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As you may have heard, the Ontario Government has announced a Seniors’ Dental care program for low income seniors. To take advantage of the program you must be over 65 years of age and meet the income requirements:
an annual net income of $19,300 or less for a single senior,
a combined annual net income of $32,300 or less for a couple.

To participate in the program you must apply and participation has to be renewed annually.

If you are accepted into the program, you can access dental services through:
Public Health Units
partner Community Health Centres
partner Aboriginal Health Access Centres.

Access to the full range of dental services will vary across the province. The program will continue to expand in the coming year.

To apply go to:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/dental-care-low-income-seniors

or contact your local Public Health Unit for an application.

Toothpaste doesn’t get the credit that it deserves.  People generally use toothpaste to clean their teeth and as such, it is a highly engineered task specific oriented product.

The ingredients for all tooth paste contain three main ones: abrasives, fluoride, and detergents along with 20%–42% water. Specialized toothpastes also contain a variety of task specific components e.g. sensitivity or whitening. But, toothpaste can do so much more than being a mere dentifrice.

Here are some amazing tips on different uses for your toothpaste:

Polish your silverware.

 Shine up your silverware and use it for your next family gathering.  Just rub some toothpaste on each piece with soft cloth and your silverware will look like brand new again.

Clean your shoes.

Use toothpaste to get rid of stuck on dirt and get back the new look of your shoes.

Remove dye and ink stains.

Rub toothpaste on stains, let it dry and wash the item after.

Clean your headlights.

Instead of spending money on a car detailing kits, give your headlights a shine with toothpaste. You can even use the toothbrush to get into those tight corners!

Remove nail polish.

If you don’t have nail polish remover, put some toothpaste on your nails to remove the polish. Not only you will remove the polish, your fingers will smell great after.

Lifting water stains.

If your wooden table has water stains or marks, just rub the toothpaste on the stains. It will get rid of water stains and restore your table. Use a toothpaste paste that is not abrasive.

Soothe mosquito bites.

Rub some toothpaste on the bitten area and you will feel instant relief.

Clean your iron.

If your iron is leaving residue on your clothes, turn it off and let it cool down. Rub some toothpaste along the surface, wipe it off and continue ironing your clothes without streaks.

Freshen up your thermos.

Thermoses can get gross pretty fast. To get rid of that stinky smell, add some toothpaste and fill with water. Shake it, and then wash as normal. Your thermos will smell fresh and clean again.

Remove food odors.

If your hands smell of onion or fish after cooking, just dub some toothpaste on your hands, rub for few second and rinse well. Not only you will get rid of the smell, but your nails will look brighter.

Clean piano keys.

Old vintage piano keys are made from ivory (teeth) so toothpaste is the perfect solution to clean away the dirt. New piano keys are made of plastic but toothpaste cleans them equally well.

Defog bathroom mirrors.

Use a little toothpaste on wet cloth to wipe mirrors. Allow it to dry and wipe with a dry cloth.

Clean a curling iron or hair straightener.

Curling irons and hair straighteners tend to build up a gummy coating from hair products. Toothpaste will remove all that without damaging your appliance. Put some of toothpaste on a dry cloth and wipe away the buildup.

Remove crayon marks from walls.

If you have a budding Picasso in your house who likes to use walls as a canvas, here is a good tip on how to clean those walls afterwards. Apply a bit of toothpaste on a damp sponge and clean the marked areas. Finish by wiping down with a damp cloth and allow the area to dry.

As with all products being used for off label applications always do a test on the materials to see if there is going to be a problem. We offer this list for information only and do not recommend any of the applications. We do however, recommend toothpaste as a dentifrice as part of your daily wellness regimen.

Summer’s here. That means outdoor activities. When exercising and participating in sports a warm up is a good idea, so it is with outdoor summer activities if we want to avoid injury or worse. Forbes magazine concluded that more injuries occur during summer and especially with mundane activities. Stats Canada found that the most injury prone group was between 20-64 years of age and you guessed it they were also males. Other agencies and groups offer similar findings – it appears that during summer activities we abandon our common sense and caution. Maybe it’s the sunlight and warmth after shivering in the dark for so long each year. Anyway, being prepared is the key to prevention.

The following links offer advice, tips and further resources to safely enjoy summer after our  winters hibernation.

General summer outdoor safety tips

Canadian boating safety and requirements

Staying safe camping and hiking

Ontario Parks

Family camping tips

Gear Checklists for camping

Checklist for learning to camp

Oral Wellness, Whole Health…you don’t want dental problems during your summer activities. Enjoy the sun!

Victoria Day, 24- weekend is the second most notable event next to Mother’s Day celebrated  in May. So in the interest of the Queen’s birthday, we thought it would be interesting to compare Victorian dentistry to today.

Victoria reigned from 1837 – 1901. Not too many people like to visit the dentist, but back then it was more like no one wanted to see the dentist… and the reasons were well founded. Generally the only treatment you could get were extractions and then usually by blacksmiths, barbers, or questionably trained “dentists”.

The battle of Waterloo was fought 4 years before Victoria was born 

and lends its name to Waterloo teeth, that is, dentures made from the teeth of the fallen soldiers during the battle. Other dentures might have had some form of ivory teeth and interesting solutions to keep them in the mouth.  Did I mention that extractions were without any form of anesthesia?

Speaking of anesthesia did you know that we tooth drawers were involved in its development? In 1884 cocaine in solution was used as a local anesthetic. The infamous Canadian born Painless Parker used a mix of whiskey and cocaine for his so called painless extractions.

In 1844 Horace Wells used nitrous oxide (laughing gas) for extractions and in 1846 William Morton superseded it with ether anesthesia. Since then dentistry has evolved various chemical anesthetics, electronic anesthesia, computer controlled injections and if lasers are being used, the need for anesthetic may not be necessary at all!

It should be apparent that these extractions led to a great deal of suffering, injury and illness. This changed only when dentistry was brought under legislative control. In Ontario this occurred in 1868, while in Britain it was in 1878.

Dental education was being formalized and one of the first schools was the Maryland School of Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland founded in 1840. Dentistry has made an effort to evolve to the state that it is today.

Dentists in Victoria’s time didn’t have a specific office; work was done at their homes if they were not itinerant. Dentists were very expensive and only the wealthy could afford to pay. Today dental insurance minimizes that pain.

Instruments were re-used instead of replaced after every visit and infection control was primitive in comparison. Drills were powered manually with foot pedals that the dentist had to pump hard to generate power. Today the high speed drill has even been replaced by the all tissue laser in some venues.

Preventative dentistry as we know it today didn’t exist in Victorian times – William Addis in 1780 Britain is responsible for their first mass produced tooth brush. Now the electric and ultrasonic brush with associated ‘apps’ is available to one and all. Coupled with the variety of tooth pastes available today, the average Victorian would be gob smacked.

So… how are your teeth? Are you brushing and flossing properly? Are you up to date on your check-ups at your dental home?                            Remember Oral Wellness, Whole health

March is known for many things – the Ides, the spring Equinox, but the most remarkable is St. Patrick’s Day. And St. Patrick’s Day is known for its green beer!

A little tipple may be good for you, but what about a lot? The usual risks of cognitive impairment, addiction, and cirrhosis are fairly well known, as are the societal costs of alcoholism. However, as in most things, the negative impact on the mouth is lesser known.

Chronic alcohol users have more cavities, missing and filled teeth. They also have more root canal treated teeth. Alcohol being acidic also increases the erosion of the teeth. Erosion wears away the enamel that can lead to several problems – some of them quite costly.

Periodontitis, that is, gum disease is also more prevalent. This means foul breathe, loose teeth, tooth supporting bone loss with eventual loss of teeth. Gum disease has been linked to general illnesses ranging from heart disease to cognitive decline.

Chronic alcohol users have more frequent oral lesions than their counterpart occasional tipplers.  The lesions tend to be precursors to cancers and other significant diseases. One of the less than pleasant symptoms usually experienced first thing in the morning is known as abstinence or withdrawal syndrome also known as the toothbrush heaves.

So the ideal thing is to reduce your risk. Yes, much easier to say than to do. However it’s all about moderation, the golden mean, or what your mother always told you.

Limit your amount of alcohol consumption.

Brush and Floss daily: Brush at least twice a day especially before bed because that is when we have a reduction in saliva production. Saliva is protective and restorative in nature, but if we have been eating and drinking all day (feeding the biofilm bacteria in our mouths) the decreased saliva flow permits the bacteria to do their worst over night.

Use a good fluoride toothpaste or one that is specifically formulated for erosion.

Keep your dental appointments: Regular dental appointments can help you avoid gum disease, bone loss and decay. Serious diseases can be spotted early preventing suffering and hardship.

If you suspect that you may have a problem or an addiction to alcohol. We encourage you to seek counseling.

Oral Wellness, Whole health is a conscious choice like a healthy relationship with alcohol.