It’s no shocking headline – bad breath is the #1 complaint (and reason of visit) in dental offices across America! 85% of people who suffer from bad breath actually have a medical condition known as halitosis, which is usually caused as a result of bacteria in the mouth. The recent 4th of July holiday is a joyous occasion for BBQers across the country, but it could be a nightmare if you suffer from halitosis! If you think you have chronic bad breath, and nothing seems to be helping, read on for a bit of assistance.
Halitosis: it's hard to hide!
Apart from being severely embarrassing, bad breath can actually impact your personal and professional relationships. No employer wants a smelly employee (especially one that interacts with customers on a regular basis, like salespeople), and no partner or date wants a stinky kisser. Bad breath can even instill psychosis into patients with halitophobia, or a fear of bad breath. We know halitosis can seriously impact lives, and not in a positive way – so what can we do about it?
Certain foods with strong aromas – like onions, garlic, sea foods and refined carbohydrates (pastas, dairy products and cheese) – can cause bad breath, but bad habits like drinking and smoking can as well. Dental conditions like dental caries, periodontal disease and dry mouth can create halitosis. Physical conditions like indigestion, GERD (GastroEsopageal Reflux Disease), Asthma and Diabetes can also lead to haliatosis. Treatment for halitosis on the physical end is getting to the root of the problem: eliminating the food debris and bacterial factors in the oral cavity (managing the physical illness). Regarding diet and habits, my professional recommendation would be (of course) to stop smoking and drinking! Control the intake of foods / herbs that can cause smelly breath. Consume greens like celery and parsley, drink plenty water and (at the very least) brush and floss your teeth after every meal. If you eat a lot of garlic or fish, even after brushing and flossing a bad smell can linger in the mouth for a long period of time. Over-the-counter mouth washes and breath fresheners can only temporarily mask over halitosis – they will often times not rid the mouth of foul odors.
Bad breath is a social embarrassment, and is also a sign of having poor hygiene or health problems. We must all be aware of the condition our body is in. Maintaining the self is infinitely beneficial, and health professionals are always ready to provide advice to assist you in reaching our goal: healthy and happy living.
“Only floss the teeth you want to keep!” It’s a funny punch line, emphasizing the importance of flossing, but it’s true. Flossing your teeth after meals (and twice daily) is just as important as brushing to keep your mouth clean, healthy and fresh.
Remember to floss!
Flossing is very efficient in removing plaque and debris that accumulates between the teeth and underneath portions of the gum pocket. This should be an essential part of your daily oral cleaning process. When plaque (a sticky bacterial substance that accumulates on curved tooth surfaces and crevices) is removed, dental diseases can be prevented, along with gum problem and bad breath (which require both brushing and flossing to prevent). If one fails to keep up their oral hygiene, tooth decay and gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis, respectively) will affect your oral health.
Proper flossing technique is also critical. Begin by taking a piece of floss (around 12-18 inches) and wrapping it around your two index fingers tightly, with plenty of slack on each side. Move the piece of floss between each tooth, wrapping the floss around the curved sides of each tooth in a C-shape, sliding up and down several times beneath the surface of the gum. Between each teeth site will be two curved sides for flossing except for the far back molars. Be sure to move the floss down as far as possible, beneath the gum line, as this loosens and breaks up food buildup and initial bacteria buildup.If you have dental bridges or braces, the flossing technique will need to be slightly altered. A dental threader will be carry the floss passing under the jointed teeth contact area, and then the individual can pump up and down in typical flossing strokes. If you notice some bleeding, it is a sign of inflammation of the gum tissue – this usually signals the early stages of gingivitis. Keep up your proper home care routine and the condition will improve. If the condition of bleeding upon brushing and flossing lasts more than two weeks, get some help from your dental professional.
There are several different types of floss (including waxed, unwaxed, and tape floss) – normally, easy gliding thin floss (like Glide) will be a good choice for average dental conditions. Gapped teeth or in areas under a dental bridge should require tape floss. Remember, you can get advice from your dental professional to find out which is the best choice for you.
For people who have arthritis, advanced periodontal conditions or other issues of dexterity, additional dental cleaning home equipment will be very helpful. Electric tooth brushes (like Rotadent and Sonicare) and dental irrigators (like Hydrofloss and Waterpik) are very efficient tools to maintain proper oral hygiene. Remember to brush and floss twice daily (and after meals)! These important habits and routines will keep your teeth healthy, happy and looking fabulous!
The American Dental Association (ADA) has given its golden seal to brand name fluoridated toothpastes for their cavity fighting features. It’s no surprise really – topical use of fluoride has been proven to be effective at inhibiting tooth demineralization, promoting remineralization and inhibiting the growth of bacteria associated with tooth decay. Fluoride is marketed in the US as a bone fortifier and is administered at the dentist’s office for nearly all pre-adolescent teeth cleanings. Finally, the idea of fluoridated water may seem like a great thing to add to your new child’s water, because it fortifies teeth – but beware! What isn’t so well known is that the potential toxicity of fluoride is dangerous, and if swallowed in concentrated form or ingested over a longer period of time, it may have potentially damaging side effects.
In 1977, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) specified adequate intakes of fluoride of 0.01 mg/day for infants through 6 months, 0.05 mg/kg/day for children beyond 6 months of age, and 3 – 4 mg/day for adults, to prevent dental caries. Upper limits (UL) of 0.10 mg/kg/day in children less than 8 years old and 10 mg/day for those older than 8 are recommended for prevention of dental fluorosis. Similar levels have been endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA, 1994) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA, 2000). What does this all mean? Fluoride has an affinity for calcified tissues. The trace amount of daily intake of fluoride is beneficial, but too much of it can result in patchy or mottled looking teeth, known as dental fluorosis (or brittle bones, known as skeletal fluorosis). Studies are needed for health researchers to investigate the relationship between intake levels and human health. 75% of our daily fluoride intake is from water or beverages, like tea and juices.
The fluoride content of a water supply is often described by the term ‘parts per million’ (ppm). 1 ppm = 0.1 milligrams of fluoride per 100 milliliters of water. About 1 ppm seems to be the optimal level of fluoride for a drinkable water supply; a litre of such water would provide 1 milligrams of fluoride. At 2 ppm, mottling of tooth enamel may occur. The actual condition of ‘fluorosis’ or excessive deposition of fluoride in bones is only present after prolonged consumption of 20 to 80 milligrams of fluoride per day.
Repeated exposure to fluorine in naturally-occurring forms (such as in fruits and other produce) is one thing, but overexposing your child to fluoridated baby formula (identifiable by needing to add water to the formula) could put your child’s appearance – and bodily health – at risk. The key take-home message for parents is to avoid added fluoridated liquids or even foods of any kind. No level of fluoride is perfectly safe, and ideally, we wouldn’t need to use it at all – however, fluoride’s teeth strengthening properties, when used in proper doses, can be a beneficial additive.
If your child does develop dark-spotted or mottled teeth after getting his or her primary teeth, pay close attention to their diet! Nutrition should be strictly monitored for fluoride ingestion (including toothpaste!) – if so, he or she should have perfectly clear, spotless permanent teeth erupting around age 5. Experts also agree that it is a good idea to test the water from your home water lines, to see if it is overly fluoridated. Simple take-home tests are available from your local water or health bureau, or can often give past and current fluoride level readings. Do your research to protect your child’s and your health.
It is almost summer time, and typical family vacations are being planned in many families! Whether you are planning on taking a family road trip or are trekking across the globe, remember to get a dental checkup before your trip – dental care abroad isn’t always convenient, and can in fact be risky business.
Especially when traveling to remote destinations or developing regions of the world, it can be difficult to find adequate or specialized dental care depending on what needs you may have, or what dental emergencies may arise during your trip. In the most extreme places, dental treatment can be both painful and dangerous, depending on the tools and medicines available to the dentists on staff – dental qualification standards are also frequently much lower abroad than those in the western world.
Many Americans wishing to avoid expensive dental care by voyaging outside the borders of the United States travel to Mexico or Eastern Europe every year, and while this may be a way to save money, it is important to be aware that all American dentists hold a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from an accredited dental school, and hold practicing licenses which are issued only after rigorous examination periods which must be renewed every year. These strict practicing guidelines do not always exist abroad. Guidelines for strict sanitation and hygiene in dental offices are regulated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), another safety precaution which developing nations often are lacking.
If you choose to go abroad to a remote or developing location to seek dental treatment, be sure to check with that country’s health ministry to inquire about health and safety standards for practicing dentists. Call local health offices and get a feel of what you can expect. If possible, research and find a specific doctor you will visit, and check up on his or her qualifications and practicing history. Once you arrive, your eyes will be your best tool to determine the state of his or her practice! Make sure hands are being washed, instruments are coming from sterilized packaging, and “get a feel” of the place. If you are suspicious, do not proceed!
The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) has published a Traveler’s Guide to Safe Dental Care, which should be read by any and all persons traveling abroad to receive dental treatment – www.osap.org. Finally, dental referrals may be available from the consolate of the country you are a citizen of! Be sure to call the embassy once arriving in your destination country and get all available information. Make sure to be healthy, be prepared, and have a fun and safe trip.
Have you ever thought “when I grow into my golden years, I’ll never smile – my teeth will have fallen out!” It should be common knowledge that teeth do not fall out naturally as part of the aging process, quite the contrary! Teeth are lost in seniors primarily due to poor oral hygiene, resulting in tooth and gum disease. If seniors properly take care of their teeth and maintain regular check ups with their dentist, their teeth will be healthy and strong throughout their entire lives!
It’s no surprise that senior oral health is a top priority and concern for dental professionals across the United States – senior citizens are the fastest growing demographic due to the baby boomer generation, and will soon make up the largest age group in the country! For such a big group, it would seem common sense that dentists are seeing increasing numbers of senior patients, but this is sadly not true. “Seniors often take long absences from seeing the dentist,” says AGD spokesperson Nick Russo, DDS. “Sometimes they stop caring as much because they’re not out in the public very much, and they think oral hygiene doesn’t matter.” I have even had patients in their 80s and 90s who have even received orthodontic treatment (braces)! A person is never too young.
The truth of the matter, however, is that oral health matters just as much for seniors as it does for middle aged people and even young adults! Deteriorating oral health in old age is a choice, not a factual occurrence – and can be prevented rather easily. A person’s smile is the gateway to their heart, and whether that person is 15 or 115, that smile defines who you are. Keep it beautiful! The most important step for seniors (or their children or caretakers) to remember is that oral health is not a luxury – declining oral health is not purely aesthetic, and systemic problems can arise due to declining oral health. For example, genetic links between gum disease and heart disease have been proven to exist. Be sure to schedule biannual (twice yearly) dental checkups and cleanings. Not only are these appointments important for cleaning the teeth and gums beyond what a person can do at home, these appointments are essential in identifying poor habits, developing oral health problems and even cancer screenings.
After a biannual checkup plan has been cemented, it is key to remember to brush and floss, for two minutes, after every meal. If brushing and flossing is not occurring after meals, food particles turn into bacteria which destroy enamel and gum tissue. Also, stay away from sodas (diet or otherwise!), candy and other sugar-laden foods and drinks. Water or tea would be a much healthier substitute. Extend your beauty and your life by taking your oral health seriously. Your teeth and gums will take care of you, if you take care of them!
“Brushing for a healthy heart ” is a true statement – the link between gum disease (or the bacteria associate with the gum disease) and the body’s cardiovascular system is tight. Prophylactic measurements (like antibiotics before dental visits, for people who have a valve replacement) have been a practice in our society for quite some time, but German scientists presented a study last Monday (May 25, 2009) at the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria confirming a link between gum disease and heart disease – simultaneously confirming the importance of maintaining your oral health, not just for your mouth’s well being but for your vital organs as well!
The association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease is not a new concept, but a genetic link between the two is a new concept which provides startling information for dental professionals and patients regarding the gravity of gum disease, as well as its potentially devastating systemic effects throughout the body. Specifically, the researchers were noted as finding “that the two diseases share a genetic variant on chromosome 9. The genetic variation associated with the clinical pictures of both diseases was identical.” The link between the two diseases postulated the following conclusion: “we think that periodontitis should be taken very seriously by dentists and diagnosed and treated as early as possible,” Dr. Schaefer said, noting that periodontitis and heart disease share risk factors such as smoking and obesity.
Although this information doesn’t change how we should treat oral hygiene or periodontitis, it does serve as a wake-up call for everyone regarding how important our oral hygiene routines should be. It is vital to brush your teeth after every meal (and after that midnight snack)! Late-night and mid-day nibbling can cause the most harm to one’s oral environment, from a lack of desire or motivation to clean both the surface and crevices of the teeth. Bacteria thrive in dirty surroundings! Drinking sugary liquids like soda not only provides zero nutritional value, it also creates unhealthy habits which wreak havoc on the oral environment – stick to water or tea if you can. Remember, once the deterioration of dental structures starts, damage may be very difficult or impossible to reverse or restore completely! Prevention is the best measurement, and it is within your reach. Ask your dental professional about prevention – it is easy to work on, both for a cleaner oral environment and for a stronger bacterial host resistance. A healthy mouth may lead to a healthy heart, and such health is priceless.
Hookah smoking is a popular activity for the young and old alike, and has even been gaining popularity in metropolitan city centers: hookah lounges are very popular among residents and college students. The Mediterranean past time of smoking fruit-flavored tobacco (known as shisha) out of a water bong is safer for the lungs than traditional cigarette smoke (as the smoke is filtered through water and ice chambers), but does this smoke harm the oral health as normal cigarette smoke does?
Hookah smoke is damaging to your teeth.
Unfortunately, there is no good news for Hookah smokers. Although the benefits to a water hookah’s filtration have been debated, hookah smoke contains the same toxins as cigarettes which can cause increased blood pressure and risk for heart attack, as well as impaired liver function. In addition to these detractors, hookah smoke is no healthier for your mouth than common cigarettes. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia (where hookah smoking is extremely common and culturally condoned) to test this hypothesis – the group was made up of both exclusively cigarette smokers and exclusively hookah smokers, as well as smokers who partook in both forms of smoking.
After an extended period of observation, 20% of the group was found to have signs of gum disease – 30% of hookah smokers and 24% of cigarette smokers were affected by these symptoms. While other factors like age and diet were taken into account, the study concluded that regular hookah smokers are five times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease, whereas cigarette smokers were 4 times more likely to develop gum disease. This information might actually suggest that hookah smoke is more dangerous than cigarettes to your oral health! The bottom line is that any form of smoke – whether it is from a cigarette or a water pipe – is harmful to your body and your mouth. Gum disease is only the beginning of long-term systemic problems that occur with smokers, and can lead to tooth deterioration, tooth loss and eventually oral cancer (which is usually detected late, quickly becoming deadly). Curbing your smoking habits and substituting them with healthier living patterns will help you in the long run.
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.
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!
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.
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, periodontal disease and dry mouth can create halitosis. Physical conditions like indigestion, GERD (GastroEsopageal Reflux Disease), Asthma and Diabetes can also lead to haliatosis. Treatment for halitosis on the physical end is getting to the root of the problem: eliminating the food debris and bacterial factors in the oral cavity 
