Beware snap-on dental sparklers

Tue., July 18, 2006

The Spokesman-Review

From new ways to stay hydrated to a mystery of medicine explained, the place for an offbeat look at health news is Health Beat, a blog by Spokesman-Review health writer Heather Lalley.

Here’s a glimpse at some of her recent ponderings:

Get ready to trade ‘bling’ for dentures

OK. So this one’s a no-brainer. And if it personally affects anybody who’s reading this, I’d be shocked. But I couldn’t resist.

The latest warning from the American Dental Association? Beware of dental “grills” or “fronts”; they can rot your teeth and damage your gums.

Don’t even know what a dental grill is? They’re snap-on fixtures that go over the teeth for added sparkle. They’re popular with some rappers, who like an extra dose of bling wherever they can display it. (Personally, I think they look like especially horrible braces. But, then, nobody asked me, did they?)

According to a Reuters report, they can be made of gold, silver or platinum, as well as much cheaper metals. Some people pay thousands of dollars for them.

Says one dental expert: “If someone brushed and flossed really well, put in a grill that fit well and was made of precious metals, kept it for an hour or two, snapped it back out and brushed and flossed again, there probably wouldn’t be a lot of problems, but that’s just not what people do.”

OK. Now you know. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Talk to me when there’s the toe water bottle

Have you ever been working out under the hot sun and thought “Man, what I really need now is some cool, refreshing water… If only I could strap a sports bottle onto my wrist.”

Well, you’re in luck. A press release in my very own inbox says that HydroSport has released a wrist water bottle that holds 5.5 ounces. Doesn’t sound like much to quench your thirst? Well, if you’ve got two wrists and two bottles, you can tote 11 ounces with you while running or walking or whatever.

Says the press release: “It eliminates the need to carry water bottles, which can be cumbersome to carry and break your stride. Just fill them up with cold water and go.”

Ever wonder …

How they calculate how much of somebody’s body is burned? Like when they say someone has third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body.

Well, wonder no more. Slate’s Explainer (for which I’ve already professed my love) has the answer.

Between “the Rule of Nines” and the Lund-Browder chart (which is best for children), doctors can figure out an estimate. Newer computer models, the Explainer says, provide even better numbers.

Hopefully not information you’d ever need to know.

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