Live Healthy Longer with Dr. Jim Polakof
Amazing Podcasts Created & Hosted by Dr. Jim Polakof to Stimulate Your Body, Mind and Soul! It's in our nature to explore opportunities that can improve our well-being. As a celebrated podcaster with thousands of listeners, Dr. Jim Polakof continually surpasses normal limits to explore new horizons in creating a better life for his listeners and readers. ‘Live Healthy Longer’ covers a wide range of topics including new advances in health and medicine; the possibility of having past lives and reincarnation; unique perspectives on entertainment, and ‘hot topics’ debates which present both sides of key issues.
Live Healthy Longer with Dr. Jim Polakof
TOOTHPASTE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH?
It’s hard to believe that a product we use every day can cause harm to our overall health, but shockingly, some toothpaste brands contain harmful ingredients we should be avoiding. In this episode of Live Healthy Longer, Dr. Jim sits down with Vladimir Vukicevic, Co-Founder & CEO of Better & Better, to discuss the truth about fluoride, potentially detrimental chemicals in toothpaste, and a healthier “Vegan” alternative. Tune in to learn how to make better choices for your oral health and overall well-being!
Discover more about Better & Better or shop now https://betterandbetter.com/
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Welcome to another episode of Live Healthy Longer with Dr Jim. We've read your requests for a focus on oral health and this episode will give you something to smile about. This podcast is supported in part by Amazon Books. Their slogan is everything from A to Z, and I'll have two great reading recommendations for you at the conclusion of this episode. So now here's our host, healthcare specialist author and very popular podcaster, dr Jim.
Speaker 2:Yes, this is Dr Jim Polakoff, and I think it's time that we visit the health of your teeth. So why don't we begin with some overlooked toothful facts? Bacteria that infect our gums cause gingivitis, but did you know that this bacteria can travel to our blood vessels and other areas of your body In turn? This can cause inflammation and damage, which could form tiny little blood clots, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Yes, there are over 300 different species of bacteria found in plaque, so it takes consistent brushing, flossing and mouthwash to kill them. Consistent brushing, flossing and mouthwash to kill them. And did you know that teeth are the only part of the human body that can't repair itself? That's right. Tooth enamel is the hardest part of your entire body, even harder than bone, and if you're not careful, you're unlikely to avoid gum disease. Three out of every four Americans have some form of periodontal gum disease, which means that 75% of our population suffers from either gum irritation, bleeding or deposit buildup. In fact, gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults older than 35. The good news is that these toothful facts can be prevented or controlled. So let's begin with toothpaste Now.
Speaker 2:The first toothpaste was invented about 200 years ago, in 1824 by a dentist named Peabody. He simply added soap to dental paste. Before this, people used a variety of substances to clean their teeth, ranging from crushed shells to charcoal, but since then, toothpaste has come a long way. In 1956, Crest was the first company to mass-market fluorinated toothpaste, which was, in turn, approved by the American Dental Association as an effective decay-preventing agent. However, debates continue to this day about fluoride and its potential health risks, so in this episode, we're going to discuss a vegan alternative, which leads me to my guest expert, Vladimir Vukievich. Vlad is the founder of Better and Better, a vitamin-infused toothpaste which is vegan and natural. Welcome to Live Healthy Longer, Vlad. It's wonderful to be here. Well, it's nice to have you because you're going to give us a very unique insight. Before we get into the best type of toothpaste to use, let's find out about you and your inspiration to make teeth healthier. How did it all begin and tell us about you. Sure, Thank you.
Speaker 3:So I have a long history, a long experience with my health and wellness. I actually moved to the United States when I was six years old. Health and wellness. I actually moved to the United States when I was six years old and fortunately, or unfortunately, I moved here for health reasons. So I was diagnosed with cancer when I was six years old. Oh, my goodness, yes, and that was early 90s. Serbia, yugoslavia back then. It was a bad diagnosis to get there, but thankfully my parents had an acquaintance here in the United States, in New York at Sloan Kettering, and so very quickly we came over. I was treated with chemotherapy, I was treated with various other operations, surgeries, etc oh good, so six years old?
Speaker 2:I mean that has to be traumatic for you.
Speaker 3:It was quite an experience and I view it as both you know obviously a huge challenge, but also as a blessing, because it brought me here to the United States and it gave me a new life and a new opportunity, and I've been cancer free for 30 years now, since 1994. I, as you can imagine, take good care of my health. I am a little bit paranoid about health and wellness and staying healthy. I go for regular checkups and I, you know, take various supplements, pills, et cetera, on a daily basis, and really what we wanted to do with Better and Better, first and foremost, was to build a company that incorporates health and wellness into daily habits in a better way. And what we quickly realized was that oral health brushing your teeth is probably one of the most universal oral habits or daily habits that most people have or should have, should have, and that's why we started with toothpaste and started with oral health. But we view ourselves as something much bigger than that. This is just the beginning of where uh, where we're going and what we're building.
Speaker 2:Wonderful, uh, and such great motivation and motive behind what you've done. And I can understand the health issue. Why, you know, obviously people just don't understand the importance of health when it comes to teeth and we're concerned about our heart, I should say, obviously, you know, a big concern is cancer, as you experience as a child, but our teeth, my God. We overlook it so often, but to me it was interesting because there must have been a real challenge to take on big companies like Crest and Colgate. They have these huge marketing budgets and they have the approval of the American Dental Association. So, people, they believe this is gospel, so to speak. So let's talk about the differences between regular toothpastes and better and better.
Speaker 3:Sure. So first and foremost, as you mentioned, oral health is viewed as a separate concept, but it's very much related to the rest of our body. It's the beginning of our gastrointestinal system. It's where we start to digest food and absorb nutrients, both through our bloodstream and as we begin to swallow. So keeping your mouth healthy is profoundly important, not just for your mouth and for your appearance, but also for your brain, for your heart, for all the rest of your body. So that's kind of the baseline off of which we're working from In terms of how Better and Better compares. What we quickly realized when we started developing our toothpaste is that if you look at the other formulations in the market, there is stuff in there that you do not want in your mouth on a daily basis.
Speaker 2:Animal-derived correct? I don't think most people are aware of this.
Speaker 3:That's right, they're animal animal derived ingredients Animal derived glycerins and various kind of thickeners. There is something called titanium dioxide, which is basically white paint. It's what makes Colgate and Crest look so white when you squeeze it onto your toothbrush toothbrush, because they're basically putting white paint into the toothpaste. That's actually an ingredient that's been banned in Europe and most other countries beyond the United.
Speaker 2:States Is that right? So Crest Colgate might have a problem selling their regular toothpaste in Europe.
Speaker 3:They're changing some of the formulations Europe they're changing some of the formulations Interesting. And also, titanium dioxide used to be in food as well, but now it's being removed from food. It's being removed from things that are swallowed, but of course, as you can imagine, some of our toothpaste gets swallowed and absorbed as well. Then there is something called sodium lauryl sulfate, which is basically kind of a soap type product that creates the foam and that creates the kind of big mouthfeel. But a lot of people get canker sores and they get irritations from that. And then finally, of course, there is fluoride. I think fluoride we could spend hours discussing.
Speaker 2:Oh, there's always been a big debate about fluoride.
Speaker 3:On its own, yes, but what we're seeing more and more is people are realizing that fluoride isn't just something good. It is good and potentially bad. There are tradeoffs to fluoride, and the idea that fluoride needs to be in our toothpaste is no longer the case, and so I think Well, it's in our water, so we have to keep that in mind.
Speaker 3:That's right. It's in our water, it's in our wine, it's in our coffee, it's in any place where the water ends up being as well, and so I think that number one difference between Better, better and all these other big brands is that we've kind of gone from, we've built this from scratch, focusing on natural, clean, organic ingredients, so that what you get in your toothpaste is basically food grade quality ingredients that have not been ever put at this level into toothpaste and into oral care products before.
Speaker 2:Well, that's very interesting. Now, one of the things that I discussed in my introduction obviously is plaque. I mean, that's something that affects our overall dental health, health and perhaps, as far as the plaque is concerned, I'm sure that many say, oh well, you know, if we go to a vegan toothpaste, it's not going to get rid of the plaque.
Speaker 3:I think that's erroneous. Am I correct? You are absolutely correct. The main reason for plaque often stems from a imbalance of the oral microbiome, which means that the oral microbiome, it's the good bacteria, the bad bacteria, all the things in your mouth that exist and live and make you healthy and happy. When that gets disrupted, the plaque starts to build. So plaque isn't just kind of debris, it's actually bacteria and the bacteria eating that debris that often leads to the plaque and that leads to the challenges that stem from plaque.
Speaker 3:So number one most important factor is to keep that oral microbiome healthy, and the best way to keep it healthy is through a toothpaste, is through oral care that doesn't disrupt it in a way that is disruptive to the oral microbiome, that creates a positive environment for your mouth and that naturally fights plaque, as opposed to really hitting it hard with something like an alcoholic-based mouthwash or the more traditional kind of extreme toothpaste. So number one thing keep the microbiome healthy, and what we've done is crafted a toothpaste that does exactly that. Our main ingredients within our toothpaste are coconut-based, so coconut and coconut oils are really good for the good bacteria in your mouth. It feeds the good bacteria and prevents the bad bacteria from overcoming the environment within your mouth, and thus, not only is vegan natural toothpaste equal, but I believe we believe it's better than traditional toothpaste in terms of fighting plaque and removing the plaque that is often built up in the mouth.
Speaker 2:Well, as I mentioned in my introduction, you know there are hundreds of forms of bacteria that are in our mouth. That's right, and obviously these can lead I mean there are serious consequences. They can, as a dentist will tell you, it can lead to heart disease. It could even lead to forms of cancer. Yes, so obviously the plaque is such a key element, and how does? Can you get into it a little bit more? I mean, how does your toothpaste actually fight the plaque itself? Since they don't, it doesn't have the typical ingredients that most toothpastes do yeah.
Speaker 3:So we do have um, a couple things in there that are just baseline really good. So we have, uh, baking soda. So, um, soda, a little bit of baking soda, goes a long way in fighting and removing bad bacteria and removing the plaque that comes from that. In addition to that, we we've done some really creative things in terms of natural ingredients. So we have radish root extract. So we use radish root extract as a natural antibacterial for some of the bad bacteria, to remove and to fight the bad bacteria. And it's not it's not harsh and it doesn't kill the good bacteria in the same way that some of the more like peroxide or some of the more extreme kind of ingredients tend to do. So it does. It does good without doing harm, which I think is really, really important for toothpaste. So between the coconut-based ingredients, between kind of these natural baking soda, for instance, or radish root extract, we've done a really careful job of not killing the good bacteria while being able to remove and clean the teeth in a natural, gentle way.
Speaker 2:Well, that makes a lot of sense. Now, one of the things that I noted. You know which, as a nutritionist, I have to say that extremely important. We're always looking for supplementation to our health, to our food, and your Better and Better toothpaste is actually infused with vitamins. It is Now which vitamins are we talking about and perhaps, maybe, you can get into the benefits of these vitamins for our teeth and our mouth.
Speaker 3:Absolutely so. We, and we're about to launch some additional toothpaste soon as well, so more to come soon but so the main vitamins that we're sticking with right now are the vitamins that have been proven to support oral care and full body health and wellness as well. So that includes vitamin D, it includes zinc, it includes vitamin B12 and vitamin E. So those are the four vitamins that we have. And then, in addition to that, we have calcium in our toothpaste as well, so added calcium for extra bone strength and for teeth strength as well.
Speaker 3:And for all of these vitamins and minerals, there is both a mouth benefit, so it helps your teeth, it helps your gums and it helps the overall mouth. And then, in addition to that, these vitamins do end up getting absorbed through your sublingual absorption process, through the buccal absorption process in the cheeks and the gums, so they end up in your bloodstream as well and they're beneficial to the full body, in addition to the mouth microbiome as well. So everything that we do is very intentional and it needs to have dual purpose. It needs to be good for the mouth and good for the body at the same time.
Speaker 2:Let's focus on the absorption aspect of it. You know I counsel many of the patients that I've had. Yeah, you know I counsel many of the patients that I've had. I counsel them on, you know the importance of, you know, obviously, the supplements that you buy at a drugstore or the typical pharmacy or supermarket. In particular, the bioavailability, the actual absorption, is very low. How do your vitamins actually become absorbed and how effective is that absorption?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so sublingual and transbucal absorption so absorption below the tongue and absorption through the cheeks and the gums has been used for medicinal purposes for decades. Oftentimes it's used for pain relief. It's used for some of these like THC and CBD A lot of people have nicotine pouches in their mouth so oftentimes maybe it's not used for the most positive things, but it is very effective, and what we've done is taken this very powerful force and applied it to supplements and micronutrients that could be absorbed in the same way through the cheeks, the gums and below the tongue, and we've picked vitamins that have the most science behind them. So vitamin D, vitamin B12, we're leveraging about 26 clinical studies that have shown that these micronutrients are very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream through the mouth, and so that's why we picked vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin E, zinc and calcium as the main micronutrients for our delivery mechanism through the toothpaste.
Speaker 2:So, as we're actually swishing our mouth after brushing, our teeth it doesn't all go away. It actually gets absorbed before that final process is completed.
Speaker 3:Correct. Within the first 30 seconds there's a rapid amount of absorption and then, since most people brush about a minute to two minutes, it's basically a curve, so it jumps up and then slowly is absorbed through the rest of the time and then you spit out. So what that means is you can absorb as much as 50% of the micronutrients within the first two minutes of brushing your teeth, and then additionally and this is kind of like the dirty little secret of the toothpaste world we also swallow a fair amount of our toothpaste. So adults swallow somewhere between 20, about 10 to 20% of the toothpaste in their mouth, and kids swallow about 50% of the toothpaste.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness, Really.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, and so between adults and kids, not only are you getting the sublingual and transbuccal absorption, but you're also honestly swallowing some of it additionally as well.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's rather interesting because obviously a fact that I mentioned in our introduction, and that is that the average American in particular, only brushes their teeth about 48 seconds, that's about as much time as they spend on it, and dentists recommend obviously two minutes. So the other positive thing is to brush longer, because your absorbability is even going to be greater correct.
Speaker 3:That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:Generally, two minutes is a really good baseline for brushing, but we we know that that's not, like you said, not necessarily the case for most people. So we want to give the biggest bang for your buck within the first 30 to 60 seconds and that's that's. That's what we've done within within the, within our toothpaste. Good to know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, now, obviously a big motivator a huge motivator when it comes to people choosing a toothpaste is the demand for whiter teeth. Sure, now it appears, I think you have a brand, your Purity brand addresses whitening. Explain that to us.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, um, uh, like I mentioned before, the baking soda that we have inserted into our toothpaste does actually have a whitening effect. Um, it's, you know, clinically shown to, to, to to whiten teeth. Uh, so we, we, uh, we're able to leverage that as the uh whitening element. Um, I think it's. It's important to talk about that. You don't want abrasives in your toothpaste that are actually removing the enamel. And these hardcore whitening toothpastes, yeah, they'll make your teeth whiter, but they're also going to remove the enamel in a way that is quite detrimental over an extended period of time. So we want to do a little bit of that. We want to be gentle to the teeth, but we don't want your teeth actually losing that protective layer that most other toothpastes unfortunately, particularly the hardcore kind of whitening toothpastes, tend to do. They're not really that good for your teeth, even though they might make them whiter in the short term.
Speaker 2:Well, particularly when you referred earlier to painting, my God, I pictured in my mouth the fact that you're actually painting your teeth, and I'm thinking of painting a wall or whatever and putting that in your mouth. That's a bit of a shocker. Let's get away from the toothpaste for a moment and let's talk about the instrument that we use. Toothpaste for a moment and let's talk about the instrument that we use. I researched it and apparently the first known toothbrush was invented about 3000 BC by the Egyptians, and they didn't call it, but we refer to it as a chew stick made from a thin twig. Now, today there's a wide variety of my God. You go into Walmart or wherever, you see this huge variety of toothbrushes, but I'm intrigued about your bamboo sonic version. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker 3:Yes, I have one right here in front of me.
Speaker 2:Our listeners won't be able to see it, but yes, but that's fine. We'll maybe see it on YouTube.
Speaker 3:It's beautiful, it is beautiful, by the way, thank you.
Speaker 3:Um so um, it is beautiful, by the way, thank you. Uh, the bamboo sun is really interesting because, uh, the sonic toothbrushes have been shown to clean teeth better, so they do remove plaque and they do do remove, uh, build up quite effectively in a powerful way because of those sonic pulses that are that are removing. But the challenge with them is usually they're all plastic. The heads that you throw out are all plastic as well, so it's very wasteful in terms of an environmental impact. And now, as more and more people are concerned with microplastics, particularly within their mouth, within their body, what we realized is that there was a major need in the market for a toothbrush where you're not actually putting plastic in your mouth, and so obviously, the electrical part, the thing that vibrates, that has some plastic components in it, but the actual thing that you're putting in your mouth is 100% plant-based, so it's a bamboo head. And then, in addition to that, we use natural castor bean based brushes, white brushes, on top of the bamboo head, so it's completely plant based brush head.
Speaker 2:I don't think people recognize the fact that bamboo is actually related to the plant family. It is yeah. Yes, I don't think people realize that we just think of these stocks that come up and in a Polynesian sense, but that's very interesting. So, rather than other than just being attractive, the truth brush itself. The bamboo actually has a offers, a healthful benefit.
Speaker 3:That's right. It allows our customers in the world to really clean their teeth quite well without having to basically put a big plastic stick in their mouth once or twice a day. And I think that is more and more concerned now because, if you look at all the microplastic kind of discussions that have emerged over the last few years, if we can remove as much as we can, we can make an impact and we can improve our health and well-being. And in addition to that it's completely biodegradable. So when you throw it out, it won't take 2,000 years to biodegrade. It'll actually take a few years and it'll be quite beneficial in terms of an environmental impact as well.
Speaker 2:Environmental, exactly, which is another good reason for it. Now, obviously, mouth sprays. We're using mouthwashes or at least I think we should on a fairly regular basis. Many people use mouth sprays to freshen their breath, of course, or to relieve dryness. Now your company offers better and better. It offers an oral spray and again you're putting vitamins into it. So I'm curious about the vitamins, how they're actually absorbed in a mouth spray. Can you talk about that and the benefits?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So what we realized from our customers, based on their feedback, was that they can't brush their teeth all the time. They can't do it after lunch if they're at work, or they can't do it after dinner if they're out. So our customers were asking can you basically give us the benefits of the better and better toothpaste without toothpaste? And what we realized you know, we tested a bunch of different form factors and what we realized is that the spray is kind of an ideal way of doing that.
Speaker 3:And so what we've done is incorporated and built a mouth spray again from scratch, so only natural, clean and, in many cases, organic ingredients. And then On top of that we've added the micronutrients. Vitamin D has a couple of ingredients like xylitol in it that help with creating a good mouthfeel and a good mouth sensation. And then, in addition to that, the micronutrients. Again, they're absorbed sublingually, so through your tongue, through the cheeks, transbuchally, and then the mouth spray is swallowed at the end. So it is a double effect. It's both the mouth effect and you ingest it afterwards as well. You spray it, you kind of keep it in there for about 10 to 20 seconds and then you swallow what's in there and it's perfectly gentle and food-grade quality supplement at that point.
Speaker 2:And what about bad breath? Does it address the bad breath issue? It does what?
Speaker 3:we found is that it helps bad breath. Again, it's not meant to be kind of hitting you hard, it's really meant to deliver a better oral microbiome. So it reduces bad breath over time because the good bacteria overwhelm the bad bacteria and it creates a positive effect in the mouth.
Speaker 2:And I'm assuming this is something that a woman can carry in their purse or a man can slip into his pocket.
Speaker 3:That's right. I usually carry it in my pocket or, you know, in my backpack, and it's a great product to carry along if you're traveling, especially because of the zinc and it has a little vitamin C in it as well. So it does have kind of an immunity benefit as well in terms of you know, on the go.
Speaker 2:Well, what about the taste? Well, after you've eaten a dinner, for example, or whatever you're out to dinner, you want to freshen your breath, you want to freshen your mouth. What sort of taste are we experiencing?
Speaker 3:It's a mint cucumber taste, so we want it to go minty, but with a little twist of a kind of a healthy plant-based flavor as well. So it's a very nice fresh mint cucumber flavor.
Speaker 2:All right, so it's nothing that we're going to. Oh my God, what have I just put in my mouth?
Speaker 3:No no. You should have seen the different testing and product development that we're doing. Product development that we're doing we probably went through a few thousand different taste formulations to get to the right one in terms of it had to be both refreshing but also natural and clean and positive for your mouth.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. Now let's turn to a whole different subject. I mean pet foods. We're going to get to that for a second. I mean, they've become a really big deal. We're seeing TV commercials depicting comic debates where, oh my God, my pet's food is in the refrigerator. What's it doing in the refrigerator? But now you've taken it a step further. Now you have a toothbrush for dogs called Petsy. Am I right Petsy? That's right Petsy, that's right Pet-C. And in fact I understand this brush. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the brush actually cleans your dog's teeth without using toothpaste.
Speaker 3:That's right. That's right. So a lot of what we've realized that a lot of dogs. Well, first and foremost, oral health is really important for dogs, in some cases more so than even humans, in some cases more so than even humans. There are studies out there that show that dogs with healthy oral care routines can actually live a few years longer than dogs whose teeth are ignored, which means that you could extend the life of your dog if you just take a little bit better care of their oral care.
Speaker 3:And so, with that baseline, we wanted to develop a toothbrush that was very easy to use, because it's not easy to brush your dog's teeth, and one of the biggest difficulties is that if you put toothpaste in a dog's mouth, they kind of go crazy. A lot of dogs don't, I imagine, right, they don't like that. And so what we had to do is find a technology that allowed for, with just a little bit of water, to actually pull the plaque and the bacteria away from the teeth. And so what we found is, through electrolytic technology, which is what the Pansy toothbrush utilizes, with a little bit of water you can just quickly brush their teeth and it'll actually we've seen like under the microscope it'll pull away the bacteria from their teeth and give them a cleaner, fresher teeth over an extended period of time. So this is a very unique technology. It's never been applied like this. It's used widely, but not in dog toothbrushes and so far it's doing really well.
Speaker 2:People really love this toothbrush so, but without the toothpaste. How does it get the dog's teeth clean?
Speaker 3:With just a little bit of water and that kind of magnetic effect that I was speaking of, it literally draws out the bacteria and the plaque away from the teeth, and so you just brush it off, you rinse it off and it's done.
Speaker 2:So you rinse off the brush, but I mean, the dog really doesn't need to do anything else. He's absorbed what's necessary and you've gotten rid of what is unnecessary.
Speaker 3:That's right and especially if you do it consistently, you know obviously recommendation is daily, but most people. If they brush a few times a week, they're in much better shape than if they don't.
Speaker 2:That makes a great deal of sense, absolutely Well, you know this is I'm looking at time's pretty much up on an interview, but I God we've covered a lot of ground. But as I conclude, I mean this is very interesting and I know that my audience is going to want to look further into it, read more about it. I'm assuming that the best way to learn more about what you have to offer, how you get it, all of those good things you go to betterandbettercom Is that the place to go. That's right.
Speaker 3:We publish everything there. Obviously, you can purchase our products, but in addition, our scientists are publishing their studies there. We are writing about our products and how we're building new products all the time, so betterandbettercom is the best place to go.
Speaker 2:And of course we want to use the word and A-N-D, so it's betterandbettercom. That's right, better and A-N-D Bettercom.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:Well, we're going to hear a little bit more about it because obviously, our narrator is going to again remind folks how they're going to be able to access your website, but also I want to remind our listeners that we have the information on our website as well. So, along with any links, vlad, that you might want to send us, we are happy to publish those, because many of our listeners do come to that website from time to time. In any case, I want to thank you for being with us. You've been an excellent guest and some very unique, shall we say, information that I think people were simply not aware of. You've certainly enlightened me and I want to thank you for that.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. I hope I can come back as we evolve as a company and we can delve? Into even more topics, then Absolutely Well.
Speaker 2:There's more to come, as you've already said, in any case, to my listeners, I'll be right back with a few more toothful facts and we'll take it from there. But again, vlad, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 1:You can learn more about dental health and the unique products offered by Better Better by going to their website betterandbettercom Better spell out and A-N-D bettercom. But you can also find this information, along with other great podcasts, by visiting our website jamespolakoffcom that's James P-O-L-A-K-O-F dot com Again jamespolakoffcom. We also have two great books you can sink your teeth into, which include Live Healthy Longer with Dr Jim, written by our own Dr Jim Polakoff, but remember to add with Dr Jim in the title Live Healthy Longer with Dr Jim. Plus, you'll also find a series of terrific reviews on Amazon. Visit Amazoncom Also. For those cosmetic surgery fans, the Real you Only Better is a great read. Again, you'll find both books on Amazon. Now back to Dr Jim.
Speaker 2:I again wish to thank Vladimir Bukievich, but now let's sink our teeth into truthful facts. We should know about dental care and I have to ask. Please pardon my puns, I simply couldn't resist with the subject matter. Having said this, consistent caring for your teeth is an important matter that most of us need to give serious attention. Let's move on to a few more facts that will put a smile on your face.
Speaker 2:Recent research has shown that the time you spend brushing your teeth is only 48 seconds. However, most dentists recommend brushing at least two minutes to achieve a clean mouth. Recent research has shown that the time you spend brushing your teeth is only 48 seconds. However, most dentists recommend spending at least two minutes to achieve a clean mouth. And did you know that airborne particles that arise from toilet flushing can actually make their way to the bristles on your toothbrush? So keep your distance and don't place a cap on your toothbrush. Did you know that the cap on the toothbrush can actually cause bacteria to accumulate and fester in a moist environment? In fact, when you're using a mouthwash, it might be a good practice to rinse the bristles of the toothbrush with your mouthwash at least every now and then. Enough of these warnings.
Speaker 2:Let's put a smile on your face. Did you know that 50% of people say that a person's smile is the first physical trait that they notice? In fact, an American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry study found that 57% of people say that a smile from a stranger makes them want to smile and can improve their day. And fellas, this is for you. The average woman smiles about 62 times a day, but most men only smile 8 times in a day.
Speaker 2:So let's get with it, guys. Nix the bad mood and get happy. You actually use less muscles to smile and more muscles to frown. But there's even more to discover in terms of toothful facts. I strongly recommend you read my latest blog, dr Jim's Best Foods for Healthy Teeth that can put a smile on your face. Simply go to our website, jamespolikoffcom, and click on blogs. You'll be surprised at what you discover. This is Dr Jim Polikoff, with my sincere thanks to you for joining me once again, and remember a new episode of Live Healthy Longer is available each and every Wednesday. In the meantime, my wishes to you for a healthy, happy, long life.
