Ok, so proper dental hygene is an important thing -- we all know that. But brushing your teeth is not only good for your dental health, but your waistline too! Let me explain:

After each meal, brush your teeth. This isn't just to get the food off of them--it will also keep you from snacking after meals. It's a practice that is especially effective in the nighttime -- brushing your teeth shortly after dinner will keep you from snacking in front of the TV because firstly, food won't taste as good when your mouth is minty fresh, and secondly, you won't want to re-do the whole teeth routine before you hit the sack.

Brushing your teeth can also be invigorating; In fact, when I need a quick pick-me-up, I find that brushing my teeth is often more effective than downing a cup of coffee.

I once had a friend whose worst nightmare was the thought that she'd have terrible breath and everyone would know but her. It's an understandable fear because nothing halts a conversation faster than foul breath. Have you ever chatted with (or worse, kissed) someone and caught an overwhelming whiff of garlic or tuna that never really went away? How long did that conversation (or kiss) last? Not long, I'm guessing.

If you're worried about your occasional bad breath -- and keep in mind that chronic halitosis can be a sign of a serious condition and should be addressed with a doctor or dentist -- then check out this article that rates common odor-fighters on their ability to tame bad breath.

Testers tried out five tools for controlling breath odor including mist, mouthwash, toothpastes and even a tongue scraper and rated how fresh the products made them feel. It seems that they all worked but some better and for longer than others. Do you have any tried and true methods for dealing with bad breath?

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As Jonathon mentioned over two weeks ago, fake Colgate toothpaste has shown up in many states in the U.S., and now the product has turned up in Canada as well.Normally, fake products are not that dangerous -- but not in this case.

The counterfeit Colgate now found in the U.S. and Canada contains a poisonous chemical called diethylene glycol, an antifreeze component. Additionally, dangerous bacteria were found in the fake toothpaste as well.

I guess there is no official marking on official products that would let a distributor know if a product was real or fake, but maybe it has come down to this. Would an "impossible to fake" seal that would be attacked to every product package be a solution? While fake consumer products are not a huge threat to human life in most cases, this one sure does present that threat. Perhaps one day, something will be done before problems develop.

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Is the situation with Chinese imports getting out of control? If you eat food or brush your teeth in the U.S., you could say that. From pet food ingredients to toothpaste to common foods, imports from China are being looked at as never before based on so many chemicals and other bad things being found in all of those products.

What are those "bad things?" How about the toxic preservative formaldehyde, unsafe food coloring and antifreeze ingredients? Yes, all of these have been found in many Chinese-made human consumption products recently.

The recent toothpaste scare has even become larger than originally thought, as authorities now believe the tainted cavity preventer was distributed to many more locations throughout the U.S. than had been thought previously. As manufacturers will never, ever learn, cheaper products can sometimes come with a much higher price tag in the long run.

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Fluoride is an amazing compound. Since being added to our community water supplies, the occurrence of tooth decay has dropped as much as 40 percent in some places. But considering fluoride is now a part of the water which we use to cook, clean and eat with, skeptics are saying too much of a good thing is bad.

Of course, skeptics can find fault in just about anything we use regularly nowadays. A group called the Fluoride Action Network is waging a crusade against fluoride, citing that too much can actually hurt your teeth (discoloration called fluorosis). In an attempt to scare away the public, they even cite studies which show how excessive amounts of fluoride can cause reduced thyroid activity, IQ deficits, premature puberty and... bone cancer?

It's in your toothpaste, baby formula, soda, juice, and cooking, but is fluoride something you should be scared of? We've been consuming the compound in our water for over 50 years now, so in other words "No." I cannot imagine why fluoride would be an issue now after being used for so long.

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Colgate released a statement earlier today warning that fake, potentially toxic "Colgate" toothpaste has been discovered in discount stores in four US states.

The toxic ingredient is diethylene glycol, also known as DEG. It's believed that whoever manufactured the fraudulent toothpaste used this chemical instead of fluoride. DEG is the same drug the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers about 2 weeks ago, when they found it in tubes of Cooldent toothpaste, manufactured in China.

Consumers can differentiate real Colgate from the fake, discount brand by checking to see where the product originated. The fake toothpaste is labeled as being manufactured in South Africa, a country from which Colgate does not important any products to the US. Also, the packaging of the false product contains a number of misspellings.

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Chocolate toothpaste... Ugh, I feel a little nauseated just thinking about it. But not to worry, chocolate flavoring isn't destined for toothpaste, but chocolate extract instead. Arman Sadeghpour, from Tulane University, has found that an extract from cocoa powder may be an effective alternative to fluoride in toothpaste.

The extract is a white powder, and it works by hardening tooth enamel thereby making the teeth better able to resist cavities. More testing is needed before it can be used in humans, but if all goes well in 2-4 years it may be on shelves hidden in your favorite brand of toothpaste.

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I'm not really one of those that subscribes to the notion of fluoride -- made in its current form as a toxic byproduct from factories -- can be used to dampen a person's will. What I do get concerned about is that this chemical is put into most public water supplies and countless tubes of toothpaste.

So, my solution -- after researching exactly what fluoride is and where much ot if comes from -- is to drink mountain spring water (which tastes so much better than tap!) and use fluoride-free toothpaste. After all, if you take care of your teeth properly, you should not need some heavy ingredient to "help prevent cavities", yes?

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The American Dental Association has changed their stance on fluoride. For years, the ADA hasn't paid much attention to reports that excessive fluoride can be harmful to kids, but now they're changing their recommendations. They've issued an "interim" advisory against fluoride, which will most likely lead to an official advisory soon.

New recommendations regarding children and fluoride can be found in this article, notably the suggestions to avoid fluoride toothpaste entirely for children under 2 years old and have your water tested to make sure that the fluoride levels don't exceed 1.2 parts per million.

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