DENTAL health products
Im mom me reviews:
o diate f
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L ollipops are a staple in the diaper
bag bribery kit, at least in our
house. That sweetness-on-a-stick
has gotten us through many long
road trips and errand runs, so I tend to
look past the straight sugar that is being
deposited into my children’s mouths.

Precious Smiles of Virginia
• Comprehensive Dentistry and
Orthodontics • Laser Dentistry
• Safe and Fun Environment
• After Hours Emergency Care
• Nitrous Oxide
• Caring for Special Needs Patients
• Oral and IV Sedation
• Hospital Dentistry
• Insurances Accepted
Enter the Loloz lollipop – seemingly guilt
free with its promise of actually being
GOOD for your dental health. I’ll admit
I was a bit skeptical, of both the benefits
and the taste, but they were definitely
worth a try.

Loloz were developed after seven years
of research on oral health herbs by
the UCLA School of Dentistry. Their
Nahee Williams McDonald, D.D.S.

department of oral biology found a
Kenneth Hrechka, D.D.S.

specific form of licorice root that targets
7841-F Rolling Road
Springfi eld, VA 22153
and fights the major bacteria in our
703-455-1339 mouths that can cause tooth decay, bad
www.precious-smiles.com breath and gum disease. Named Cavibloc,
this active ingredient has been shown to
work, along with regular dental hygiene,
to prevent dental problems such as
cavities. Loloz are all-natural, anti-germ
lollipops that contain absolutely no sugar
– woo hoo!
(703) 819-9796
That all sounds great, but how do they
taste? My kids were very excited to get
a lollipop treat at home. We tested the
orange flavor and it was surprisingly very
tasty. The kids seemed to have no idea
they were eating a “health-benefitting”
candy, and I felt much better about them
sucking on one: a win-win! What a
16 February 2016 washingtonFAMILY.com
TEXT CHRISTY PETRAK
great way to satisfy a sweet-tooth while
working to combat oral germs and tooth
decay. So, it was a bit disappointing when I
finally read the usage instructions. In
order to get the promised oral health
benefits from Loloz, they recommend two
a day for 10 consecutive days (morning
and evening), two to four times per year.

While this may work for adults or older
children who can understand the benefits
of using them this way, I just cannot give
my toddlers two lollipops per day. It
would be too hard to break the habit and
explain the difference between a candy
lollipop and a “healthy” one. Since they
look and taste exactly like their regular,
sugary cousin, I imagine it would be a
very confusing scenario for toddlers/
preschoolers. (It is important to note that
the lollipops work best when combined
with regular dentist visits and proper oral
health habits.)
Loloz are currently available in three all-
natural flavors: orange, lemon and berry.

They come in lollipop or lozenge form, in
boxes of 20 for $29.99. The cost seemed
quite high at first for a small lollipop, but
is justified in the cavity-fighting aspect.

With no noticed difference in appearance
or flavor, I would consider stocking up
on these to replace the regular, sugary
lollipops in my bag for a less-guilty
option, but would not expect to use them
as directed until my children are much
older.




s I get older, I realize more and more the
importance of maintaining a healthy mouth.

I always have been vigilant about brushing
and flossing, and have finally listened to my
about the benefits of using proper mouthwash in
oral-health routine. After a bad experience with one
that left me with awful staining, I was eager
try out the CloSYS line of products.

Oral Health products are alcohol-free, sulfate-
and Triclosan- free. I knew to look for alcohol-free
since I can’t stand the burning feeling,
I didn’t know about the potential harm of sulfates
Triclosan. Sulfates, added as a foaming agent in
have been linked to gum and skin irritation,
it harder to keep the mouth and gums free of
Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent used in
to kill bacteria. However, it’s been initially
to disruption of the body’s endocrine system and
of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

CloSYS products use Chlorastan, stabilized chlorine
as the active ingredient to eliminate bacteria
the mouth and plaque on teeth. Clinical studies have
Chlorastan is safe and effective for use in oral
without the negative aspects of the other chemicals.

provided with samples of CloSYS Sulfate Free
Toothpaste and two bottles of Alcohol Free Oral
Health Rinse (one unflavored and one “JustRight Mint”
flavored). The toothpaste has a slightly different texture
than my normal toothpaste and doesn’t taste strongly of
mint. However, it left my mouth feeling just as clean and
protected by the fluoride.

The mouthwash was the most intriguing product to me,
especially the unflavored version. I was excited for the
alcohol-free aspect, but skeptical of its ability to leave
mouth feeling clean without the typical minty flavor.

Surprisingly, I didn’t mind the unflavored version. It
seemed almost like rinsing with pure water, yet left my
mouth feeling clean and my breath quite fresh. It came
with a peppermint flavoring oil, so I tried a bit of that in
my next rinse. It gave the rinse more of the traditional
but was still not overpowering. The JustRight Mint
also produced the same results: fresh breath with a hint
minty flavor. The biggest positive for me was the
of burning and irritation I’ve felt with other
I have been using the mouthwash for several weeks now
and haven’t seen any signs of staining.

I’m glad I was introduced to CloSYS, and admit I never
gave much thought to the ingredients in my oral-care
products. If chemicals are unnecessarily added to
consumable products and can be substituted with better
options for overall health, it seems like an obvious route
to take. The CloSYS products seem like a great fit for
those with sensitive teeth, gums or taste buds, and are
TEXT without
NANCY
an excellent choice for keeping a healthy mouth
unpleasant side effects or overly minty flavors.

CloSYS Oral Health Products • www.closys.com
$11 for 32oz Alcohol-Free Oral Health Rinse
Christy Petrak is a systems engineer currently taking a leave of
to raise her two children, Thomas (age 4) and Eliza (age 1). She
spending time with her family, swimming and baking/decorating
cupcakes.