Toothpaste

It binds to tooth enamel and makes it more resistant to cavities.

Fluoride(not flouride)

is considered by most public health experts to be one of the major advances in public health of the last century. Unfortunately, it has become politicized and the target of Internet conspiracy theorists. What one must remember is that everything is toxic (even water and oxygen) at high enough levels. "The dose makes the poison" and so when reading the claims of people citing support to the claims of the evils of fluoride one must pay attention to make sure they are not citing industrial exposures, high dose supplements, etc etc.

- It does reduce tooth decay dramatically.
- It saves society money by promoting better health.
- It is associated with less gum disease, which may be a contributing factor in heart disease.
- Nearly all dental fluorosis (mottling of the teeth from too much fluoride) is from eating toothpaste or taking too much supplementation in pill form, not from drinking water.
- There is no credible evidence that it causes cancer.
- There is no credible evidence that fluoride from drinking water causes osteoporosis or fractures (taking high dose pills can and studies of drinking water are on-going).
- There is no credible evidence that it causes birth defects, ADD or other toxicity at the doses found in water.

See related links for more info.

There is a foaming agent found in almost all toothpastes. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant -- a sudser -- added to toothpaste. It creates the froth that toothpaste becomes after you begin brushing by lowering the surface tension of the saliva in your mouth and allowing bubbles to form. While it aids in spreading the toothpaste throughout your mouth, it also creates the impression of cleanliness; a mouthful of foam just feels cleaner.

But SLS has other properties, too. For one, it suppresses your sweet receptors, so it has a dampening effect on the generally sweet taste of orange juice. In addition, SLS destroys phospholipids. These fatty compounds act as inhibitors on your bitter receptors. So by inhibiting sweet receptors and destroying phospholipids, SLS dulls the sweetness and promotes the bitter taste in orange juice.

courtesy of http://health.howstuffworks.com/

Necklaces and pendants are precious and beautiful pieces of jewelry. Sometimes they are gifts from family and friends or are family heirlooms. They often carry sentimental value. As jewelry ages, the air reacts with the metal and tends to make it dull and worn-looking. The older the necklaces or pendants are, the more you may want to polish them up to their original luster. It is possible to restore your necklaces and pendants at home. Here’s how you can accomplish this without having to go to the jewelry store and pay for a cleaning.

First, avoid silver polish when cleaning necklaces or pendants. It can be detrimental to the overall shine of your jewelry.

Gather your materials. You will need all of the jewelry you want to restore, along with a small brush (like a toothbrush) and your cleaning materials. Your cleaning materials could be anything from toothpaste to baking soda to lemon juice or vinegar. All of these can be effective jewelry cleaners.

If you have grease on your necklaces and pendants, drop them into rubbing alcohol. Take them out after a few minutes and your jewelry should look more lustrous.

If you are using toothpaste, try scrubbing the jewelry lightly with your small brush until you see the shine begin to come back. If toothpaste doesn’t work well, try suspending your necklaces and pendants in lemon juice. You can also try making a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. This method will help get rid of dirt and grime in the small nooks and crannies of your necklaces and pendants. You could also submerge the jewelry in a container into which you have poured one part vinegar and one part water and leave overnight. Any of these methods should help return the original shine.

In order to keep your necklaces and pendants looking lustrous from now on, keep them separate from other pieces of jewelry to prevent scratching, and seal them in plastic bags to keep the air out. This will slow down oxidation of the metal. If you do frequent maintenance cleanings of your necklaces and pendants, you will probably be able to keep them looking shiny for years to come.