Bad breath is offensive
Bad Breath
What causes bad breath?
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is often easily treatable. There are several causes of bad breath:
- Strong foods like garlic and onions
- Smoking
- Periodontal disease
- Dry mouth
- Various medical conditions
- Improper or inconsistent dental homecare
Bacteria is the culprit
Regular cleanings can help
Treating bad breath
Eliminating the bacteria found on your tongue and gums is one of the first steps in getting rid of bad breath. The tongue surface is made up of many tiny fissures. Small particles of food can get trapped in these fissures and begin to decompose. A type of bacteria, called anaerobic bacteria, thrives in these areas, where there is little or no oxygen. Bad breath odor occurs when these bacteria produce a common compound called sulfur.
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is another source of sulfur-producing bacteria. The plaque and tartar that build up around your teeth and gums create pockets that trap food and bacteria, and create an environment where sulfur is produced. It's fortunate that the treatment of periodontal disease will also help treat the bad breath symptoms.
When we treat bad breath, we first remove the sulfur-producing bacteria from your mouth during a professional cleaning. If your bad breath was caused by dry mouth, we'll investigate the causes and suggest treatment options. We'll also let you know if we discover signs of any medical conditions.
Next, we'll work with you to set up a homecare routine that will include daily brushing and flossing, and may also include tongue cleaning and an anti-bacterial rinse. We may also suggest several return appointments to monitor your success and fine-tune your efforts.
Bad breath is uncomfortable and embarrassing, but the good news is that with the right tools, regular care in our office, and the proper homecare routine, it's reversible. With treatment, you'll notice improvement right away, and soon be enjoying fresh breath and a healthier mouth.
Worn teeth due to bruxism
The jaw joint
A nightguard
Bruxism
Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of the teeth that often occurs while a person is sleeping. The symptoms of bruxism are:
- A sore, tired jaw
- Difficulty in opening and closing your mouth
- Sensitive teeth
- Earaches or pain in your jaw joint
Bruxism can cause other dental problems
When you brux, the force on your teeth is many times greater than during normal chewing. These forces can cause:
- Flattened or worn-down teeth
- Teeth chipped at the gumline
- Loose teeth
- Damage to the bone around your teeth
- Damage to your jaw joint
Treating bruxism
No matter what is causing your bruxism, it's important to treat it early on to prevent damage and restore harmony to your mouth.
Though all of the causes of bruxism are not known, stress is often a factor. If this is the case, a variety of stress reduction techniques may be recommended. We may also recommend medication to temporarily reduce stress and relieve pain. Sometimes, spaces between the teeth, worn teeth, or teeth that are out of alignment may cause bruxism. Crowns, bridges, or other dental restorations can restore your bite and eliminate grinding and clenching.
A common and effective treatment for stopping the damage caused by bruxism is the use of a nightguard. A nightguard is a plastic device that fits over your top or bottom teeth and protects them from the damage caused by grinding. A custom nightguard, made from models of your teeth, usually offers the best protection.
Smokeless Tobacco
Chewing tobacco
Mouth sores can lead to cancer
Tobacco stains teeth
Smokeless tobacco contains addictive nicotine and dangerous chemicals, just like cigarettes, and it causes a number of problems with your oral health.
The effects of using smokeless tobacco
Smokeless tobacco is processed with just about as much sugar as you'd find in candy. That little pinch between your cheek and gums can give you:
The dangers of smokeless tobacco
Using chewing tobacco can also lead to cancer. For one out of twenty to twentyfive people, a mouth sore like this often becomes cancerous. And even when the sore doesn't become cancer, using smokeless tobacco can lead to other health conditions, such as stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, clogged arteries, and stroke.
To prevent these problems, avoid smokeless tobacco. If you don't use smokeless tobacco now, don't start. If you do use it, do your best to quit.
Infective Endocarditis
Bacteria are always present
Inflamed heart tissues
Take antibiotics before procedure
Infective endocarditis is an inflammation of the heart. It can damage the valves of the heart, the heart muscle, or the lining of the heart.
What causes infective endocarditis?
Infective endocarditis is caused by bacteria that enter the bloodstream. Many common dental procedures, such as routine teeth cleaning, can cause minor bleeding that might allow these bacteria to enter your bloodstream.
Protecting your health
For most patients, these bacteria are harmless. But we need to take special precautions to protect you if you have a medical history that includes:
- A heart birth defect
- Prolapsed valve
- Rheumatic fever
- Endocarditis
- Heart surgery
Some other medical conditions may also require us to protect you against infective endocarditis, so make sure to keep us up to date on your medical history. By prescribing an appropriate antibiotic that you take before your dental appointment, we can avoid the risks of endocarditis.
If you have any drug allergies, or if you have questions or concerns about our procedures, please let us know. We want to protect you and keep your teeth healthy.
Your airway
Snoring
What causes snoring?
There are many causes of snoring, but some of the most common include excess bodyweight, use of drugs and alcohol, congestion or swollen tonsils, aging, and apnea. As many as 50 percent of adults have some type of snoring problem.
Snoring is the result of the vibration of the soft tissues in your mouth and your throat. While awake, the muscles surrounding these structures tighten, keeping the air passage open. When you're asleep, these soft tissues relax, and your lower jaw and tongue drop back, blocking the opening to your airway. This increases the speed of the air flowing through your airway when you breathe, which causes the soft tissues to vibrate. The sound of those vibrating tissues is what we call snoring.
Heavy snoring and delayed breathing of 10 seconds or more may be symptomatic of a more serious condition, sleep apnea, which is frequently associated with hypertension, stroke, and other cardiopulmonary problems.
What you can do to stop snoring
There are several simple things that you can try to help stop snoring:
- Losing weight
- Avoiding alcohol
- Using a humidifier at night
- Applying nasal strips before bed
A customized appliance to treat snoring
Snoring is also treatable with a customized oral appliance. They come in many types and styles.
To make a custom oral appliance, we'll first make impressions of your teeth. From those impressions we make precise working models of the teeth. On these models, we craft the appliance to exactly fit your mouth and teeth. Some oral appliances are made in our office, while others are made with the help of a dental laboratory. After constructing an appliance specific to your needs, we try it in and check the fit, and then make any other necessary adjustments. For the first few nights, we suggest that you put the appliance in 15 minutes before sleep to help your mouth get used to the device. Although some soreness of the jaw muscle is normal for the first few nights, let us know if the appliance is otherwise uncomfortable, so we can adjust the fit.
After removing the appliance in the morning, brush it with toothpaste, rinse, and then store it in the container provided.
With this simple device, a customized oral appliance, we can treat your snoring, and you and your loved ones can go back to getting a good night's sleep.
An invasive surgical procedure
Tongue jewelry can abrade gums
and chip teeth
A pierced tongue
Oral Piercing
Some people who consider tongue or lip piercing may not be aware of all the risks involved. Though the procedure is fairly simple and is normally performed without anesthetic, the consequences can be severe.
Consequences of oral piercing
The consequences of oral piercing can include infection, excessive bleeding, injured gums and gum recession, chipped or abraded teeth, obstructed airway, and damage to the digestive tract.
For the most part, piercing studios are not regulated or licensed. Currently, anyone can puncture your lips and tongue anywhere using anything, even a needle that could be contaminated with AIDS or hepatitis.
If the needle goes through one of the tongue's many veins, significant bleeding can occur. In addition, gums and other soft mouth tissues are injured when the tongue jewelry constantly rubs against them. This can lead to gum recession, tooth sensitivity, abscesses, and other problems. Your teeth can be chipped or broken if you accidently bite on the ball while eating or talking.
If the inserted jewelry comes loose, you may also accidentally breathe in the jewelry and suffocate or damage your airway. Swallowing the jewelry can damage your digestive organs.
The experts agree
Because of these many potential problems, the American Dental Association, the National Institute of Health, and Hepatitis C Foundation are all firmly against oral piercing.
Here's our best advice. Don't pierce your tongue, lip, or any other area of the mouth. If you've already pierced any of these oral tissues, consider removing the jewelry and letting the area heal.
Wearing of tooth structure
Use a soft toothbrush
Toothbrush Abrasion
The dangers of toothbrush abrasion
We all know that we need to brush and floss every day. Proper brushing removes food debris and bacteria from the teeth. Improper brushing, though, can be abrasive and destructive, causing problems like:
- Receding gums
- Wearing away of the tooth root
- Sensitive teeth
- Weaker teeth
Change your habits-brush properly
Sometimes it's hard to tell if you're brushing destructively, and brushing habits can be hard to break. To avoid destructive tooth brushing, keep these factors in mind:
- A soft toothbrush
- Choose a soft toothbrush. A soft toothbrush also makes it much easier to remove the plaque below the gumline, where periodontal disease starts. You can make the bristles even softer by running hot water over them before use. A non-abrasive toothpaste with fluoride
- Use a pea-sized amount of non-abrasive toothpaste with fluoride. Toothpastes that are labeled "whitening" or "tartar control" can sometimes be too rough on receding gums and exposed roots, wearing away the root's protective layer. You can be sure a toothpaste is nonabrasive if it's labeled "sensitive."
- Proper technique
- Use proper brushing technique. Angle the bristles of the brush along the gumline at a 45-degree angle and apply just enough pressure so the bristles slide under the gumline. Vibrate the brush while you move it in short back-and-forth strokes and in small circular motions.
- Gentle brushing
- Don't brush too hard. If you're not sure whether you're pressing too hard, hold the end of the brush with two fingers. That will give you enough force to get the job done without doing damage. You can also check your brush bristles. If they're bent over or broken, you've probably been pressing too hard. If you find that you have a hard time brushing gently, consider using an electric toothbrush. They make it much easier to use less pressure.
If you have any concerns about your brushing, talk to us. We can show you what you need to know to keep your mouth healthy and bacteria free without damaging your teeth.