Food supplement for swollen gums & periodontal disorders

Dental & Gingival Formula is an oral hygiene dietary supplement containing TEES-10®, a blend of extracts of Ligularia stenocephala leaf and Secale cereale rye sprout.

It has been the subject of two clinical studies which indicate potential benefits for the health and sensitivity of the gums (swollen gums, inflammation of the gums ...), the periodontium (the tissues supporting the teeth) and the teeth themselves.

What’s in Dental & Gingival Formula?

Dental & Gingival Formula contains two natural extracts of interest for gum health :

1. a leaf extract of narrow-headed leopard plant (Ligularia stenocephala). Part of the Asteraceae family (which also includes dandelion and yarrow), this perennial plant’s potential effects on inflammatory mediators and the antioxidant system are the subject of intense scientific study (1-2). Widely-used in Asian folk medicine, it is consumed raw, especially in Korea where it is known as ‘Gondalbi’;
2. an extract of sprouted rye seeds (Secale cereale). In addition to their high content of B vitamins and vitamin E, which helps protect cells against oxidative stress, these sprouted seeds contain many potentially antioxidant components such as phenolic compounds (3-4).

These two extracts are combined in the patented compound TEES-10® which has been shown in two clinical studies to be effective against both gingivitis and periodontitis (5-6).

What exactly is gingivitis?

Gingivitis is an inflammatory condition of the gums. This inflammation is a natural response to attack, usually from harmful bacteria present in dental plaque.

Though it is a normal defence response, it can lead to tissue damage. Persistent gingivitis needs to be taken seriously to prevent it progressing to periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory gum disease which gradually destroys the tooth-supporting apparatus.

The following symptoms are suggestive of gingivitis:

• gums that are red (or even purplish) and swollen (enlarged);
• gums that are sensitive and sometimes painful during acute episodes;
• gums that bleed during teeth-brushing or spontaneously;
• palpable inflammation of the gum ;
• bad breath.

How can a natural treatment relieve inflamed gums?

The mouth is host to billions of microorganisms belonging to hundreds of different species. Many of them stick to the surface of the teeth and gums, attracted by the protein in saliva (this is referred to as the salivary biofilm). In the space of a few hours, these bacteria form a complex and increasingly strong habitat, known as dental plaque.

This plaque, which is constantly being enriched by secretions from microorganisms, does not pose a risk as long as the bacteria growing on it are harmless. But eating high-carb foods, especially simple carbohydrates such as sucrose, encourages the growth of pathogenic bacteria which are attracted by the sugary residues sticking to the dental plaque. After feeding on it, they release lactic acid, a compound toxic to other bacteria and particularly damaging to dental tissue.

This process is the main cause of dental caries (progressive destruction of the tooth by bacteria releasing various acids) and gingivitis.

There are 3 recognised ways – complementary and equally important – of reducing it:

• regularly remove the dental plaque which forms and reforms, by means of mechanical brushing;
• eat fewer sugary foods (especially between meals) ;
• consume antioxidant-rich foods which regulate the production of inflammatory mediators, to combat dental plaque bacteria and the inflammation that develops there.

The innovative and natural supplement Dental & Gingival Formula has been conceived on the basis of this 3^rd strategic recommendation. As well as acting on inflammation, it also appears to support the alveolar bone (which contains the tooth sockets) by increasing both its volume and numbers of osteoblasts, a type of cell needed for tooth and bone formation.