Dentist in Keller TX Against The Grain

Every few years or so, new diets emerge that are supposed to benefit patients with specific nutritional needs and desires. It’s important for our dentist in Keller TX to keep an eye out for these trends to make sure they’re truly beneficial for your oral health. Within the past few years, in particular, many people have gravitated towards a gluten-free lifestyle in order to help battle their bouts with Celiac disease.This terrible digestive condition brings on great discomfort and bodily reactions due to an inability to properly digest gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley. And although just about 1% of the population actually suffer from this disease, many more state that they have a gluten “intolerance” and have taken to this lifestyle for health benefits as well.Even though the overall benefit of this lifestyle for those without the disease can be a cloudy subject, what is clear as day now is the market for gluten-free products opening up. As sales for these various dietary products have doubled in the last few years, today our dentist in Keller TX will discuss one of them, gluten-free toothpaste, to see if it could make a difference to your teeth and/or diet.At the most basic chemical level, side by side, regular and gluten-free toothpastes are very much alike. All of the ingredients that help remove stains, fight cavities and give your mouth that nice fresh feeling are the same…but it is the agents that thicken the pastes that differ. Regular toothpaste usually uses corn or grain based chemical thickeners, where new cotton and plant based alternatives are utilized in the gluten-free variety. It is by switching from this grain-based component that allows the product to be qualified as a gluten-free dietary option.Considering most patients do not actually make toothpaste a real part of their diet (swallowing it is NEVER recommended), it may not make a difference which paste you use. If you suffer from Celiac disease or have a diagnosed intolerance, the levels of the gluten found in the regular paste could potentially cause some disturbance, but every case differs. If you are gluten-free by choice, not a necessity, you may not actually see a benefit in using the gluten-free product here. You will be paying more per tube, yet getting the same great cleaning as your standard paste always gave you.Whatever paste you decide upon, which is strictly up to each individual patient, making sure to use it properly is the biggest concern our dentist in Keller TX has. To find out more about toothpaste of any variety, their benefits to you, or to schedule an appointment at Esthetique Dental, please call (817) 741-1240 today.