Smile with Confidence: A Comprehensive Guide to Dental Health and Care

bad breath

Common Dental Questions, dental care questions and answers, dental health tips, cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental technology, ask a dentist bad breath

Healthy Gums

Types of Toothpaste

There are so many different toothpastes on the market these days that it can be tough sometimes to make an informed decision on which ones to purchase for all the members of your family. Should you buy the kind of toothpastes that whiten your teeth? Should your toothpaste contain fluoride for cavity protection? What about the kind of toothpaste that helps keeps your breath fresh, or the kind that controls tartar, or the kind that combats sensitive gums? Do these actually work? And what if you’re a smoker? Should you use a special kind of toothpaste made just for those who use tobacco? The fact is that there are so many different brands, flavors, and kinds of toothpaste on the market today, but there are really only just a few different types of toothpaste, with most stemming as hybrids from those types. If you’ve always wondered what type of toothpaste is best for you, here’s more information that may help break down the differences.

Best Diet to Prevent Bad Breath

It’s hard to resist raw chopped onions on a Coney dog or a big burger with a thin slice of raw onion, but you’d better hope you don’t have to socialize too much after downing these tasty treats.

Battling Bad Breath

As a general rule, bad breath is related to what we drink or eat.  As to beverages, alcohol is sure to give you bad breath, coffee does as well.  Different cultures have spicy foods, and people who consume these foods on a regular basis, will experience odors, not only emanating from their mouth, but also from their pores.

Listerine, a leading mouthwash manufacturer, says there are five top foods that will give you bad breath – of course, we are familiar with onions and garlic being the biggest culprits, and even canned tuna is no surprise, but horseradish and dairy foods also make your mouth feel a little funky.

Dairy products as a source for bad breath may surprise you, but, while dairy products may be good for your teeth and bones, they make your mouth feel unclean.  This is because naturally occurring bacteria from your tongue feeds on the amino acids in dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and cheeses), resulting in a foul odor.

What Causes Morning Breath?

We all hate that icky feeling we get when we get up in the morning with “morning breath” and we often scurry right away to the bathroom to brush our teeth before we offend our significant other.  Heck – sometimes we even offend ourselves.

Morning breath

Halitosis, or bad breath, in general, may be caused by several factors, only one of which is poor dental hygiene.  The foods you enjoy eating, like curry, garlic or onions, are a major culprit and emit a foul odor, no matter how much you brush and floss. In the case of garlic and onions, they actually go right into your pores and the smell emits from your lungs, not just your mouth.  Garlic may keep you healthy but you might lose a friend or two along the way as well.

Other foods besides onion and garlic cause morning breath and this is because they are notorious for creating a sticky film on your teeth.  One infamous offender is spinach. It’s believed that the residue spinach leaves on the teeth is from oxalic acid, which also can be found in beets, kale and rhubarb.

The biggest reason for bad morning breath is because when we are unconscious and sleeping during the night, many of our bodily functions stop or slow down, and this includes our salivary glands.  Saliva is very important in fighting bad breath because it is high in oxygen and this kills the anaerobic bacteria.  It also helps break down the food particles and remove them from the mouth when the saliva is swallowed.  Due to the lower amounts of saliva during sleep, the mouth is exposed to less oxygen and there is less of it circulating to cleanse and remove particles from the mouth.  Thus, before going to bed you should ensure your mouth is as free from particles of plaque and food as possible because those items are like magnets that drag bacteria toward them and cause them to multiply.  Bacteria in the mouth thrive in an alkaline environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria.

Health Benefits of Strawberries

Strawberries look, smell and taste good, they are good for you as well.  You know you can’t resist picking one up and popping it into your mouth – neither could the Romans back in the day.  They used the wild variety of this popular and healthy treat known as a strawberry, for a large variety of medicinal purposes, such as alleviating inflammation, fever, kidney stones, gout, whitening teeth and taming bad breath … and much more.

Strawberries for dental hygiene

The Romans used strawberries to combat bad breath – so how does that really work, and is it effective?  Well, the ancient Romans discovered that the strawberry with its seeded exterior, and sweet and sensational taste, can remove the tartar from your mouth, thus causing a fresh and sweet breath.

How to Prevent Bacterial Infections in the Mouth

Bacteria in the mouth can put your oral health at risk, but it can also lead to a variety of other medical conditions. Bacteria found in the mouth can even compromise the health of your heart if it enters the bloodstream. There are several ways to keep the mouth free of harmful bacteria and protect your overall health. Your dentist is going to make the following suggestions to keep your mouth and body safe from bacteria.

What Is A Tongue Cleaner?

A tongue cleaner? Say what?! Whoever heard of such a thing? Well, not many people. In fact, studies show that less than 20 percent of Americans have ever used a tongue cleaner. Even most people who pride themselves on their excellent oral hygiene practices don’t routinely use a tongue cleaner, and many never have. But tongue cleaners are wonderful and inexpensive little devices that can do wonders for the health of your mouth, especially if you’re someone who faces challenges with your teeth or even with chronic bad breathe. But what is a tongue cleaner? Why should you use one? Will it really make that big a difference to your teeth, gums, or breathe? The answer to this question? Absolutely! And the great news is that it takes just a minute or two a day. Here’s more information from general dentists about tongue cleaners and, most importantly, why you should add a tongue cleaner to your daily oral hygiene regimen.

Is Mouthwash Important?

From a young age you might remember your parents nagging you to brush before bed. If your parents were persistent they might have even made you gargle mouthwash too. In adulthood good breath is even more important because we might be facing clients and bad breath leaves a very bad impression. It’s worth keeping breath mints on hand to avoid a close encounter with gross breath. Anyways, how much does mouthwash help? Brushing your teeth regularly seems to do the trick. Besides, mouthwash stings and then there is the added fear of swallowing some. A family dentist has a few reasons why mouthwash is worth your time.

What is Halitosis?

Someone once said that half of a relationship involves tolerating bad breath. Perhaps this is true, but what happens when your partner decides your bad breath isn’t worth tolerating? If you’re someone who suffers from bad breath, or ‘halitosis,’ especially if it’s chronic, you’ve probably explored solutions. Unfortunately, the various gums and mints available typically only address the symptoms of bad breath. As with any other health problem, if you get to the bottom of why you suffer from bad breath, you’re more likely to find a resolution of the problem. No one need suffer from chronic bad breath. Following is information on some of the most common causes of bad breath, as well as tips for preventing or even eliminating it.

What Is Gum Disease

Gum disease is fairly common, especially mild forms of it. But don’t let the fact that it’s a common oral health problem fool you into thinking it can’t be serious. Like any other form of disease, gum d fact that it’s a common oral health problisease can cause problems for those who have it. If left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss and even loss of the surrounding bones of your jaw that are necessary for supporting your teeth and gums. In addition, because recent studies have shown that oral health is potentially linked to such health problems as heart disease and diabetes, it’s vital that everyone throughout the country be vigilant when it comes to caring for their teeth. Following are some tips on how to properly care for your teeth, gums, and surrounding structures in order to prevent gum disease.