As we head into our what will be our 5th – ! – year of blogging on health and wellness through the lens of holistic, biological dentistry, it’s good to reflect a bit on the year just past.
But before we do, we’d like to take just a moment to express our thanks to you – for reading, commenting on and sharing our posts. Because of you, our readership continues to grow. Because of you, more people are learning more about taking charge of their own health and well-being through natural, life-honoring means.
All of us here at the office are deeply grateful for your ongoing readership and support.
And what were you most interested in learning more about in 2014? Without further ado, the top 10 posts of last year:
- Just How Natural Are Listerine Naturals?
Walk down the dental aisle of your favorite market, and you see stacks upon stacks of products from the likes of Crest, Colgate, Aquafresh and Listerine. Listerine was THE recommended product in hygiene school. Our instructors constantly told us how it is an antiseptic that kills 99% of germs. Who wouldn’t want that, right?Well, working for a biological dentist has opened my eyes and made me realize that reading labels is a must before buying or using any particular product.
- The Facts About Dental Implants
These days, many say implants are the best solution for missing teeth. Often, you hear that, in terms of both look and function, implants are “just like regular teeth.” (This can be a bit of a problem, though, as one 2013 study in the British Dental Journal noted.)
Still, as with any kind of invasive surgery, the choice to get implants is one to take seriously – despite how cavalierly the procedure is treated in slick TV spots for “same day implants” and things like the lightly viral video of a dentist extracting his own tooth and placing his own implant, all within the span of about a half hour.Taking it seriously means knowing the facts about dental implants, both their benefits and their risks.
- Oil Pulling: Magical or Mythical?
It seems everyone’s talking about oil pulling these days – from mommy bloggers to fashionistas to the Huffington Post and plenty more in between. But what is it? And why is it? And why have Dr. Glaros and many of us here in the office happily taken up this ancient Ayurvedic practice?
- Supporting Healing with Platelet Rich Fibrin
For about a year and a half now, we’ve been using platelet rich fibrin (PRF) to support our patients’ healing after surgical procedures. And we continue to be extremely impressed with the results! But what we love just as much is that it’s at once so advanced yet so natural. For PRF relies on no foreign or synthetic substances. It’s generated from a small sample of the patient’s blood.
You can’t get any more biocompatible than that!
We remain so excited by and grateful for this technology, we wanted to share with you again this post on how PRF benefits our patients day after day after day…
- Trace Minerals for Your Teeth
The enamel coating that protects your teeth is 96% mineral – the highest mineral content in any human tissue. That makes it the strongest tissue in your body. But like any other tissue, you need to care for it – at least if you want it to stay healthy and whole.
- Why Coconut Oil Rocks
Coconut oil’s benefits aren’t restricted to the mouth. It’s been shown to support a healthy heart, immune system and metabolism, as well as proper thyroid function.
Who wouldn’t be a fan?
- Dental Mercury: Indefensible
Though more and more dentists are saying no to mercury amalgam fillings, the material still has plenty of defenders. It’s sad. And frustrating. And understandable. After all, we humans can be extraordinarily resistant to change, and going mercury-free requires a lot of it.
Swapping out one material for another is just the beginning.
- A Journey to My Roots – & the “Island Where People Forget to Die”
This summer, Joanne and I will be making our first trip to Greece, the homeland of my father’s parents. And where in Greece were my grandparents born and raised? None other than the town of Evdilos on the island of Ikaria, just like our hero in the story above. As the Times article notes, Ikaria is one of just a handful of “blue zones” left in the world today – a place where a high percentage of residents routinely remain productive and active well into their 90s.
That this one is my ancestral home gives this trip a whole new level of meaning for us.
- What Is a Biological Dentist?
Dr. Glaros was recently asked to share his thoughts on the essence of biological dentistry. Here’s what he had to say…
“A Biological Dentist is a licensed dentist who uses the greatest elements and practices of conventional dentistry, who also has a great appreciation of and gives consideration to the relationship of teeth and oral health to the entire body…”
- Oxalates, Calcium & Fluoride, Oh My!
When the Dallas City Council agreed to consider ending the city’s nearly 50 year old fluoridation policy earlier this year, fluoride’s supporters were up in arms. Insults flew wildly, with pro-fluoride pundits grasping for the usual epithets and creaky Cold War stereotypes.
Of course, snark like that is never about engaging in debate or correcting ideas they believe are misguided. It’s about shutting people up. And in light of the latest science, silence, as one more reasonable, informed and perceptive Dallas Observer blogger pointed out, is the last thing we need.
Is there a topic you’d like to hear more about? Questions you’d like to have answered about biological dentistry? Let us know what you’d like to see on our blog through the coming months. Leave your suggestions here in the comments or post them on our Facebook page, or tweet them to us @drglaros. We’d love to hear from you!