Category Archives: oral hygeine

Top 5 Ways to Battle Bad Breath

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Bad Breath, DentistUSA.com, General Dentistry, oral hygeine, Smile

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Mistletoe season is upon us! And those of us who hang the evergreen branches from our ceilings come Christmas time know, there is nothing worse than being caught under the mistletoe whilst the bad breath elf has got your tongue!

Of course, bad breath is not caused by naughty elves. In fact, there are many reasons why someone might have halitosis (that’s the fancy way of saying bad breath). Some of the most common being:

Bacteria – Your mouth has billions of bacteria. Yes, that’s “billions” with a B. They live in between your teeth and on your tongue and gums. They are responsible for everything from cavities to halitosis.

Food – Foods such as onion and garlic can cause bad breath even after you brush your teeth.

Tobacco – Smoking or chewing tobacco can leave you with a really nasty smell in your mouth.  It’s bad for your health. It’s bad for your mouth. It makes your breath, body and clothing smell. And, no, gum doesn’t help.

So what is the best way to stay mistletoe ready? Here are the top 5 ways to battle bad breath:

1. Brush your teeth

The number one way to cure bad breath is something you should be doing already, twice a day! Make sure you’re using a fluoride toothpaste and include brushing your tongue to your tooth brushing regiment. That will help remove smelly bacteria that cause bad breath. Remember bacteria from the first part of this post? They’re the main culprits when it comes to stinky breath.

2. Floss

Flossing is a must. It will help remove hidden food bits from in between teeth that bacteria love to feed on.

3. Mouthwash

An antimicrobial mouthwash will help kill off lingering bacteria that create bad breath. You can also gargle with hydrogen peroxide. It will not only kill bacteria in your mouth, but it will also help to whiten your teeth. Just be be careful. Hydrogen can damage the tissues in your mouth if not properly diluted. Here are some suggestions on how to gargle hydrogen peroxide safely.

4. Chew gum

Chewing gum makes you salivate. Saliva is what washes away the bacteria in your mouth. Just make sure you use a gum sweetened with Xylitol and not something loaded with sugar.

5. Drink water

Xerostomia, or as it is more commonly known, dry mouth is a major cause of bad breath. Regularly drinking fluids will help to create more moisture in the mouth and help ward off dryness. Try sticking to water or at least something without sugar.

And don’t forget to visit your dentist.

Twice a year! Especially if you have chronic bad breath. Occasionally bad breath is a sign of a more serious problem, such as an infection, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, or kidney or liver disease. Your dentist will clean your teeth, give you a full exam and make sure that your bad breath isn’t something more than just the pasta you ate for lunch. (Please don’t eat pasta before visiting your dentist. That is just mean.)

 

Follow these tips and you’ll be mistletoe ready in no time. And remember, that New Year’s Eve kiss is right around the corner!

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A Healthy Smile is a Healthy Body

31 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in Adult Dentistry, General Dentistry, oral hygeine

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“Did you know there are more than 6 billion bacteria present inside the mouth?” Asked Dr. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden in their article Oral health can be the key to overall health. “In essence, you have more bacteria in your mouth than the Earth’s human population!”

Now before you go freaking out and spraying your mouth with Lysol, you should know, there are a lot of different kinds of bacteria in your mouth. Some of these are good. Like Veillonella, that slows the development of caries. But (and seriously, don’t spray Lysol in your mouth) there are a lot of bad bacteria, like Streptococcus mutans, a significant contributor to tooth decay and Streptococcus gordonii.

Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons published a study in March showing that Streptococcus gordonii can produce a molecule that helps blood to clot. This molecule can slip into your blood stream and cause blockage of the blood supply to the heart or brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. In fact, studies show that having gum disease can quadruple your risk of stroke and spike your risk of a heart attack up to a dozen times higher!

Some bacteria can even lead to cancer. A Swedish study found that poor brushing can increase cancer risks by 80%!

Dr Paul Pharoah, reader in cancer epidemiology at the University of Cambridge, said the results of the Swedish study suggested higher levels of plaque (bacteria) are associated with ‘higher all-cause mortality.’ In other words, the worse your teeth are, the worse your overall health is and the more risk you are to serious illness and even death.

So, what can you do to help prevent bacteria growing? Try some of these tips:

– Brush your teeth twice a day for a full two minutes each time.

– Floss your teeth and scrape your tongue daily.

– Wash out your mouth after every meal. An over the counter mouthwash is best but most of us don’t carry around a bottle of Scope everywhere we go. You could use these but water is a good substitute if nothing else is available.

– Cut out the sugar. Sugar promotes bacteria growth. So stay away from high sugar foods and beverages (e.g. candy, soda and fruit juices).  If you are a candy lover like myself, try to find some sugar free alternatives

– See your dentist twice a year and get your teeth cleaned. “The cleaning done at the dentist is a special ‘deep’ dental cleaning, where all the harmful plaque and tartar is removed professionally.” If you need to find a dentist to help get your smile back in shape, use DentistUSA.com.

Following these tips may not only get you a brighter smile; it might save you from something more deadly!

 

Toothless babies can have cavities!?

24 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in oral hygeine, pediatric dentistry, Uncategorized

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Did you know babies could have tooth decay even before they have teeth? How is that possible you ask? Well, I’m glad you did!

Research done at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and two research institutes in Lubbock in Texas found evidence of bacteria associated with early childhood caries (AKA tooth decay or a cavities) in the saliva of infants with no teeth. Their findings suggest that infection with bacteria like Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavity occurs earlier in the development of children than previously thought.

Babies are not born with the bacteria but are infected by parents and caregivers who are infected with the bacteria. “Tooth decay is a bacterial infection and you can spread it from one person to another during the window of infectivity, which is during infancy and especially during the time of tooth eruption. That’s when the teeth are most vulnerable. It’s as if you had a bad cold and were kissing your child, you would spread the cold virus.” Said Dr. Jane Soxman in the Diane Mapes article “Mom’s kiss can spread cavities to baby”

It is important to note, the transmission of bacteria through saliva is just one piece of the puzzle. Tooth decay is also caused by a number of different factors, including genetics, oral hygiene, feeding practices, such as letting your baby constantly suck on a sippy cup full of juice or other sugar-laden liquids.

Currently, pediatric dentistry experts recommend stopping bottle-feeding infants at 14 months and regularly cleaning gums with a cloth or special toothbrush. Though, The results from the study could mean new strategies for preventing caries in children, the researchers said.

“We want to characterize the microbiological evolution that occurs in the oral cavity between birth and tooth eruption, as teeth erupt, and as dietary changes occur such as breastfeeding vs. formula feeding, liquid to solid food, and changes in nutrient profile,” said Kelly Swanson, lead researcher and Associate Professor of Animal and Nutritional Sciences.

So if you have a newborn and have any questions about how you should be caring for your child’s teeth and gums contact your dentist. If you need to find a good pediatric dentist, you can easily find one using DentistUSA!