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View Full Version : OT: Baking soda and peroxide/dental ?


Hobster
01/24/2007, 08:54 AM
After a trip to the dental hygienist yesterday, should told me something I had never heard before.

She said i should use baking soda/peroxide toothpaste because:

The bacteria below the gum line around the tooth (as in pockets) is killed by oxygen and is a different bacteria than that found on the tooth surface and on the tongue??

To me she is saying that bacteria is anaerobic. Would the O2 in peroxide actually kill that?

What forms with the combo of baking soda and peroxide?

I really dislike baking soda toothpaste. :p

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/24/2007, 09:26 AM
The combination of baking soda and peroxide is a simple mixture, not an actual chemical reaction.

While bacteria below the gum line may be anaerobic, I'm not sure that O2 is killing anything, rather than peroxide itself. I'm just not sure how that works.

Boomer
01/24/2007, 10:40 AM
Hob

Funny that you have brought this up. As of yesterday I just returned from the dentist on this very issue. I had one of those gum infections. It was like a pimple on the upper most part of the gum, right upper 1st molar and all else looked normal. An anaerobic bacteria had grown there and rather than infecting the gum it infected the bone and ate a hole in it . George, my dentist and old school class mate, had to remove some of the gum tissue and then reamed out the bone to remove the infection, which was on its way to the tooth root. He left the bone exposed. I asked why can't you just fill it in, like you would for a normal cavity. He said I'm not sure I got all of the infection out, bone is porous and we want to leave it exposed so it can be cleaned and kill off the bacteria. This is not the same kind of bacteria.

The H2O2 will kill off the bacteria as it is a strong oxidizer/disinfectant. Although baking soda and peroxide mix does not have that much it is enoguh and hopefully will do the job. So, in short, we need to wait to sse what akes place.

Hobster
01/24/2007, 11:19 AM
Yep, they want to do the root planning/scaling procedure for the big $$$. (pay for the new out of this world office!) It's tough getting older. gingivitis>periodontal disease> yank em out anyway.:rolleyes:

I just do not see why peroxide would be any better than toothpaste with tryclosan in it.

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/24/2007, 02:26 PM
had to remove some of the gum tissue and then reamed out the bone to remove the infection, which was on its way to the tooth root.

Sounds like you had a fun day. :eek2:

TekCat
01/24/2007, 02:37 PM
I wonder if O2 wouldn't get to some areas, then how peroxide could, so it can do its magic? Sounds like a "snake oil" ;) However, peroxide could work well for bacteria on the "exposed" to outside world areas.

or am I on drugs again? :D

Boomer
01/24/2007, 03:13 PM
It was not fun but I was in no pain :D

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/24/2007, 03:29 PM
I wonder if O2 wouldn't get to some areas, then how peroxide could, so it can do its magic? Sounds like a "snake oil" However, peroxide could work well for bacteria on the "exposed" to outside world areas.

A little O2 getting won't make something aerobic if there is a continuing sink for the O2 (like bacteria eating organics), but a little bug-killing peroxide, etc, might still reach killing concentrations.

dadonoflaw
01/25/2007, 04:44 AM
according to the article on reefkeeping. com by you the mention of peroxide came up as a potential oxidation agent and i wanted to know if anyone has tried using it to raise orp levels in the tank or would it be bad? jus curious.

Randy Holmes-Farley
01/25/2007, 08:09 AM
I don't recommend adding oxidizers if they are not confined to a reactor that has its effluent treated to remove them. The problem is that hydrogen peroxide, permanganate, and direct addition of ozone will oxidize the exposed surfaces or organisms just as readily as dissolved organics, and that isn't something that I'd prefer to see happen.

Boomer
01/25/2007, 09:05 AM
and the other issue is H2O2 rapidly converts to O2 and has the potential of raising the O2 to dangerous levels.