Hydrogen Peroxide

[Barry]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

I am a bit concerned with mass extermination of germs in the mouth. Doctors have figured out that you should not use antiseptic soap on your skin because there is a natural balance of germs there, where harmless germs keep harmful germs in check naturally. Regular soap to clean up, but not antiseptic is what they recommend. So if that applies to the skin, it seems reasonable it would apply in the mouth, too. Brush to keep your mouth clean, but maybe its better to avoid antiseptic type mouth washes to keep the natural balance of harmless against harmful germs. And a dentist did tell me once that one reason why adult usually get less decay than kids is that by the time you are an adult a natural balance of germs has developed in your mouth. We need some germs, they have an important place in our health.

Think I will take your advice and keep a pot full of pet germs in my garden shed. Now what shall I feed them on ? Maybe there is a market for them with all this disinfectant 'round ?

[helen]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Cavities are from acid, not germs right?

True but it is the germs that are generating the acid.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Tooth decay is caused by the bacteria mutans streptococcus. "The bacteria feed on sugar and produce acid that eats away at the structure of teeth by depleting calcium" - Burton Edelstein, D.D.S., founding director of the Children's Dental Health Project. The bacteria also create plaque, the yellowish film that builds up on teeth and contains even more enamel-eroding acid. Once an area without calcium becomes big enough, the surface of the tooth collapses, and voila! Cavities.

[Kalalau]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Hmmm...maybe there is a market for beneficial germs! Thats yogurt, right? Beneficial digestive bacteria. So...if science can identify what the beneficial mouth bacteria might be, if they actually do exist, maybe you could chew some gum laced with them to protect your teeth. Just a thought. If you bring this to market I politely request a mere 1 % royalty.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Hmmm...maybe there is a market for beneficial germs! Thats yogurt, right? Beneficial digestive bacteria. So...if science can identify what the beneficial mouth bacteria might be, if they actually do exist, maybe you could chew some gum laced with them to protect your teeth. Just a thought. If you bring this to market I politely request a mere 1 % royalty.

Actually, the most beneficial bacteria in your mouth are found in your saliva, and the mere act of chewing gum itself stimulates saliva secretion, hence increasing the beneficial bacteria. Since "bad" bacteria thrive on sugar, that's why chewing sugarless gum is recommended.

As for the yogurt reference, the two most-studied beneficial bacteria (or probiotics) are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. But the yogurt must state that it contains "active" or "live" cultures to be of any use in this fashion; many yogurts are pasteurized, which kills off the bacteria.

[tutusue]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

[...]Used up my whole new supply of bacitracin and big band-aids,[...]

Ron, fwiw...if the bacitracin is in a base of petroleum jelly (check the label) then that might be why your wound took so long to heal. Last year my doc told me not to use antibacterial ointments with a petroleum jelly base as air can't get to the wound. The germs get locked in. Creams, otoh, breathe. When I checked the various tubes of topical antibiotics I had at home, every one of 'em had the PJ. Doc prescribed me a jar of sulfa cream and told me to dab a little on any nick, ding, cut or scratch I get because of the increase in MRSA. I keep a tiny jar of it in my purse.

And, based on this thread, I'm going to stop dipping my toothbrush in HP before sticking the brush in baking soda!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

I was concerned about that aspect of it as well, TS, thanx for the mention. But this was so large and deep that the time it's taken to get to where it is now, looking like the scar might not be so bad after all, is legit. I did get some creme on Sat. and it might be at least similar to the sulfa, which is also supposed to encourage skin growth, so I'll be letting up on the bac/PJ now.
I was deffinitely worried about MRSA, staph, blood poisoning, or ? from whatever this was, but once I figured out it was a spider bite I felt much better. I know they get ugly but not hospital bad, I'd just never seen one leave a mark that got this big.

Per the toothbrush, I keep a covered bottle of alcohol at the sink to dip my brush in, before and after.

[tutusue]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Don't forget, RW, the wound of a spider bite can still come in contact with MRSA. In addition, MRSA can be mistaken for a spider bite:

The initial presentation of MRSA is small red bumps that resemble pimples, spider bites, or boils...

A friend of mine did something as innocuous as popping what he thought was a little pimple. About 10 days later he was in the hospital fighting for his life. He won, thank goodness, but no one knows where he came in contact with MRSA.

I have another friend whose 87 year old mother is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. She now has MRSA.

Regardless, happy to hear you're in good shape now. It kinda sounds like your spider bite turned into something much worse and that your immune system was able to fight it off. My Waianae doc is a MRSA nazi because she see's so much of it...mainly contracted from the ocean. Damn...that's so scary.

Maybe I'll substitute chardonnay for hydrogen peroxide!

[Barry]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

This may disgust you all ?

My friend Frank loves fishing in the lakes. He keeps 'live' maggots inside his mouth >>>> For bait !!!

Despite my trying to tell him that these creatures would be dead as soon as they hit the water. To tell him that maggots are revolting and can't be good in your mouth,

His answer is,,,, " Maggots have been used for thousands of years to remove dead skin."

To him ,,,, this also aplies to any gum disorders.


Wouldn't fancy that ! Would you ?

[Ron Whitfield]

OK Barry, you win...

I was hoping to turn this thread into something truly disgusting, but it's too early to try and top that one!

TS, I think I did have something in my system at the time, because a week prior to the spider bite I had exactly what you described on the back of the other knee. A 'zit' that had been there briefly a few weeks ago, but was now back in force with a swelling and stiffening of the knee joint. I thot of the MSRA's innocuous starting point of which you spoke, but the gunk was just waiting to get out and afterwards the swelling and all went away.
But I think it helped allow the bigger bite to have a field day, no matter how good my body tried to defend against it.

I'm back to norbal now...

[tutusue]

Re: OK Barry, you win...

[...]I'm back to norbal now...

Hmmm...sounds like you now have a code in your node!

Interesting about the 'pimple' on the back of your knee. Regardless, you're back to 'norbal' and that's all that counts!

[Bobinator]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Actually, the most beneficial bacteria in your mouth are found in your saliva, and the mere act of chewing gum itself stimulates saliva secretion, hence increasing the beneficial bacteria. Since "bad" bacteria thrive on sugar, that's why chewing sugarless gum is recommended.

As for the yogurt reference, the two most-studied beneficial bacteria (or probiotics) are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. But the yogurt must state that it contains "active" or "live" cultures to be of any use in this fashion; many yogurts are pasteurized, which kills off the bacteria.

Yeah, but sugarless gum will either make you fat with it's artificial sweetener, or give you cancer. I say do get more saliva and do more kissing...

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: OK Barry, you win...

I'm back to norbal now...

Illicited long ago from the late 60's pages of a Mad Magazine feature titled - A Day In The Life Of An Acid Trip At The Office

Mad and Playboy mags, better than Viet Nam.

[tutusue]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Aha! Now I get it. You were on acid; not suffering from a cold...so I won't suggest that you gargle with hydrogen peroxide!
I loved Mad Magazine. Don't think I've seen one since the '60s.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Hydrogen Peroxide

Aha! Now I get it. You were on acid; not suffering from a cold...

Yeah..., it wasn't what I thot it was..., sorry!
It was purple, but far from micro-dot.