Learn More : Common Terms related to Oral Care and our Products

Click on a letter to jump to the relevant section of the alphabet.

A C D E F I M N O P S T W Y
A

Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is a powder made by heating carbon-rich materials like wood or coconut shells, to very high temperatures. Its very large surface area allows it to bind other substances on its surface (adsorption). For example due to its powerful toxin-clearing properties, is able to adsorb molecules, ions and toxins, and so is used to treat overdoses or poisons. One teaspoon of activated charcoal has more surface area than a football field.

Amalgam

Material used for fillings, with mercury (a toxic substance) predominant at about 50%. The balance is an alloy of silver, tin and other metals. Also called ‘silver fillings’ due to their color and perhaps to entice patients to believe that these are ‘valuable’ fillings. Note: They contain about 50% MORE mercury than silver. In 2008, Scandinavian countries banned the use of amalgam in dentistry but it is still in wide use in the USA. IAOMT.org has developed a protocol for safe amalgam removal. Their website contains research and information about the toxicity and side-effects of mercury - links to loss of memory, fatigue, digestive issues, autism and more. Other than radioactive material, mercury is the most toxic element on earth.

Ayurveda

The Science of Health (literally Science of Life), as outlined in the ancient Vedic system of knowledge. This incorporates simple activities such as recommendations for a Daily Routine, as well as more detailed and extremely specific guidelines on topics including body, mind, plants, food, preparation of herbal remedies and more.

C

Copper

Copper (Cu) is a soft, malleable metal with a pinkish-orange color. Copper is essential to all living organisms as a trace dietary mineral and in humans is found mainly in the liver, muscle, and bone. It has been used since ancient times and is a natural anti-microbial. Contact with copper is known to destroy a wide range of microorganisms including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and some influenza strains. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the registrations of some copper alloys as "antimicrobial materials with public health benefits”.

Cruelty free

Products/and/or ingredients that have not been tested on animals, including monkeys, rabbits and mice. There are many cruelty-free certifiers including PETA, Beauty without Cruelty, Leaping Bunny and more.

D

Dental Floss

A string-like fiber used to clean between teeth to remove plaque and food particles. Teeth have 5 surfaces (4 sides and top). Toothbrushing is unable to reach the inner tooth surfaces so flossing is important to help prevent tooth decay, which generally happens in these harder-to-reach surfaces.

E

EcoPure®

An organic additive that helps plastic to biodegrade much quicker than untreated plastics (through a series of chemical and biological processes) in a landfill disposal environment. EcoPure attracts microbes and enzymes found in landfills and enables them to break down the chemical bonds of the material and biodegrade at an accelerated rate.

F

Floss

see Dental Floss

I

IONIC

An ion is an atom or group of atoms with either a positive or negative electrostatic charge. It so happens that dental plaque has a positive charge, whilst the surfaces of your teeth have a negative charge. Science explains that atoms/molecules with the same charge repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other. This is why your teeth (-) attract plaque (+) which sticks to them. An IONIC toothbrush releases a lot of positively charged ions which temporarily change the polarity on your teeth surfaces from negative to positive. Now your teeth (+) repel the plaque (+) instead of attracting it. In addition, the toothbrush bristles (-) attract plaque (+).

M

Mercury fillings

see Amalgam

N

Natural

Generally a product or ingredient is termed ‘natural’ if it is not synthesized or grown in a laboratory, or altered through genetic manipulation. It exists due to the laws of nature and is not created by the laws of man.

O

Oil Pulling

The practice of holding or ‘chewing’ oil in the mouth for anything from 5-20 minutes. Called ‘Gandusha’ in Ayurveda, traditional herbalized oils are made with a sesame oil base, and said to strengthen gums and vocal chords, and help with removing toxins. Research indicates it is effective in helping reduce plaque-induced gingivitis.

P

Periodontitis

Inflammatory disease of periodontium (the tissues that surround and support the teeth) caused by bacteria or bacterial plaque that have been allowed to accumulate on your teeth and gums. As periodontitis progresses, your bones and teeth are at risk and can be damaged. In the early stages, your gums recede, or pull away, from your teeth and small pockets form between gums and teeth.

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Also known as PTFE or Teflon. (Teflon is a registered trademark of DuPont.) Used for items including non-stick frying pans and cookware, PTFE has been linked to a number of ailments and symptoms. Certain dental floss made by corporations such as Oral-B / Glide and also private label brands, use PTFE as their floss material. USA Today published an article about the toxic side-effects on woman who have used PTFE dental floss such as Glide. (see https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/09/oral-b-glide-floss-toxic-pfas-chemicals-study/2530661002/)

PTFE

see Polytetrafluoroethylene

S

Silver fillings

see Amalgam

T

Toothpicks

These are generally round sticks also known as cocktail sticks. They are not ergonomically designed to fit into interdental spaces and may damage teeth due to the width and shape. The best interdental sticks are quite thin, made of a sturdy but softer wood (not bamboo which is too hard), and are flattened and curved to fit comfortably between teeth, thus easily removing plaque and food particles.

Total health

Not partial health! Modern medicine tends to emphasize treating and trying to eliminate a symptom, often without much concern about the side-effects on the body/mind/spirit, even environment. (Remember DDT?) Total health includes not only physical but also mental and spiritual health.

W

Wildcrafted

Herbs or plants that are not cultivated by man but are collected from their natural habitat. Usually these plants do not contain any pesticides or chemicals due to growing in a forest or other ‘wild’ environment.

Y

Yoga

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Union’ or to join. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a text about yoga developed in ancient times by a Vedic Seer named Patanjali. It contains aphorisms on the theory and practice of yoga and how to achieve this union. Today yoga is seen as purely a physical discipline or exercise. However, after advising in verse 1 that “Now Yoga is being explained”, in the second verse of his Sutras Patanjali defines Yoga as follows: “Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind”.

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