If you’re an athlete, you should wear a mouth guard. No matter what type of contact sport is at hand, sports-related dental injuries are extremely common, accounting for more than 600,000 emergency room visits each year alone! Chipped and broken teeth, jaw bone injuries and concussions to the brain are just a few of the many serious injuries athletes face which can be prevented with the use of a mouth guard. If you’re one of 4 million scuba diving enthusiasts, a good fitting mouth piece could prevent jaw joint pain, toothache or gum irritation when coming to the surface. For ultimate performance, a mouth guard will reposition the jaw to properly open the airway and increase the oxygen intake, which can be very beneficial for athletes who posses deep bite issues.
Always wear a mouth guard during sports!
Besides preventing sports injuries [and other benefits of wearing a properly fitted mouth guard], one should look into other aspects of the mouth guard. In particular, the proper cleaning and storing of your mouth guard will prevent it from growing harmful bacteria and mold which could be life-threatening. Noted in a recent dental publication in the September/October 2007 issue of General Dentistry, mouth guards “harbor large numbers of bacteria, yeasts and molds that can possibly lead to life and/or health-threatening infectious/inflammatory diseases.”
The material used in mouth guard construction is not completely solid – like most plastics, the surface of a mouth guard is porous, and can harbor microscopic bacteria if not cleaned and stored properly. If these tiny organisms are allowed to grow and multiply, the mouth guard which is meant to protect you could actually be harming your teeth, gums and bodily health.
To assure a clean and properly functioning mouth guard, both your mouth and the mouth guard should be clean before wearing it. Be sure not to share guards between team members. Once you are finished with the mouth guard, brush it with toothpaste and rinse it under running water. Once the guard has been properly cleaned, store it in an open air container – a sealed space will promote bacterial growth.
Getting your mouth guard over the counter might work for some of you, but it would be best to bring it into your dentist’s office and have it checked for a proper fit – you may need to have a custom piece made. A poorly fitting mouth guard is useless, and your health is invaluable.
Swine Influenza H1N1, more commonly known as Swine Flu, has continued to grow and expand worldwide over the past week, and concerns are (rightly) high about how we can stay healthy and safe. The World Health Organization may even declare swine flu a pandemic! Apart from not gathering in large groups and washing your hands, is there any way you can stay safe?
Transmission of the virus is from human-to-human contact, and all reported cases worldwide have stemmed from some sort of exterior human interaction. A high-running fever (over 100* Fahrenheit), fatigue, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and respiratory problems are among the most common symptoms of having the virus. In attempting to prevent transmission of this virus, be sure to wash your hands frequently and always cover your mouth, preferably with tissues or your forearm instead of your hands when coughing or sneezing (especially if you are in a doctor or dentist office).
Now, how to protect yourself and your loved ones from getting the swine flu or any flu: prevention rules.
1. The first step to fight any flu is prevention. Stay away from people who have caught any disease or have symptoms of it. Avoid public restrooms at all costs. Wash your hands after you touch any public door knobs or hand rails, and wash your hands before you touch your toothbrushes or contact lenses. Use hand sanitizer.
2. Boost your immune system. A healthy lifestyle is always beneficial for your overall health. Eat a proper diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, keep yourself well hydrated, exercise, get a good night’s sleep, and keeping a positive attitude are all important. Regarding alternative remedies to boost the immune system and against flu, consider garlic. Cooked garlic has less odor, or you can cut up small pieces and swallow like a pill, or take it in a pill form. Cloves, oregano oil, zinc, echinacea, and vitamin c are few suggestions.
If you are noticing any respiratory problems or prolonged flu symptoms and are running a temperature, schedule a visit with your primary health care physician. Brush and floss twice daily, and after meals (a clean mouth prevents introducing pathogens into your system). If you have a sore throat, gargle with warm salt water and increase your vitamin c intake to around 2000 mg/day. Limit your bad habits like alcohol drinking, smoking as well as your soda intake! Treat your body well and it will do its best to fight outside invaders.
We all clean our teeth with tooth brushes, but how do you clean the tooth brush that cleans your teeth?
Keep your tooth brush clean!
Tooth brushes get used cleaning your teeth at least two time daily, and we should all be using toothpaste and water with our brushing. Afterward, we rinse our mouth out and clean our toothbrush under running tap water, shaking off any excess water and then keep the toothbrush upright, allowing it to air dry until next time. Such a cleaning routine is usually adequate for a healthy person. It is good to know however that any toothbrush can harbor millions of bacteria at any given time. The oral cavity itself harbors hundreds of different kinds of microbes and bacterial organisms, which inevitably become transferred onto the toothbrush as you clean your teeth. Most bathrooms also harbor lots of bacteria, which can transfer to your brush if the brush head is contacting any not-so-clean surfaces or another toothbrush. Should you be concerned with sanitizing your tooth brush?
Thankfully, our immune defense mechanism protects against offending microbes, and most bacteria on your tooth brush will pose no health risk to you. Don’t be germ phobic, but it is always good to have few more pointers under your belt regarding how you can keep a cleaner toothbrush. Do not share a toothbrush! Wash your toothbrush before and after each use. It is important to clear all bristles of any remaining toothpaste or food debris to prevent excess bacteria from forming. If you are sick, it’s a good idea to soak your toothbrush in a 3% (standard over-the-counter) solution of hydrogen peroxide for 5-10 minutes to sterilize your cleaning tool. Also, it’s a good idea to have several toothbrushes at your disposal, dried and cleaned and ready to go – rotating toothbrushes can increase their longevity. When storing your toothbrush, make sure to have adequate ventilation to prevent molding or bacteria from forming.
My last tip is to take a good look at your your brush: if the ends of bristles bend , get a new one! Normally, the life span of a is 3 to 4 months; if you have an electric toothbrush check the shape of the bristles (it might be time to replace the brush heads). It’s always easier to stock up a few brushes to assure you’ll always have a good toothbrush available to keep your oral hygiene up to snuff. A clean mouth makes you feel refreshed and keeps your body healthy!
Respite with Chardonnay, sip the stress away! It’s carefree time. On the other side of the coin, white wine can also make your cosmetic dentist frown for your dulling smile. We are talking about the tooth stain effect from white wine – what’s that, you ask? White wine stains your teeth? You probably are already aware that certain foods can cause staining and discoloration to your teeth – but many foods or beverages without a strong or dark color (which look innocent) can still cause stains on your teeth.
White wine can stain your teeth - just like red wine!
A new NYU study shows white wine has an acid content that tends to increase the risk of stain or darkening of your teeth, if combined with other habits of drinking tea, or similar dark beverages. Do not be fooled by the crystal clear appearance of a white wine – it certainly is capable of dulling your teeth. Certain acidic properties present in wine (white, red or rose) create micro-porosity etching rough the surface of your teeth, which make your teeth much more susceptible to stains from other foods. For example, if you were to drink a glass of white wine with your spaghetti dinner, the acidic properties in the white wine could make your teeth more prone to staining from the red spaghetti sauce in your meal, or the cup of tea after the dinner beside your wine! Red wine is still more “dangerous” to the pearly opalescence of your teeth than white, however, as it contains pigment molecules known as chromagen, which will stain your teeth., but all wines contain tannins act as a binding protein, which will aid chromogen to saturate themselves upon the surface of the tooth.
Sodas and other beverages like ice tea and cocktails can wreak havoc upon your teeth as well, and not just the color! Stringent acids or sugars (turned into acids) present in most sodas (and acidic fruit juice, like lemonade) are the worst type of liquid to expose your teeth to, and can cause tooth erosion and tooth decay. A bleaching effect of phosphoric acid in the soda can also weaken your bone in addition to their staining properties. If you must drink any of these liquids, be sure to brush and floss after every meal – or at the very least, rinse your mouth or have a glass of water. Do not allow your oral environment stay in an acid bath! If you can feel astringency or drying of the mouth, drink some water and rinse your mouth before brushing to prevent rubbing the acid into your teeth.
Please enjoy your glass of wine, just be wise about the consequences! Yes, we can still keep your healthy and clean looking smile if we keep up the good oral hygiene habits. You can always consult with your dental professional for tips.
Laser Gum treatment is an exciting treatment modality for treating and managing gum disease. Laser dentistry has been around for two decades, it is very useful in many applications on soft or hard tissues: the focused energy allows for precision treatment while minimizing pain and recovery time. Although only 6 to 7% of dental practices utilize laser technology so far, you may benefit greatly from laser dentistry.
Periodontal disease in particular is a fantastic candidate for laser treatment. The nature of periodontitis (gum disease) involves bacterial growth which affects the supporting structures of the teeth, destroying attachment tissues which create deep periodontal pockets that are not easily cleanable (causing the gum disease to progress). Gum tissue responds very well to laser energy, which removes diseased linings in the periodontal pocket and also kills the bacteria. The laser-tissue interaction is thermal, controlled energy from the selected tip of the laser fiber will evaporate the inflamed unhealthy lining tissue ; its rising temperature will also kill any pathogen present in the tissue. The clean and less traumatic site becomes more efficient and comfortable for your healing. Other benefits of laser treatment include biostimulation (photo-biomodulation) on the cellular level , which energizes damaged cells through light receptors , allowing tissue to heal promptly!
The laser gum treatment is usually administered in conjunction with traditional scaling and root planning (SRP) services, performed with ultrasonic or hand instruments that remove toxic calculus from the root surface. Unlike more traditional methods which use a scaler to scrape away diseased tissue, the laser approach treats the diseased tissues with electromagnetic energy to ablate diseased tissues non-evasively, followed by irrigation with antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine) to flush away and clean the periodontal pockets. For more severe cases, localized placement of certain antibiotic agents (like Arestin minocycline hydrochloride) inside the treated periodontal pocket can assure a complication-free healing process without systemic effects. Low level laser therapy can also be applied to decrease post-operative discomfort and promote healing through photo-biomodulation.
Laser gum treatment has provided tremendous patient benefits as I have witnessed since it has been incorporated into my practice since 1997, but this treatment modality has raised some eyebrows in the periodontal community. It is difficult to establish a parameter with energy and expect to have consistent result on different subjects; there are too many variables from the color, texture, composition and condition of the tissues, whether the origin of the cause has been managed and how the different laser energy is handled by various operators. There are studies which have proven different results, and over-promising commercials also exist which have discouraged development of laser gum treatment.
When properly conducted, laser gum treatment provides a cleaner and more comfortable site for healing. The predictability of tissue regeneration, however, is too complicated for a blog discussion! I do recommend you go to a reliable, non-biased source like The Academy of Laser Dentistry to learn more about the benefits of laser treatment or referrals of certified laser dentists.
Toothpaste (or a gel dentifrice) is something most of us take for granted – it’s always there when we need it, and most of us don’t give much thought to what it’s made of. With the toothpaste market as big as it is, with many different products promising different effects, it can be a tough job to choose which pea sized potion will give you a dazzling smile, kissable breath, rid you of dental sensitivity, or fight against dental and gum disease.
Toothpaste is a cleansing agent used to clean your teeth and aid in the elimination of halitosis (bad breath). The main cleaning is done with the mechanical friction effect from brushing with your toothbrush. Toothpaste acts as a lubricant, easing the friction of the brush’s bristles on your teeth and gum. A modern toothpaste does incorporate several key elements, so in your two minute “good brushing routine with a pea size potion,” you can do quite a bit of good for your mouth. Toothpaste has abrasives to scour off bacterial films, it has fluorides to harden tooth structures against decay. It can also contain different active ingredients serving various purposes, such as triclosan (an antibacterial agent which fights against plaque-forming microbes), pyrophosphate (a tartar control agent), potassium nitrate (desensitizer), carbomide peroxide (bleaching agent) and sodium lauryl sulfates (detergent and foaming agent to carry away debris).
Some ingredients like lauryl sulfates can irritate soft tissues, or allergic reactions with certain people (often replaced with lauryl sarcosinate). There are many other inactive ingredients in toothpaste, like thickeners which serve for the right viscosity and moisture of the paste, water softener to make detergent work better, flavor and sweetener for a more pleasant brushing experience. Wow, there are too many chemicals in that little bit of paste! If you prefer a more holistic approach for your oral hygiene, you may choose all-natural products like Tooth & Gums paste (which are antibacterial but contain no artificial chemicals).
Other things about the marketing slogan “Teeth Whitening” – this simply means removing surface stains, not actually whitening the color of your teeth. Make sure your children do not consume any fluoride-containing toothpaste, only use as a topical agent. After brushing, be sure to rinse well. If you still have questions about which toothpaste is right for you, consult with your dental professional!
The toothbrush is, of course, an essential tool for keeping your teeth clean and plaque-free, but there are many types of toothbrushes available for use. The structure of your mouth is very intricate, including soft gum tissue, hard enamel, various crevices and spaces where food can hide, etc – and every person’s mouth is different, and responds differently to various types of brushes. How do you pick the right toothbrush for you?
If you get perfect dental check-up scores, do not have any type of gum sensitivity issues nor any other dental problems, you can probably keep your present hygiene routine. An over-the-counter toothbrush will normally suffice for people with normal gums and teeth if you are using it properly. If you have a history of dental and gum issues, special care is needed. You may need more than one toothbrush (different sizes and shapes of brush heads and tips) to adequately clean between your teeth and restorative material, such as a specialty brush shaped to accommodate dental restorations.
What about electric toothbrushes? There are many toothbrushes on the market, available both over-the-counter and from your dentist, which advertise a much deeper cleaning than what a manual toothbrush can provide. Keep in mind that an inexpensive battery-operated toothbrush often lacks the torque (twisting power) needed to adequately clean your teeth, remove plaque and remove biofilm; If you have children who refuse to brush their teeth, an electric toothbrush might be a fun way to encourage proper oral hygiene!
The more advanced electric toothbrushes, with proper technique, can clean your teeth more effectively than manual brushes. Manual brushing often does not do a good enough job at removing plaque than electric toothbrushes from your dentist (prescription electric toothbrushes like Rotadent, what I recommend to my patients has micro-filaments bristles with different tips). These brushes allow more advanced brushing techniques with different brush head attachments to accommodate different parts of the mouth, and have the necessary torque to properly clean your oral environment. If you have any of the following conditions, you should equip yourself with a better toothbrush for better oral health: orthodontic braces, gum problems, dental implants, dental bridges, arthritis, etc…
No matter what type of toothbrush you have, remember that it is necessary to spend two minutes brush at least twice a day, and after meals. The food caught between your teeth can start producing harmful bacteria only 5 minutes after eating (which is why you should bring a toothbrush to school or work every day)! Because every mouth is different, and certain tooth angles (and dental work) require special brushing or special brushes, consult with your dental professional. Besides brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, rinsing, and irrigation are all important steps to get your mouth’s environment as squeaky clean as it can be. It is a lot of work to keep yourself in top condition, but it will become second nature. You deserve paying your mouth so much attention – for your own health!
What you eat, and how often you eat foods that are unhealthy for your teeth, determine how likely you are to get cavities and other problems caused by bad diet, like bad breath and even gum disease. As you eat, your mouth begins the first stages of digestion. Healthy bacteria in your saliva convert sugars into acids – good for digestion, bad for your teeth. Plaque is one of the biggest enemies to your mouth, which forms when food particles are allowed to linger around your teeth and gums. This process begins the moment you begin to eat, which is why it is so important to brush and floss after every meal.
A healthy meal for your body and your teeth!
Once a tooth forms, it is subject to our oral environment. Diets consisting of high sugar, starch or acid content can all erode your enamel unless you are exceptionally good keeping up your oral hygiene (brushing and flossing after every meal). The health of gum and bone tissue that supports the teeth is greatly influenced by proper diet that contains nutrients to keep our body healthy.
What should you eat? Natural, organic and unrefined foods. These foods have high nutrient value and less sugar than processed food, and will pose a smaller threat to your teeth. The best food choices include dairy (like milk, cheese and yogurt) and poultry (like chicken and duck). These foods provide your teeth with calcium and phosphorus, which help to form enamel and bone. Crunchy natural foods like nuts and green leafy vegetables or orange-colored fruits will stimulate gum and saliva flow, a natural cavity fighter. These foods also contain beta carotene, which the body turns into vitamin C (essential for your body’s ability to maintain and repair healthy soft tissue). If you cannot eat fruits and vegetables naturally, taking a supplemental vitamin or drink which contains Vitamin C and other antioxidants will help protect your gums against cellular damage, and promote their healing abilities. Unsweetened tea is another great drink which has little impact on your mouth’s health.
Foods which contain high amounts of sugar (like candy and carbohydrate-laden foods like bread, chips, fries and muffins), natural or processed, are a tooth’s worst nightmare! The high sugar content of these foods help bacteria thrive. Breads and starches should be an occasional indulgence: when starches mix with amylase (a natural enzyme in your mouth), acid forms that erodes the enamel of your teeth. Additionally, dry foods like chips and cookies or even dried fruits have a tendency to stick to the surface of your teeth, which also helps bacteria thrive. Acidic sweetened beverages like sodas are the worst type of liquid to expose your teeth to, and can cause tooth erosion, enamel decay and even periodontitis – avoid soda and carbonated beverages at all costs! Artificial sweeteners can be a better alternative to sugar-sweetened drinks, as they do not feed bacteria like natural sugar.
Pregnant? Start right by eating right during pregnancy. Eating sensibly during pregnancy means getting adequate calcium (your body needs Vitamin D to absorb calcium) to form strong teeth and bone, which will give your child a good start also. Fluoride can also be used to prevent tooth decay.
So, eat more vegetables and fruits, avoid sugary foods and drinks, and remember to brush, floss and rinse your mouth (and tongue) after meals. You will be on the road to healthy, brilliant teeth!
Halitosis, or bad breath can affect a person’s self-confidence, self-esteem and can be downright embarrassing.
Because most people are accustomed to their own smell, it could be difficult to tell if you have bad breath without someone else’s help. Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are usually the cause of bad breath, which are created when you eat and chew food, when proteins are broken down into amino acids, an important step in digestion. When these compounds are not removed from the oral cavity through proper oral hygiene (brushing and flossing after every meal), bad breath results. Most offending particulates that cause bad breath live on the back of your tongue. Your dentist can use a tool called a halimeter to measure the sulfur levels in your mouth. Bad habits such as drinking or smoking can also cause bad breath, and the offending odor usually lingers long after the cigarette or drink has been consumed. Dry mouth loosening the self-cleansing saliva can also contribute to an odorous mouth.
Most factors contributing to halitosis are self-curable, with proper diet, good oral hygiene and habitually drinking plenty of water. There are, however, a few cases in which bad breath is not self-treatable. Gum disease, cavities or problematic dental restorations trapping bacteria in the crevices around your teeth and gums can cause severe halitosis. Certain medical disorders and sinus or respiratory infections can also lead to bad breath – if you suspect you suffer from any of these maladies, see your dental professional. Although some people believe bad breath can come from the stomach, most medical professionals agree that your tummy is a very unlikely source of bad breath – unless, of course, you are belching.
You do want kissable breath, don’t you? If your bad breath is self-perpetuated, the most important thing to do is keep your oral cavity healthy. In addition to brushing and flossing after meals, be sure to clean your tongue. A tongue scraper will effectively remove all food particles from the surface of your tongue (a toothbrush can be used as well). Avoid foods that are particularly strong in smell (garlic, onions, etc…). Keep yourself hydrated with water (a moist mouth will actually smell better than a dry mouth – sweet baby breath is partly due to constant drooling!), and if you are unable to drink water, chew sugarless gum (which will promote saliva generation). Finally, always have your teeth professionally cleaned and examined twice a year. Essential oil-containing mouthwashes like Tooth and Gum Tonic can also inhibit bad breath for hours and will not dry out your mouth like alcoholic mouthwash, which you should stay away from. Stopping bad habits like drinking and smoking will also benefit your mouth greatly.
Flossing your teeth is one of the most basic forms of oral hygiene, something that every person (except denture-wearers and babies) should do twice a day. But why is flossing so important?
Dental floss is a nylon fiber filament commonly used to clean the spaces in between a person’s teeth, and in between a person’s tooth and gum. The floss is moved in between a person’s teeth with a moderate amount of pressure, scraping along each side of each tooth for a few seconds. This action, when floss is pressed down as far as it can go between the gum and the tooth, removes both food particles and bacterial plaque under the gum line. Floss should be C-shaped, wrapping around three sides of a tooth following the contours of the tooth when being moved up and down, which can also clean the front and back segments of the tooth.
Improper flossing (or occasional irregular flossing) can lead to bleeding of the gums. This is not bad as long as you are not cutting into and injuring the gum! When your gums bleed, it is a sign of inflammation and possibly the beginning of gingivitis. It is important to continue flossing when blood appears, it will dissipate and eventually stop occurring as daily flossing becomes regular practice. If you do experience excessive or prolonged bleeding, rinsing with diluted hydrogen peroxide solution (the brown bottled over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide is 3%, you need to add at least an equal amount of water to dilute the solution to 1-1.5% for rinsing) will control the bleeding and at the same time reduce the amount of anaerobic bacteria in the mouth.
Although overly vigorous flossing can create gum tissue damage, regular daily flossing is essential for proper oral hygiene maintenance, and should become as natural as brushing in your daily routine. When combined with regular brushing, proper oral hygiene can and will prevent numerous potential hygiene-related problems such as gum disease, halitosis (bad breath), and dental caries (tooth decay).
Please consult with your dental professional for your personalized home care program. If you have braces or fixed dental bridge work, regular flossing might be challenging. A flosser or threader might be needed to aide in flossing. Hydrofloss (an irrigator device) might also be helpful. If you have advanced gum problems and need an additional home care program to follow, antioxidant supplements and interproximal brushes will help to maintain your dental health.
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