The dental and health benefits of Xylitol

Have you heard about this amazing sugar substitute?

Xylitol is frequently found in chewing gum and mints and can be used in place of sugar in baking an everyday cooking, it can also be added to tea and coffee. More and more shops and supermarket are now stocking it in granulated, cube and tablet form; it is no longer a health-food-shop-only item and is easy to introduce to our kitchens.

Xylitol is a naturally present substance found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables. It can be sourced from carbohydrate molecules in the cell walls of birch and beech trees, rice, oat and wheat but the main source of this substance for commercial use is corn cobs. Not only does it look like sugar but it also contains the same sweetness and is much more similar in taste than a lot of other sweeteners; believe me, I have tried them all!.

Xylitol is seen to have significant dental benefits.

We know that diet plays a major role in dental health and that too much sugar causes tooth decay and periodontal disease (gum disease). Eating sugar causes tooth decay by creating a highly acidic condition in the mouth. Acidity strips teeth of enamel, causing them to weaken and making them more vulnerable to attack by bacteria. Ordinarily, saliva bathes the mouth with an alkaline solution that neutralises all acidity, helping the process of digestion. When saliva turns acidic because of too much sugar, bacteria in the mouth have a feeding frenzy, eating away at enamel. Xylitol can help to prevent this by raising the pH to a more alkaline state, greatly reducing the growth of bacteria that cause cavities.

Xylitol may be better for dental health compared to consuming large amounts of sugar, however, it is still a sweetener and as with other sugar substitutes, too much is not recommended. The best way to control dental caries is a balanced diet.

I have recently watch a documentary about "superfoods". Whilst watching I learnt that the Finnish government has put in place dental aid program in most primary schools. All primary school age children receive free xylitol tablets to chew after each meal. The presenter disclosed her teeth after  a sugary drink; this would show plaque in pink, and was very surprised to find that her teeth were covered in plaque; whilst the child who had her xylitol tablet did not show any significant amount of plaque.

Not just good for your teeth:

• Xylitol has a low GI value of 7, meaning it has little effect on blood sugar levels and insulin. It is therefore seen as a useful alternative for diabetics.

• It contains only 2.4 calories per gram and is slowly absorbed, unlike ordinary sugar; therefore it does not cause any spikes in  blood sugar levels  and is helpful in reducing sugar cravings.

• It is still early days for Xylitol in our country and we cannot claim that it is a miracle product.

• However it is a product which allows us to make small but beneficial changes in our everyday diet.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding, why don't you try it for yourself?

You might just love it!

Getting by with a little help from my friends!

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything". Muhammad Ali

Many of you may have younger children who are breaking up from primary school this week, this can be a very emotional time for everyone, but especially for the children, many of whom may be going on to different secondary schools to their friends.

This got me thinking about the types of friendship that exist and which ones are essential to our sanity and well-being and maybe livelihood. So, of course, I made a list. Because that’s what the internet tells us to do these days. So, without further ado, here are 7 friends every woman needs.

The Hustler
This is your girlfriend who is just killing it professionally. She inspires you to keep going after what you want. Not only does she own her own business and hustle with the best of ‘em, she will help you think through what you're doing in your own career. She will be the one asking you “So if you are doing exactly what you’re doing in 5 years, will you be happy?” She will wake you up and make you gasp, and then make you make a plan for the future.

The No-Nonsense Gal
This is the "cruel to be kind" friend. This one is always hard for me because I have the ego of a peach (bruises easily.) But, after I stop crying, I’m always appreciative of friends like these because sometimes you really need to hear the truth. This is the friend who asks the tough question, or helps point out that your boyfriend/boss/flatmate actually has a good point. They’re not rude or malicious (of course, people like that don’t quite deserve the title of ‘friend,’ now do they?) but they are not there to blow smoke up your bum. This friend is great because they keep you humble, help you to see a different perspective, and encourage you to keep growing and changing (which ultimately helps you as a human.....I promise!)

The Nurturer
If the No-Nonsense Gal is for when you need the truth, the Nurturer is for when you can’t handle the truth. Every woman needs a friend like this who will bake you brownies and listen to you whine about That One Guy for the 19th time. She tells you what you want to hear in the best way. She’s the soft pillow you sometimes need to land on when the world has stuck out its foot and tripped you. Again. This is your champion, your cheerleader, the empathetic angel who truly is down with you when you’re down, and ecstatic with you when you’re ecstatic.

The Bad Influence
I love this friend because she’s the pal who gets you out of your comfort zone and encourages you to lighten up and take risks. She’s gonna be the type to say things like “We might as well just get another pitcher of margaritas,” “Who cares, call him!” and “Quit your job what’s the worst that can happen?” Sure, you don’t always listen to her, and maybe your parents don’t particularly want you spending all your time with her, but she reminds you that life is short and well, what’s the worst that can happen?

The Opposite Life Stage-r
If you’re married, she’s single. If you have kids, she doesn’t. If you’re selling all your stuff and traveling for a year, she just bought a house. You get the picture. This friend sheds important light on what’s going on in other parts of the life-stage world. We have much to learn from women who are in different life stages than we are, and even though it can be a little tough to find time to hang out (chances are your schedules could not be more opposite,) you will always walk away enlightened.

The Social Butterfly
This friend gets you out of your PJs and on the VIP list. She is well-connected, tapped-in, and the ultimate connector. She will not only teach you the importance of remembering people’s names, but she’ll show you how to work a room. Oh, and she’s probably the best person on the planet to get you that gig, open that door, or set you up. And this friendship doesn’t just go one way, either. Since she’s always invited somewhere, you get to provide her with a much-needed plus one!

The Historian
Everyone needs a friend who’s been around for the long haul. She might be a childhood friend or a secondary school friend, or if you’re in your 30s, even a college friend counts as historian. You two may not talk as much as some of your current besties, but this friend can tell you the who/what/where/why of most of your major life moments. You can call her the memory keeper because she remembers everything, and for better or worse, will recall my life facts and history with ease. This friend offers the comfort of someone who has seen you through thick and thin and is not going anywhere.

Do any of these sound familiar?! I hope so - isn't it great to have friends!

"Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles" (but if you choose this option, we at Absolute can help you with our wrinkle relaxing treatments!)

 

Preparing to leave the navy

So..... after many years service in the Royal Navy I had decided to leave. Not because I disliked my job, far from it, but because the demands of service life were no longer compatible with my life as the mother of a young son.

I submitted my 12 months notice and immediately began my preparations to leave.

The Navy provides a comprehensive resettlement package for all service leavers, and I was determined you use all that was on offer. I began with the standard courses offered to everyone which provide advice on essential topics such as CV writing and job hunting as well as advice on accounting and starting up your own business.

I then began looking at what courses I could attend to make myself a better Dental Hygienist. When treating my patients in the past a common barrier to providing treatment has been the fear many people have of dental treatment, so I decided to look into how hypnosis could be used in dentistry to calm nervous patients. I had read articles on how hypnosis could be used to relax patients enough that implants could be placed without using any anaesthetic! I wondered if it might help me calm my nervous patients enough to effectively clean their teeth. I promptly booked myself on the course, where I learned some amazing if somewhat time consuming techniques to put patients into a state of relaxation. I also booked myself on a "Cleaner, brighter, whiter" course where I learned the theory and practice of tooth whitening, a purely cosmetic procedure not carried out within the military, allowing me to whiten teeth to the prescription of a dentist.

I had worked as a Hygienist for many years and as a Dental Nurse before that, so had a wealth of experience interacting with and treating patients. I was also aware, however, that my treatment had mainly been provided to service personnel, and I felt that it would be beneficial to gain some more experience working with a more varied patient base. As part of my resettlement package I was offered the option to use some of my leave to complete a civilian work attachment. I felt this would be the perfect opportunity to enhance my breadth of experience.

Throughout my time as a hygienist in the Navy I had been able to provide excellent and ethical treatment to my patients and I was determined not to compromise on this. I began looking for dental practices which I felt put patients first and subscribed to this ethos. Absolute Dental was one of the first on my list, having a very good reputation amongst dental professionals. I spoke to Emma at Absolute Dental, and was over the moon to be offered the chance to complete a civilian work attachment at this most prestigious practice.

And now?

Well, I will complete my civilian work attachment at Absolute Dental this month and am pleased to have been offered a permanent position at the practice. The attachment has been a fabulous experience for me and has given me an insight into the workings of a successful dental practice and allowed me to work with some truly lovely fellow dental professionals.

After 16 years service in the Royal Navy, leaving the military was an initially daunting prospect and I began with trepidation. However with preparation, planning and enthusiasm I have found that far from embarking upon my new life with nervousness I am excited for what exciting opportunities the future holds........

 

Janie

Privilege Membership at Absolute Dental - Providing our Patients with a Choice of Payment Options for their Dental Care

We believe in providing our patients with choice, and one of those choices concerns how they choose to pay for their dental care at Absolute Dental.

We have an excellent membership scheme in place that allows our patients to maintain their oral health, whilst enabling them to spread the cost of their routine dental care.

As a reward for their loyalty in joining our practice membership, patients also benefit from:

• Discount on most dental treatments
• Insurance for dental trauma at home or abroad
• A saving on the cost routine appointments (ie cheaper than "pay as you go" for Dental Health Assessments and Hygienist visits)
• Redundancy cover
• Less dental treatment required (on average, a patient on our membership who attends the practice regularly, needs 30% less treatment than those who don't)
• The opportunity to budget for routine care though a convenient monthly direct debit.

Membership starts from £14.55 and we have programmes of hygienist visits to suit all clients.

Call us today on 01548 852165 to discuss of our membership would be suitable for you, or to ask the team for any further details on our popular Privilege Membership.