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Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide - Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them
Saundra Goodman
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN-10: 1598582992
ISBN-13: 9781598582994
www.gotteethguide.com
Reviewed By Kenya Dow
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
You exercise everyday, running at least 40 miles a week. You eat healthily, staying away from fast food. You don't even drink alcohol that often, preferring to enjoy a sip or two on social occasions. Yet, one day you get pains in your chest, you have shortness of breath, and as you're rushed to the hospital your worst fears are confirmed: you just had a heart attack. There's no history of heart problems in your family, and you appear to be in perfect health, so you ask the doctor how this could have happened. The answer stuns you: bacteria in your bloodstream triggered your liver to produce a protein creating fatty deposits that lodged around your heart - and the bacteria came from your diseased gums!
Years ago, this may have sounded like the ruminations of a random quack, but it is now a scientific fact: gum disease is a leading cause of heart attacks. In fact, it is now the second leading risk factor for them, behind only smoking. Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide is teeming with educational nuggets just like this, as Saundra Goodman has compiled a veritable encyclopedia of crucial facts and information regarding the importance of dental care. In it, she presents a detailed A-B-C guide to the various diseases and risk factors to look out for, but she also does an admirable job of apprising the reader of the specific steps to take in order to avoid falling victim to them.
For example, the aforementioned protein that causes fatty deposits to lodge around the heart is known as C-reactive protein (CRP). Given how expensive health care is these days, you may think that a test to diagnose the levels of CRP in your body would cost upwards in the thousands - but, as Goodman informs, even for the uninsured the test costs around $60. An unbeatable price to pay for the sake of knowing that your health is secure from a silent killer you would never have known had invaded your body.
Also, for all the old-school die-hards who think that brushing your teeth or washing your mouth out with baking soda solution will help clean your teeth and rid your mouth of unwanted bacteria, you may be surprised to learn that baking soda is actually very abrasive and can ruin the enamel on your teeth - so don't be surprised if the cavities keeping popping up despite how much Arm & Hammer you're using.
To help highlight the evolution of dental care, Goodman even provides detailed accounts of different cultures throughout history, such as the Chinese, Romans, and Phoenicians, and their various approaches to toothcare. One may be surprised to learn that the Chinese are credited with inventing the modern bristle toothbrush in the 1490's due to their belief in "toothworms" that infest the mouth. It may also be just as surprising to discover that, in order to secure a steady supply of healthy teeth for study, ancient dentists often obtained them - for a price - from soldiers that plucked them out of the mouths of fallen combatants on the battlefield.
Of course, what you may find most surprising of all is the fact that Paul Revere himself, instead of his storied midnight ride to Lexington, is actually best known as the forefather of one of the tactics employed in a random episode of CSI...
Closing out with her own personal story of triumph over the woes of dental despair, Got Teeth? is a delightful and informative read that you will find crucial not only to your dental health, but your greater health overall. Your body will thank you for it.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Saundra Goodman (Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Saundra. We truly appreciate your time.
Got Teeth? is a very timely and necessary account of the current state of dental care. What inspired you to write it now?
Saundra Goodman: My dental journey led me to write this book. I found nothing helpful that was written in lay terms, and certainly nothing written by a woman who had had the experiences I was enduring, so I wrote one.
Nobody was talking about the mouth/body connection and the danger of periodontal disease and it's effects on the body, not to mention the emotional crisis of losing teeth. It is precisely because nobody talks about it that we are not prepared for the emotional and psychological consequences of tooth loss.
AR: A surprising revelation to many people has been the discovery that gum disease greatly increases the risk of heart attacks. How did researchers finally happen upon that crucial information?
SG: Researchers and dental professionals have known about this correlation for decades. Now that we're living longer, millions are being affected by periodontal disease in more ways than was previously thought possible.
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is as related to obesity as it is to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart attacks, pre-term low-birth weight babies, stroke, and osteoporosis.
Since the release of my book, when I began blogging and writing articles, more people are talking about periodontal disease and groundbreaking research continues. I write about the relationship between a healthy mouth and our overall well-being. It would be easier to write this book now than it was when I began writing.
AR: You obviously did extensive research in discovering the dental practices of the ancients, as well as highlighting modern dental care techniques. How long did it finally take you to put the book together?
SG: It took two years to put the book together. Part of the reason is because I wanted notes and quotes from dental professionals. I made appointments to pitch my book and request notes and quotes. Then I waited for their responses. When I got their responses, I waited for them to write their notes. Then I had to make appointments to go back to them because I couldn't read their handwriting. It took a while.
This is my first book and it's been an educational journey. Writing, researching, editing, rewriting, and more editing took longer than I believed possible.
AR: Please explain for our readers the significance of "Waterloo Teeth."
SG: Economics knows no boundaries. This was not the first time in history that teeth from the dead or dying went on the black market to replace teeth lost by the living. It was the scale of teeth created during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 that created a glut of teeth on the market. Scavengers (tooth hunters) "pulled and pocketed" soldiers' front teeth to sell to dentists.
A new source for natural teeth was discovered when the tooth hunters followed and picked teeth after the armies of the American Civil War left a battleground (1861-1865). Were the soldiers dead or alive? I don't think it mattered.
AR: Where did you first learn of Paul Revere's very important contribution to forensic science?
SG: While researching the history of dentistry, I remembered the legend that President George Washington had wooden teeth, which led me to research his dentists. That research led me to Paul Revere, who was a dentist, just not one of President Washington's dentists. Revere made the first postmortem identification using the dental remains of a man who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 and buried in a mass grave.
AR: For the sake of our readers, care to finally put to rest the old "wooden teeth" myth about George Washington?
SG: They weren't wooden. President Washington had several sets of dentures made from different materials.
AR: What kinds of responses have you gotten from readers? What's next on the horizon for you?
SG: I'm happily getting positive responses from readers, every one of whom has been inspired to take better care of themselves, including one of my editors. Everyone gets something different from my book depending on his or her experience and needs.
As my blog and article writing expand, I continue to find different avenues to explore, which take me to surprising levels of interest. It seems that an ebook is the next step because it will be faster than publishing and I will be able to get the information out quickly.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
SG: I'd like to thank my readers and supporters. I worry that people don't know that there is little to no pain at the beginning of periodontal disease, which is one reason people do not seek help from a dental professional. If you catch it in time, you have a very good chance of saving some of your teeth and half of your bank account. My goal is that people achieve overall well-being and a beautiful smile. If you begin to lose your teeth, nothing will be as important to you as the time you spend saving them. Visit my web site at www.gotteethguide.com to learn what you can do for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren. Read my blog at http://gotteeth.blogspot.com for more information. What I know for sure is that it's all connected. I wish you good dental health.
AR: Thanks again, Saundra, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
How to keep your teeth or live without them
Saundra Goodman
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN-10: 1598582992
ISBN-13: 9781598582994
www.gotteethguide.com
Reviewed By Kenya Dow
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
You exercise everyday, running at least 40 miles a week. You eat healthily, staying away from fast food. You don't even drink alcohol that often, preferring to enjoy a sip or two on social occasions. Yet, one day you get pains in your chest, you have shortness of breath, and as you're rushed to the hospital your worst fears are confirmed: you just had a heart attack. There's no history of heart problems in your family, and you appear to be in perfect health, so you ask the doctor how this could have happened. The answer stuns you: bacteria in your bloodstream triggered your liver to produce a protein creating fatty deposits that lodged around your heart - and the bacteria came from your diseased gums!
Years ago, this may have sounded like the ruminations of a random quack, but it is now a scientific fact: gum disease is a leading cause of heart attacks. In fact, it is now the second leading risk factor for them, behind only smoking. Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide is teeming with educational nuggets just like this, as Saundra Goodman has compiled a veritable encyclopedia of crucial facts and information regarding the importance of dental care. In it, she presents a detailed A-B-C guide to the various diseases and risk factors to look out for, but she also does an admirable job of apprising the reader of the specific steps to take in order to avoid falling victim to them.
For example, the aforementioned protein that causes fatty deposits to lodge around the heart is known as C-reactive protein (CRP). Given how expensive health care is these days, you may think that a test to diagnose the levels of CRP in your body would cost upwards in the thousands - but, as Goodman informs, even for the uninsured the test costs around $60. An unbeatable price to pay for the sake of knowing that your health is secure from a silent killer you would never have known had invaded your body.
Also, for all the old-school die-hards who think that brushing your teeth or washing your mouth out with baking soda solution will help clean your teeth and rid your mouth of unwanted bacteria, you may be surprised to learn that baking soda is actually very abrasive and can ruin the enamel on your teeth - so don't be surprised if the cavities keeping popping up despite how much Arm & Hammer you're using.
To help highlight the evolution of dental care, Goodman even provides detailed accounts of different cultures throughout history, such as the Chinese, Romans, and Phoenicians, and their various approaches to toothcare. One may be surprised to learn that the Chinese are credited with inventing the modern bristle toothbrush in the 1490's due to their belief in "toothworms" that infest the mouth. It may also be just as surprising to discover that, in order to secure a steady supply of healthy teeth for study, ancient dentists often obtained them - for a price - from soldiers that plucked them out of the mouths of fallen combatants on the battlefield.
Of course, what you may find most surprising of all is the fact that Paul Revere himself, instead of his storied midnight ride to Lexington, is actually best known as the forefather of one of the tactics employed in a random episode of CSI...
Closing out with her own personal story of triumph over the woes of dental despair, Got Teeth? is a delightful and informative read that you will find crucial not only to your dental health, but your greater health overall. Your body will thank you for it.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Saundra Goodman (Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Saundra. We truly appreciate your time.
Got Teeth? is a very timely and necessary account of the current state of dental care. What inspired you to write it now?
Saundra Goodman: My dental journey led me to write this book. I found nothing helpful that was written in lay terms, and certainly nothing written by a woman who had had the experiences I was enduring, so I wrote one.
Nobody was talking about the mouth/body connection and the danger of periodontal disease and it's effects on the body, not to mention the emotional crisis of losing teeth. It is precisely because nobody talks about it that we are not prepared for the emotional and psychological consequences of tooth loss.
AR: A surprising revelation to many people has been the discovery that gum disease greatly increases the risk of heart attacks. How did researchers finally happen upon that crucial information?
SG: Researchers and dental professionals have known about this correlation for decades. Now that we're living longer, millions are being affected by periodontal disease in more ways than was previously thought possible.
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is as related to obesity as it is to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart attacks, pre-term low-birth weight babies, stroke, and osteoporosis.
Since the release of my book, when I began blogging and writing articles, more people are talking about periodontal disease and groundbreaking research continues. I write about the relationship between a healthy mouth and our overall well-being. It would be easier to write this book now than it was when I began writing.
AR: You obviously did extensive research in discovering the dental practices of the ancients, as well as highlighting modern dental care techniques. How long did it finally take you to put the book together?
SG: It took two years to put the book together. Part of the reason is because I wanted notes and quotes from dental professionals. I made appointments to pitch my book and request notes and quotes. Then I waited for their responses. When I got their responses, I waited for them to write their notes. Then I had to make appointments to go back to them because I couldn't read their handwriting. It took a while.
This is my first book and it's been an educational journey. Writing, researching, editing, rewriting, and more editing took longer than I believed possible.
AR: Please explain for our readers the significance of "Waterloo Teeth."
SG: Economics knows no boundaries. This was not the first time in history that teeth from the dead or dying went on the black market to replace teeth lost by the living. It was the scale of teeth created during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 that created a glut of teeth on the market. Scavengers (tooth hunters) "pulled and pocketed" soldiers' front teeth to sell to dentists.
A new source for natural teeth was discovered when the tooth hunters followed and picked teeth after the armies of the American Civil War left a battleground (1861-1865). Were the soldiers dead or alive? I don't think it mattered.
AR: Where did you first learn of Paul Revere's very important contribution to forensic science?
SG: While researching the history of dentistry, I remembered the legend that President George Washington had wooden teeth, which led me to research his dentists. That research led me to Paul Revere, who was a dentist, just not one of President Washington's dentists. Revere made the first postmortem identification using the dental remains of a man who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 and buried in a mass grave.
AR: For the sake of our readers, care to finally put to rest the old "wooden teeth" myth about George Washington?
SG: They weren't wooden. President Washington had several sets of dentures made from different materials.
AR: What kinds of responses have you gotten from readers? What's next on the horizon for you?
SG: I'm happily getting positive responses from readers, every one of whom has been inspired to take better care of themselves, including one of my editors. Everyone gets something different from my book depending on his or her experience and needs.
As my blog and article writing expand, I continue to find different avenues to explore, which take me to surprising levels of interest. It seems that an ebook is the next step because it will be faster than publishing and I will be able to get the information out quickly.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
SG: I'd like to thank my readers and supporters. I worry that people don't know that there is little to no pain at the beginning of periodontal disease, which is one reason people do not seek help from a dental professional. If you catch it in time, you have a very good chance of saving some of your teeth and half of your bank account. My goal is that people achieve overall well-being and a beautiful smile. If you begin to lose your teeth, nothing will be as important to you as the time you spend saving them. Visit my web site at www.gotteethguide.com to learn what you can do for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren. Read my blog at http://gotteeth.blogspot.com for more information. What I know for sure is that it's all connected. I wish you good dental health.
AR: Thanks again, Saundra, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!