australia in her twenties. There she found the knowledge she gained there inspired her to start living a healthier life. Now Ché loves to combine her two favourite things, hospitality and wellbeing. She scours the island for the best nourishing restaurants, products and services. Ché has been living in Mallorca since early 2017, having moved from her home in New Zealand. She absolutely loves the energy of the island and everything it has to offer. Ché’s other interests include ashtanga yoga, boxing, reading, writing, and really good coffee.