Ohaguro- Beautiful Blackened Smiles

 

This print is one from an untitled group of designs by Utamaro, published around 1795. It shows a young woman seated on the ground, holding a black lacquered hand mirror and applying lip rouge with the aid of a brush. She is set against a vibrant yellow background and her form is rendered by a series of dramatically sweeping lines. The composition is wonderfully uncluttered - there is nothing in the design which does not belong to the beautification process. If you look at the image below this design, which provides a close-up of her face, you will see that she has black teeth, and the image to the left of that one provides a close-up of the paraphernalia she has been using to apply the dye needed to provide that black lacquered coating. Ohaguro, or teeth blackening, was a common practice amongst married women, with the dye being applied for the first time just before a young bride entered her husband's home. It was also practiced within the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, where a kamuro (apprentice) who was about to come of age and accept her first customer would collect the ingredients from seven friends and dye her teeth for the first time, just as the soon-to-be bride would collect the ingredients from friends and family before her wedding.

The large round container, half of which is visible on the right-hand side of the composition above, is called a mimidarai, and sitting on top of that container is a thin tray, or watashigane. On top of the tray is the kanewan, the bowl in which the dye is mixed. On the ground to the left of the mimidarai, the brush which has been used to apply the dye to the young woman's teeth is resting atop a porcelain bowl, and to the left of the bowl is a small box of fushi powder.

Fushi powder was made from the gallnuts of the Japanese sumac tree, and the combination of this powder and kanemizu, which was made by fermenting iron filings in an acidic mixture of tea, vinegar and rice wine, produced a black dye which could then be applied to the teeth. Once dry, it provided a rich black lacquer coating. Unfortunately, it faded quickly and the process had to be repeated regularly to maintain a beautiful set of blackened teeth, so no respectable woman who cared about her appearance would go more than three days without applying the dye again.

                     

 

The teeth-blackening process was labour intensive and the dye was foul-smelling. In order to provide a key, so that the surface of the teeth would hold the dye well, the rind of a pomegranate, or something similar, would be rubbed across the teeth prior to reapplying the dye. The practice gradually died out amongst married women after 1873, when the Empress of Japan, having decided that she would no longer apply the dye, appeared in public with white teeth.

Nutrition-The Basics

 

 

 

Everyone knows that a balanced, nutritious diet is essential to healthy living. But did you know that eating patterns and food choices play an important role in preventing tooth decay and gum disease, too? You may eat with your eyes first, but your mouth, teeth, and gums are more than just tools for eating. They’re essential for chewing and swallowing—the first steps in the digestion process. Your mouth is your body’s initial point of contact with the nutrients you consume. So what you put in your mouth impacts not only your general health but also that of your teeth and gums. In fact, if your nutrition is poor, the first signs often show up in your oral health.
Your individual nutrition and calorie needs depend on your age, gender, level of physical activity and other health factors, but according to MyPlate, a website from the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an agency of U.S. Department of Agriculture,a balanced and healthy diet should include: 

• Fruits and vegetables. Combined, these should cover half your plate at meals.
  
• Grains. At least half of the grains you eat should be whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice. 
• Dairy. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy foods most often.
  
• Protein. Make lean protein choices, such as lean beef, skinless poultry and fish. Vary your protein choices to also include eggs, beans, peas and legumes. Eat at least eight ounces of seafood a week.

In addition to diet, it’s also important to stay active for good health. Adults should get at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week.
For more information about eating right, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Snacking

For dental health, it’s recommended that people limit eating and drinking between meals. Of course, sometimes eating between meals must happen. Unfortunately, most people choose foods like sweets and chips for snacks; foods that harm teeth by promoting tooth decay. If you do snack, make it a nutritious choice—such as cheese, yogurt, fruits, vegetables or nuts—for your overall health and the health of your teeth. Did you know that certain foods can put you at risk for cavities and other oral health problems? Here are some MouthHealthy tips.

 

New School Lunch Standards

According to the National School Lunch Program, more than 23 million children and teens are overweight or obese, placing them at increased risk for serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke later in life.
That’s why the National School Lunch Program is working towards making sure every child has access to healthy lunch options at school. New standards for school lunches, and the incentive of federal funds (six cents per lunch) for the schools which meet these new standards, are helping in the effort. 
The school lunch changes include: more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, a shift to low-fat or nonfat milk, and limits on calories, sodium, and unhealthy fats.  

Diet and Tooth Decay

The foods you eat and the beverages you drink can have a direct influence on the incidence and progression of tooth decay, depending upon:

• The form of the food—whether it’s liquid, solid, sticky or slow to dissolve makes a difference.
• How often you eat sugary foods and beverages and how often you eat or drink acidic foods and beverages.
• The nutritional makeup of the food.
• The combination of the foods you eat and the order in which you eat them. 
• Medical conditions you may have, such as gastrointestinal reflux and eating disorders, which can increase risk of cavities and weaken teeth.
   

The bacteria in your mouth use carbohydrates for food, so when you cut back on sugar, and other sources of simple carbohydrates that are easily fermentable, you reduce your cavity risk. Limit added sugars in your diet by reading food labels to determine the amount of added sugar in a food. Since ingredients are listed on the label in or“-ose” indicate a sugar ingredient. der of weight, from most to least, if one of the following terms is listed as one of the first few ingredients, it’s a good bet that food is high in sugar. Another tip for spotting sources of sugar—terms ending in

Here are some common added sugars:

brown sugar cane sugar confectioners' or powdered sugar turbinado sugar raw sugar  corn sweeteners  corn syrup  crystallized cane sugar maltose fructose sucrose

glucose  dextrin  evaporated cane juice fruit juice concentrate honey high fructose corn syrup invert sugar   syrup malt syrup maple syrup molasses

Top Sources of Added Sugar in the Diet and Percentages

• soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, 35.7%
• grain-based desserts (cakes, pies) 12.9%
• fruit drinks 10.5%
• dairy-based desserts (ice cream) 6.5%
• candy 6.1%
• ready-to-eat cereals 3.8%
• sugars and honey 3.5%
• tea (sweetened) 3.5%
• yeast breads 2.1%
• all other foods 15.4%   

Foods That May Harm Dental Health

Empty calorie foods such as candy (especially hard or sticky candies like lollipops, mints, taffy and caramel), sweets like cookies, cakes and muffins, and snack foods like chips are a cause for dental concern, not only because they offer no nutritional value, but because the amount and type of sugar that they contain that can adhere to teeth. The bacteria in your mouth feed off these sugars, releasing acids, and that’s what leads to tooth decay.

Sugar-containing drinks—soda, lemonade, juice and sweetened coffee or tea (iced or hot)—are particularly harmful because sipping them causes a constant sugar bath over teeth, which promotes tooth decay. Learn more about the potentially harmful oral health effects of drinking acidic and sugary drinks here from the Indiana Dental Association's Drinks Destroy Teeth.Nutritious, acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits can have acidic effects on tooth enamel, too, so eat them as part of a meal, not by themselves. Dried fruits, including raisins, are also good choices for a healthy diet, but since they are sticky and adhere to teeth, the plaque acids that they produce continue to harm teeth long after you stop eating them. Opt for a piece of fresh fruit instead.

Foods That May Benefit Dental Health

Cheese, milk, plain yogurt, calcium-fortified tofu, leafy greens and almonds, are foods that may benefit tooth health thanks to their high amounts of calcium and other nutrients they provide. Protein-rich foods like meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs are the best sources of phosphorus. Both of these minerals play a critical role in dental health, by protecting and rebuilding tooth enamel.
Fruits and vegetables are good choices for a healthy smile since they are high in water and fiber, which balance the sugars they contain and help to clean the teeth. These foods also help stimulate saliva production, which washes harmful acids and food particles away from teeth and helps neutralize acid, protecting teeth from decay. Plus, many contain vitamin C (important for healthy gums and quick healing of wounds) and vitamin A (another key nutrient in building tooth enamel).
Hands down, water—particularly fluoridated water—is the most tooth-friendly beverage.

Sugar Substitutes and Sugar-Free Products

Sugar substitutes may look and taste like sugar but they don’t promote decay-causing acids in your mouth that can harm teeth. There are many types of sugar substitutes, including aspartame, erythritol, saccharin, sucralose, isomalt, sorbitol, acesulfame potassium and mannitol. You might recognize some of these names from ingredient lists on food packages, or know some of them by their brand names (Splenda, Equal and Sunett).
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Cavities:

• Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes to remove sugars and food particles from your teeth. 
• Limit between-meal snacking.
  
• Keep added sugar in your diet to a minimum by making wise food and beverage choices.
• Include dairy, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and water in your diet—they all play a role in your dental health

$24,000 Was Paid for Winston Churchill's Partial Denture!

 

 

A set of partial dentures was auctioned off on July 29, 2010 for the incredible price of approximately $24,000. Of course, these were not your everyday dentures, having often been referred to as the “teeth that saved the world.” The gold-plated upper dentures, one of several sets, were worn by Prime Minister Winston Churchill during his famous World War II radio broadcasts.
From early childhood, Churchill had many problems with his teeth and gums that required extensive dental care. He also had a distinctive lisp which caused trouble when pronouncing the letter “S”. The dentures helped, enabling him to speak clearly over the radio. Not wanting his already famous “slurry” speech to be altered, the dentures were made purposely to never quite fit securely against the roof of his mouth, according to the Royal College of Surgeons. Churchill had such high regard for his dentist that he nominated him for knighthood. Likewise, the dental technician who made his dentures became equally important to him. The technician, Derek Cudlipp, made three sets of identical dentures that Churchill used during the war on a rotating basis because he would often flick his dentures across the room when he became frustrated and impatient with the war effort. As his personal dental technician, Cudlipp became indispensible to Churchill who actually prevented him from joining the army so that he would always be available to fix or create new dentures as the need arose, guaranteeing that he would always sound the same during his radio speeches.
The dentures were auctioned on behalf of Nigel Cudlipp, the son of the man who created them. A British auction house had estimated that the teeth would sell for a maximum of $7,800, but they actually fetched over three times the amount. In an electrifying atmosphere, bidders drove up the price all wanting to own a small bite of history. It seems fitting that the buyer was a British and a collector of Churchill memorabilia.

6 Tips to Help Prevent the Erosion of Tooth Enamel

    

1. Don't rush to brush: Waiting for 30 to 60 minutes after sipping on a soda gives teeth time to re-mineralize (essentially re-harden) after the acid softens the surface enamel. Basically, the saliva neutralizes the effects of the acid, by serving as a buffer. Intuitively you might think that brushing right away is the best thing to do, but it isn’t, it will remove the softened surface enamel. Eating cheese also helps neutralize the effects of acid.
2. Use a straw: If your child has a taste for juice that she just can't shake, serve beverages with a straw. Drinking through a straw will minimize contact between acidic beverages and tooth surfaces thereby reducing dissolution of the enamel.
3. Cash in on calcium: Calcium is added to many beverages to up their nutritional ante, and research has shown that the presence of calcium not only may reduce the erosive potential of soft drinks, but it may also increase remineralization.
4. Explore natural alternatives: While children are young and impressionable maintain them on milk and water as their main fluids, keeping them away from acidic drinks and beverages. If this proves unrealistic as they get older, at least limit their ingestion of more acidic beverages to mealtimes when the saliva flow is high, and will neutralize acids more efficiently.
5. Only brush twice a day: Over-brushing can lead to other problems such as receding gums and the wearing down of enamel. Brush efficiently twice a day with fluoride toothpaste!
6. Don't eat before bed: (No, this isn't a diet tip.) It takes saliva about an hour to neutralize acids in your mouth, but saliva flow dramatically decreases when you sleep. That's why it's best to finish your last meal/snack at least an hour before bed.

How To Brush Your Teeth

                   

Flashing your best, most healthy smile means brushing well and often. In fact, the American Dental Association recommends brushing teeth twice a day for dental hygiene and to help promote dental health. Make the most of that time by giving your brushing technique a refresher.

Tooth Brushing Technique

You've been brushing your teeth your whole life, but are you getting the most from your efforts? The following technique will help you get the most thorough clean.

1. On the outer and inner surfaces, brush your teeth at a 45-degree angle in short
   half-tooth-wide strokes against the gum line.
2. On chewing surfaces, hold the brush flat and brush back and forth.
3. On inside surfaces of front teeth, tilt brush vertically and use gentle up and down strokes with toe of brush.
4. Brush the tongue in a back-to-front sweeping motion to remove food particles and freshen your mouth.

 
Remember to spend at least 30 seconds on each quadrant of your mouth, adding up to two minutes each time you brush.

Choose the Right Toothpaste

Toothpastes contain fluoride, which helps strengthen weak spots and prevent tooth cavities. And whether you're looking for tartar protection, a rush of flavor, or dentist-inspired protection, we’ve got a toothpaste that’s right for you.

• Ready for a brushing experience that awakens the senses? Try our flavor experience toothpastes.
• Looking for solutions such as enamel protection? View our dentist-inspired products. 

Change Your Toothbrush

Most dental professionals recommend replacing your toothbrush every three months. To remind yourself, write the date you should change your toothbrush in permanent marker on the handle.

John Naughton- Creator of the Reclining Dental Chair

Inventor 1915-1999

John Naughton

Anyone who visits a dentist can thank John Naughton for creating the reclining chair that puts both dentist and patient in comfortable positions.

Before Naughton came along, patients sat upright and dentists stood up.

Naughton was the youngest of eight children and was born on a farm near Parnell, where his parents were hit hard by the Depression.

Naughton, who was dyslexic, quit school at Parnell at age 15 to work at a Williamsburg drugstore for $15 per week. He later became a standout Fuller Brush salesman, first in Ottumwa and, after serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, in Des Moines.

Naughton switched to selling Niagara-brand hand massage units, which gave him the idea of building a vibrator into a lounge chair. He opened a plant in the 1200 block of Southeast Diehl Avenue to build the Comfa Lounge Chair.

Encouraged by two dentists to convert the lounge chair into one for dental patients, Naughton sold the vibrator chairs during the day and developed his dental chair at night.
He sold his first contour dental chair in 1958, at a cost of $800, and delivered it in person in an old hearse, which became a familiar sight to residents living near the Naughton family home at 143 E. Seneca Ave. in the Highland Park neighborhood.

He incorporated his Den-Tal-Eze Manufacturing Co. in 1961. Within three years, annual sales reached $1 million and made old sit-down dental chairs obsolete.

In December 1969, Naughton sold his venture to his employees for more than $8 million and retired, at 53, to a house at 220 37th St.

The company was sold to California-based Syntex in July 1979.

Naughton and his wife, Mary Dolores ("Dee"), a former schoolteacher, had two daughters, Mary and Jeanne, and two sons, Thomas and Michael.

Naughton operated Naughton Investment Co. in his later years.

He died at age 83 at Wesley Acres of a heart ailment, and is buried at Glendale Cemetery.

In 1982, his original dental chair was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in the nation's capital.

St. Apollonia is the Patron Saint of Dentistry

 

She died in the year 249, was martyred for not renouncing her faith during the reign of Emperor Philip. The account of the life of St. Apollonia was written by St. Dionysius to Fabian, Bishop of Antioch. Apollonia had all her teeth knocked out after being hit in the face by a Christian persecutor under the reign of Emperor Philip. After she was threatened with fire unless she renounced her faith, Apollonia jumped into the flames voluntarily.

She is considered the patron of dental diseases and is often invoked by those with toothaches. Ancient art depicts her with a golden tooth at the end of her necklace. Also in art, she is seen with pincers holding a tooth....


Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius. According to legend, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems.