Toothpaste and Gum Disease

It is time for true confessions. In January of this year, I was diagnosed with gingivitis, commonly known as gum disease. It is rather embarrassing to admit, but my dentist graciously assured me that genetics play a major role. We discussed treatment options, and I had recently listened to a lecture on alternative and natural remedies. Gum disease was one of the topics as gum disease is a marker for cardiovascular health (and not in a good way). Not opposed to being a lab rat, I asked my dentist if we could try a Co-Enzyme Q 10 toothpaste, and we discussed the recent continuing education program. My dentist is very progressive and agreed to a trial. I returned at the end of June for my 6 month visit, and the hygienist viewed my record and gazed at my gums. She looked back at my record….and once again in my mouth. She called the dentist. I had gone from a mouthful of "5" (on a 1 to 5 scaled with 5 being BAD) to a normal mouth with only one small spot of disease. My dentist was delighted and asked if I had switched to an electric toothbrush. I explained that because I was doing a controlled experiment, the only thing that I did was use the toothpaste. I did not change my type of toothbrush, I had stopped using a mouth rinse, and I even stopped flossing as I wanted to see exactly what the toothpaste would do. We were all extremely pleased with the results, and I am so happy to be able to floss again.

Now for the toothpaste….there are CoQ10 toothpaste formulations on the market, but I wanted to make sure to get 1% active ingredient, and the currently marketed formulations did not list the strength of CoQ10 so this made me suspicious, especially as CoQ10 is an expensive raw ingredient. I knew that we had a great, clean toothpaste formulation and that we had raw CoQ10 in the pharmacy, so John went to work, and we now have CoQ10 1% Toothpaste under the Local Economy label. CoQ10 is a bright yellow-orange, and the toothpaste is a lovely golden color. The toothpaste is available at John Hollis Pharmacy or through Lis Bradley, DDS, in Brentwood. She really was impressed with the results.

Healthy living with John Hollis Pharmacy from Cindy Franklin, staff pharmacist!