THE TEN TOP FOODS FOR DENTAL HEALTH

23 04 2013

vegetables

The 10 top foods for dental health are:

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Carrots

Celery

Cauliflower

Lettuce

Kale

Onions

Spinach

There is probably no surprise that they are also fantastic foods for your total body health!

 

 
 

 

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.

 


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The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food

26 02 2013

i feel sorry for the public

I shared an article on this blog over the weekend, which really hits home how the food industry intentionally creates food that are convenient, low cost, high in sodium, fat, sugars and extremely addictive.  I was very incensed about the fact that it is really not just about the willpower of the public, but that a conscious effort is made in the laboratory settings and marketing meetings to get people hooked on these foods.  The article spoke about the fact that  1 in 3 adults in the United states are clinically obese; that 24 million Americans have Type 2 Diabetes; and, one in 5 children have type 2 Diabetes.  What was not included in this article was that 50 percent of the American population has periodontal disease.  Clearly all of these degenerative diseases are making us as a country very sick.  I see the ill effects of eating these harmful foods and how it effects the oral cavity.  It is critical that we stop just picking up the easy to get convenient for us foods and take some time and read labels.  What seems like the easy way now, becomes the hard way in terms of pain, disease, and suffering in our future.  Please, if you haven’t read the article,  take time to do so, it is so important to be aware of the thought processes that go into the food that we so casually pick up at the store and place in our mouths.  Become aware! Stay healthy!

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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“I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THE PUBLIC”

23 02 2013

Please read this excerpt from an article in the New York Times about the link between obesity and addictive junk food, and the companies that produced and advertise these items:

photo: Grant Cornett for The New York Times

On the evening of April 8, 1999, a long line of Town Cars and taxis pulled up to the Minneapolis headquarters of Pillsbury and discharged 11 men who controlled America’s largest food companies. Nestlé was in attendance, as were Kraft and Nabisco, General Mills and Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Mars. Rivals any other day, the C.E.O.’s and company presidents had come together for a rare, private meeting. On the agenda was one item: the emerging obesity epidemic and how to deal with it. While the atmosphere was cordial, the men assembled were hardly friends. Their stature was defined by their skill in fighting one another for what they called “stomach share” — the amount of digestive space that any one company’s brand can grab from the competition.

James Behnke, a 55-year-old executive at Pillsbury, greeted the men as they arrived. He was anxious but also hopeful about the plan that he and a few other food-company executives had devised to engage the C.E.O.’s on America’s growing weight problem. “We were very concerned, and rightfully so, that obesity was becoming a major issue,” Behnke recalled. “People were starting to talk about sugar taxes, and there was a lot of pressure on food companies.” Getting the company chiefs in the same room to talk about anything, much less a sensitive issue like this, was a tricky business, so Behnke and his fellow organizers had scripted the meeting carefully, honing the message to its barest essentials. “C.E.O.’s in the food industry are typically not technical guys, and they’re uncomfortable going to meetings where technical people talk in technical terms about technical things,” Behnke said. “They don’t want to be embarrassed. They don’t want to make commitments. They want to maintain their aloofness and autonomy.”

A chemist by training with a doctoral degree in food science, Behnke became Pillsbury’s chief technical officer in 1979 and was instrumental in creating a long line of hit products, including microwaveable popcorn. He deeply admired Pillsbury but in recent years had grown troubled by pictures of obese children suffering from diabetes and the earliest signs of hypertension and heart disease. In the months leading up to the C.E.O. meeting, he was engaged in conversation with a group of food-science experts who were painting an increasingly grim picture of the public’s ability to cope with the industry’s formulations — from the body’s fragile controls on overeating to the hidden power of some processed foods to make people feel hungrier still. It was time, he and a handful of others felt, to warn the C.E.O.’s that their companies may have gone too far in creating and marketing products that posed the greatest health concerns.

—–

for more of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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DENTISTRY OF THE FUTURE

18 02 2013

dentistry of the future

There are dentists who are tooth mechanics and gum gardeners, and there are also dentists who evaluate the entire body and evaluate the relationship between the teeth and the rest of the body.  Some dentists understand that in order to make an impact and positive changes in a persons health, that they must be an active participant in their health care. There are dentists who really understand that it makes a difference what materials you use in a patient’s mouth, and the total impact it has on their body.  These holistic/ whole body dentists practice dentistry in a slightly different manner.  Some of the characteristics that distinguish this type of dentistry are the following:

1.            The patient must be an active participant.  “Doctor” means teacher; it is up to the doctor or any healing practitioner to help educate the patient, in order that the patient can make the decisions regarding their treatment.  Today health is more of a consumer product.  The patient and/ or the insurance company pay for a commodity, namely health repairs, which are to be supplied with very little input from the patient.

2.            Treatment should above all, do no harm.  Much of orthodox medical/dental treatment neglects this very important tenet, either by dispensing toxic drugs on a chronic basis, or by implanting toxins in the mouth.  Often more harm is done than if nothing had been undertaken.  Natural therapies attempt to rid the body of toxic substances and assist the body in healing.

3.            The body has a natural, innate desire to be in a state of homeostasis.  The chronic use of drugs suppresses symptoms and does not act curatively.  Natural therapies do not work o this suppressive level, but rather gently push and assist the body towards homeostasis.

4.            A person is more than a physical being.  He or she is more than can be measured by our inventions, which are extensions of our five senses- for example a microscope.  A person is a spiritual, electro-dynamic, energetic, psychological being, who thinks and feels.

5.  Disease is not a name; it is also not something localized which can therefore just be cut out, i.e. a cancer of the breast.  The cancer which is localized to a portion of the breast is a disease of the entire person.  It is a degradation of the entire immune system, or possibly a hyper functioning of the entire immune system.  It involves not just some localized tissue, but rather the entire being, especially at the “other body” level.

6.  Diet is what’s eaten; nutrition is what’s effective.  To e effective, food must be in a form which is vibrant.  It must be full of energy, and not dead.

The future of medicine and dentistry is exciting.  The use of a device like the Star Trek Tricorder for diagnosis is on the near horizon, and one can envision the day when disease will be remedied by exposure to different vibratory waves, audible and non-audible.  Imagine placing a metal implant in the mouth, and altering its electromagnetic frequency so that it can exist harmoniously within your energy field.  You have a dead tooth?  NO problem, exposure to another specific frequency will impart a new vibrational pattern, so that it does not interfere with the meridian it is on.

That is the future of dentistry.

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! GO AHEAD AND ENJOY YOUR DARK CHOCOLATE!

14 02 2013

valentines day chocolates

1)  Dark Chocolate contains theobromine which helps prevent cavities

Dark chocolate contains theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel. That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.

2) Dark Chocolate is good for Your Heart

Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots. Eating dark chocolate may also prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

3) Dark Chocolate is Good for Your Brain

Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce your risk of stroke.

Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release endorphins, so eating dark chocolate will make you feel happier.

Dark chocolate also contains caffeine, a mild stimulant. However, dark chocolate contains much less caffeine than coffee. A 1.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate contains 27 mg of caffeine, compared to the 200 mg found in an eight ounce cup of coffee.

4) Dark Chocolate Helps Control Blood Sugar

Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes. The flavonoids in dark chocolate also help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently. Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels.

5) Dark Chocolate is Full of Antioxidants

Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

6)  Dark Chocolate is high in vitamins and minerals

Dark chocolate contains a number of vitamins and minerals that can support your health. Dark chocolate contains some of the following vitamins and minerals in high concentrations:

  • Potassium
  • Copper
  • Magnesium
  • Iron

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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The French Fry – A right of passage?

4 02 2013

baby with french fry

A right of passage:  That first time you take your child on a fast food adventure , isn’t it cute when they take that first nibble on a crispy McDonald’s french fry, often drenched in ketchup.  The child is so adorable, the french fry tastes so good.  Nobody thinks for a moment how we are starting that child down the road towards a possible addiction to unhealthy foods, towards diabetes, obesity and other health issues that will plague them for the rest of their lives.  That first trip to McDonald’s is commonplace in so many households here in the United States, and everywhere around the world, will start them on the path to dental disease  including cavities and gum disease.

The month of February is recognized as Children’s Dental Health Month.  I really think it is important to establish healthy nutritional and oral health routines from the time a baby is an infant.  Here are a few helpful tips that can help prevent dental disease from the start:

From infancy, the routine of cleaning your babies  mouth out after they have milk or formula is important. The sugar in the milk can cause decay from the time the first teeth erupt into the mouth.  It is especially important to refrain from allowing children sip on milk, or juice in a bottle throughout the day and especially at night.  Baby bottle, or nursing bottle caries are really a struggle for the parent and the child, when their baby teeth erupt into the mouth rotten from the sugar in these drinks.

Really pay attention to food labels.  Watch for the hidden sugars in a child’s diet that they might be consuming.  Try and avoid processed foods as much as possible.

Brushing after meals, and especially at bedtimes is critical, as most of the bacteria builds up in ones mouth at night when they are sleeping and their mouth is closed.  Also, ensuring that they develop healthy routines when it comes to brushing and flossing, starts when they are very young.  In fact, one of the best things you can do is let them watch you as you brush and floss so they can emulate some great behaviors.

Sealants, which are a thin plastic coating, a protective layer that should be placed on all of the back teeth, once they have erupted into the child’s mouth, have shown to significantly decrease the amount of dental decay a child will get in the grooves of their teeth.

Finally, soon after the teeth start coming into your child’s mouth, is the right time to take them on their first visit to a dentist.  Let them get used to the environment.  It will help to prevent them from developing a fear of the dentist, that their parent’s might have had.  It will also allow the dentist to evaluate their teeth and make sure to prevent and detect any dental problems before it will arise.  Let your children develop a lifelong healthy relationship with one of the best preventive healthcare providers they will have for their entire lives.

Happy Children’s Dental Health Month!

 

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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Can 1 yogurt = 1 soda?

29 01 2013

so why let them drink it

I have to say that Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s controversial soda ban, really hit home to so many due to the rising obesity epidemic that we have in this country.  First, I want to point out, that not only is there an increased incidence of obesity and diabetes, there also is an increased incidence in tooth decay and periodontal disease.  Research even shows that the high fructose corn syrup consumption in sodas may actually cause you to age more rapidly.    I think, as most people have reasoned, that though the mayor’s  intention is a good one, it really doesn’t address to any real measure, the totality of incidences that we find sugar in our diet, the hidden sugars.

When we ban large soft drinks, but kids still are able to enjoy a ketchup on their fries and hot dogs, do we pay attention to the fact that ketchup has 8% more sugar than ice cream?  What about the hot dog bun?  Most commercial baked goods, even those without a visible hint of sugar, are laden with hidden sugars.  Almost all processed foods are rich in hidden sugars.

When you go to your supermarket, thinking you are choosing the healthier option of a yogurt, think again.  The “fruit on the bottom” of a carton of yogurt contains up to nine teaspoons of sugar, almost the same as in a can of soda.  Peanut butter and most cereals are laden with sugars.  The best means of combating this obesity/dental disease epidemic is to read the labels before making a purchase.

Banning large sodas may seem like a good idea, but if manufactures are still able to inundate our food with hidden sugars, is it really going to make a difference?

read labels

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.


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HAPPY, THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL!

28 01 2013

2011.11.07_13-59-29SG020013-Happy Birthday Cake-1Kg

Ok, this is the mantra that I tell my teenage son all the time.  He should be happy, thankful, and grateful.  That’s our mantra.  We should be happy for all of the many blessings that we have in our lives.  Thankful that although we may not have some material possessions that others may have, it does not matter.  Grateful we have people in our lives that love us, that we have our health, and that we are able to do things that may in some way help to make someone else feel better, or improve their lives in some way are the things that should give us so much joy.  Well, today I was inundated with cakes, cupcakes, flowers, gifts, food, and so many, many wonderful wishes.  Today is my birthday.  Not a reason to blog, no real information today, however, I did want to make sure I told everyone, my wonderful family, my wonderful friends, and my Morningside Dental Care family, our patients and my exceptional staff (woot, woot!!!), that I am so happy, thankful and grateful to have them in my lives, and I cannot express the pure joy that I have of knowing them.  Thank you for making my birthday so very, very special!!!!!!!!  Tomorrow, I will have time to write a blog.

Dr. Donna

ps.  I truly overdosed on sugar today.  Well, here is a dental healthcare tip.  First, drink copious amounts of water as soon as you are finished eating the sugary food.  Make sure you brush and floss to raise the ph of your mouth to decrease the exposure of acids.  Finally, it is much better to eat all of the junk food in one sitting, and then throw the rest of it out, instead of nibbling on it over a few days.  If you eat it at one time, the ph of your mouth only drops one time.  If you eat a little bit over time, the ph of your mouth goes up and down like a yo-yo.  Every time you decrease the ph  you increase the frequency of the acid buildup in your mouth and you are more prone to decay and cavities.  So if you must binge, do it all at once and then get rid of the rest.
 

 

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.

 


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The Most Important Meal of the Day

24 01 2013

Healthy breakfast choices for dental care

Have you ever really thought about what you eat for breakfast? Most people choose a hot or cold cereal, or some type of microwaveable meal. And some choose to eat something that is definitely unhealthy, like a muffin, doughnut or some other sugary delight while buying that morning cup of coffee. The unhealthy choices are usually made while running late for work or school, and this is definitely not the way you want to start your day.

Yes, grabbing junk food for breakfast is the easy way and we do it without thinking. But that is the point- Stop and think about how you want to start your day. A healthy smoothie (fruit/veg combo…but leave out the sugar!) or a meal containing protein would be a better way to begin a day that is, probably at some point, going to include some stressful situations. If you start with a breakfast that is healthy and nutritious, then you are going to have the right tools to fight with when it is time to deal with stress during your day. And as we all know, stress is not good for your health or your teeth; stress may make you clench and grind your teeth, often subconsciously.

We need to make better food choices for all of our daily meals, for both for our health and our dental care. So, set the alarm to give you a few extra minutes in the am, and make a healthy choice for breakfast tomorrow.
 

 

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.

 


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Candy Wrappers

17 01 2013

candy wrappers

I figured that before I post too many blogs giving my insight about dentistry and thoughts I have, I also must make confessions of my own and really divulge where my perspective originates from.  As a newborn, my son (who is now a teenager) was very ill.  He was a 2 lb 1 oz preemie who had to be hospitalized over 9 times during the first 2 years of his life.  He was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe many of those occasions and he even coded once.  Having been in the healthcare profession and with family members who were health care  practitioners and physicians, I felt the medical profession should be able to cure patients and make them better.   One of the times he was intubated ( on the ventilator) I asked the pediatrician “what is it we are going to do to make him better to fix him”.  Wonderfully, the physician explained that “the only thing we as physicians are able to do in this case  is to give him oxygen, support the airway and keep it open, the body has to do the rest”.  It was in that moment and while my son was healing that I began to truly understand just how fascinating and complex the human body truly is.  It is where I came to see that the key a long and healthy life is to keep the body strong and in proper shape.  It was also at that time that they were offering fellowships in holistic dentistry  with the Institute for Natural Dentistry.  I enrolled in the program right away and it truly opened my eyes to an entirely different world of wellness; mind/body/spirit interrelationship; energetic pathways; nutrition; and the list goes on… It really allowed me to truly understand that the teeth do not walk in on their own, but are attached to a body, and the interrelationship between the teeth and the whole individual.

Well around that time, you can say that I became a “food nazi”.  I really watched what I was eating, made sure my son only had organic, healthy food, no sugar, he took every vitamin supplement he should have, etc.  Well, or so I thought.  After a while, this toddler would find ways to spit out just what he didn’t like.  “Oh, no Mommy, I just won’t have that”, and he said it so politely.  I would try and hide the supplements in the food.  He would find it and spit it out.  It has become a never ending struggle.  As he has gotten older and in school with other children, the challenges have become even greater.  When you share your food with others and they share back, it’s when you really get tastes for sugar and other foods that may not be so good or healthy for you.  Then, the first time this happened I was shocked.  I went to make up his bed and found candy wrappers in the bed!  Not only was he eating the sugar, but he was leaving the sugar to bathe in his mouth all night long – a dentists’ nightmare!

We have had our moments.  We have had our struggles.   I have really, really relaxed my habits.  As adults, we have our challenges that we have to deal with ourselves.   At one point, I became frustrated and felt there was nothing I can do.  We went, as they say “buck wild”.  But there is no way you can be in the dental field, and see all of this sugar addiction and the health problems it causes and just do nothing.  These experiences have  really let me know how strong an addiction sugar really can be.  It has also let me know that in this society, and especially living in New York City, it is very difficult to control the environment and here children have access to so many things.  What I do know that is great is that as he is getting older, he is learning how do make some better choices.   That is my hope and shining star.  As parents it is our responsibility to always try and help them understand what is best for them, but also, not just leave things  and say it is hopeless, but just keep trying.  So that’s what I do.
 

 

Dr Donna Williams

Dr. Williams began her career in the field of dentistry at Howard University and graduated from Baltimore College Dental Surgery/University of Maryland. She is one of a select group of general dentists who have completed a fellowship in Holistic dentistry, and is also certified to use the only FDA approved laser for periodontal surgery. She is passionate about improving the health status of people throughout the community and beyond. Contact her at: Morningside Dental Care.

 


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