Many people fail to treat gum disease, even though it can cause severe damage if left untreated.  This is probably because most people fail to understand how serious gum/periodontal disease can be.   Statistics say that around 75%-80% of people have a for of gum disease, ranging from mild to severe. 

Here are some common MYTHS that you need to discard:

1.  Bleeding gums are not a big deal.  FALSE!  Many gum symptoms (i.e. bleeding/receding/red/swollen gums/bad breath) are all key signs that you might have periodontal disease.  If you notice that certain foods, flossing, and/or brushing can cause your gums to bleed, it’s best that you go to the dentist and get a diagnosis.  Gum disease not only can lead to tooth decay and loss, but it may help instigate disease in the heart, diabetes, and so on.  It may also be a sign of other serious issues in your body!

2.  Flossing every day is not important.  FALSE!  A good oral hygiene regimen requires that you floss on a daily basis as one of the main ways, besides brushing, to prevent gum disease.  Allegedly, only 13.5% of Americans floss that often.  Not a good sign! 

3.  Periodontist vists are intimidating, and they’ll pull your teeth if you go in for treatment.  FALSE!  Experts on gum disease have received specialized training to help with your dental problems– everything from the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of gum disease.  Also, technology and treatments are always improving, so visits are becoming more and more comfortable.  If you avoid gum disease treatment, the gums will continue to recede and you’ll lose your tooth naturally. 

4.  Once a tooth is lost from gum disease, you can’t get it back.  FALSE!  Gum disease may be one of the main causes of tooth loss in people over age 18, but periodontists are extremely knowledgeable in placing dental implants.  These are artificial tooth roots that are inserted into the jaw to hold a replacement tooth.   Dental implants have a 98% success rate, and according to surveys, over 70% of people are extremely satisfied with the results of their dental implants. 

5.  Practicing poor oral care is the only way to get gum problems.  FALSE!  Neglecting your oral hygiene can definitely be a reason for gum disease progression, but other important factors need to be acknowledged.  Tobacco use, stress, a poor diet, and even genetics can alter how your body reacts to bacteria in the oral cavity. 

6.  Gum disease gets better on its own.   FALSE!  With the right care, it may clear up eventually, but it is an infection that needs immediate attention.  Just imagine if you had these open sores on your skin–just because it is in your mouth doesn’t mean you can ignore it.

7.  Bleeding gums are normal.  FALSE!  There is a reason as to why your gums are bleeding.  It does happen to almost everyone, but there has to be an actual injury to the gums causing them to bleed.

So, all in all, these statements are NOT true, and gum disease is something that you need to treat ASAP. 

Source:  The Mouth Doctor, Perio

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Some foods that are notorious for causing halitosis are garlic, onions, curry, fish and cheese.  Therefore, you’re going to want to freshen your mouth after eating these.  You also need to freshen your mouth once every 30-60 minutes until the breath offending-food is out of your bloodstream- sometimes this takes up to 24 hours!  It isn’t a good idea to brush your teeth that often, so trying some foods that banish halitosis may be just what the dentist ordered.

Foods that can fix bad breath:

1) Lemons- These are easy to find in restaurants, bars, etc.  Lemon-flavored candies can work as well as normal lemons, and are more easily portable.

2) Green garnishes (i.e. parsley, basil, and rosemary) - A garnish doesn’t always just serve as a decoration.  The meals that have garnish often have a lot of onions and garlic–thus needing a breath freshener afterward.  If you chew on a parsley’s sprigs, it releases breath-freshening oils. 

3)  Crisp and fresh foods like apples, firm pears, carrots, jicama are all high in fiber, plus chewing bumps up the productive of saliva (functions like a scrubbing rinse inside the oral cavity). 

4) Crunchy spices like anise, coriander, cardamom, and fennel seeds are available in many grocery stores.  Try getting these spices, mixing equal parts together in a covered bowl, and keep them around for mealtime.  If you chew on a few seeds here and there, enough oil should be released to freshen your breath after eating.  They taste good, as well.

5)  Mint sprigs/cinnamon sticks (cinnamon/mint gum, etc.)- These especially help against onion and garlic.  Cinnamon, with its essential oils, also helps kill various types of oral bacteria.  Gum without sugar is less likely to cause cavities and fuel the bad breath-causing bacteria. 

6) Berries/yogurt- Eat these foods to prevent bad breath…if you eat half of one cup of plain and sugarless yogurt twice a day, this can lower the levels of hydrogen sulfide in your mouth.  The same goes with berries, melons, oranges, and other foods high in Vitamin C- they help kill smelly bacteria in the oral cavity.  Try having a cup of fruit with yogurt twice a day, and this should help get rid of the bad breath.

Last but not least, practice good oral care, and this will decrease your “Real Age” as much as 6.4 years!

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In Canada, a new probiotics gum has been released that allegedly banishes everything from ear aches, strep throat, to halitosis.  The University of British Columbia’s research contributed to the creation of this gum filled with ‘good’ bacteria.

These friendly bacteria, which includes approximately 500 million active Streptococcus salivarius bacteria, help to fight infection and bad breath.  It can help prevent tooth decay since it stops the ‘bad’ bacteria from sticking to the teeth.  According to sources, the gum seems like an effective way to introduce beneficial organisms to the oral cavity. 

In the near future, we’ll likely see toothpastes and oral rinses that carry probiotics.  Also, be sure to check out Aktiv-K12’s oral probiotics.

Source: Canwest News Service

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Joss Stone, a 22-year-old United Kingdom soul singer, says her main turn-off in a man is bad breath.  She says that she would never date a man with halitosis, and says “there’s nothing worse than bad breath.  I’ve snogged people with bad breath who smelt of fags and beer and it made me feel sick.”  She wants the men that she dates to have minty and fresh breath.

Even though she said she wants her boyfriends to be very clean, she has admitted that her hair isn’t always freshly shampooed.  She even said the following: “I once went a week without washing my hair and I did it deliberately because I wanted the natural oils to mend my hair. It didn’t smell, surprisingly, and no one commented on it. They probably thought, ‘Oh it’s just Joss.’ ”

She is currently single and said that she has a hard time finding the right man because she is too much of a free spirit, and men would get too protective and jealous if she wanted to disappear or go on a road trip.

Source: Ireland Online

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According to studies, almost 50% of bosses said they wouldn’t hire someone if the candidate had poor teeth or bad breath.  Many have admitted that they turned down people because of their appearance.

High importance is placed on appearance at a job interview.  It is said that if a person is too lazy to look good and take care of their hygiene, they may be lazy when it comes to doing their actual job. 

Some other things that made employers uninterested in hiring someone were tattoos, facial piercings, bad skin, and even excessive sweating.  Also found in the study, 15% of people seeking employment considered having cosmetic surgery to increase their chances of getting a job, and 3% have already gone through with the surgery.  The most popular types of cosmetic surgery were: cosmetic dentistry, breast implants, and facelifts.

Also, according to some cosmetic surgery specialists, 1/5 workers believe that their appearance has prevented them from going further in their careers.

Source:  Express.co.uk

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Hopefully, Oral Care Month helps educate pet owners on how important it is to maintain regular dental care, which includes brushing daily and offering a dog chews.  Both of these help to diminish the amount of plaque and tartar buildup in the oral cavity.  Chews can reduce plaque buildup by up to 60%, and tartar buildup as much as 80%.  Also, people will be learning what gum disease symptoms to look for in their pets, like bad breath, picky eating, and so on.  Sometimes these symptoms can signify a health condition, and should not be accepted as ‘normal’. 

It is said that dogs need their dental health attended to just like humans.  When a dog hits age three, 80% have gum disease, which is caused by excessive tartar and plaque.  So, if you have a dog and live in the UK, this is the month to take advantage of a free checkup!

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According to studies, Quebec inhabitants allegedly have the highest rate of people without teeth!  No one knows exactly why, but it is possible that the high smoking rate and more difficult access to fluoridated water helps cause this.  A Quebec article said that getting dentures was considered a normal thing in the past.  Some people would get their teeth pulled out even if they weren’t that bad.  Throughout the 1970’s, the focus on improved dental health was prominent, and dentists did not simply pull out a tooth because a patient requested the service.

According to a Canadian survey, 6.6% of Canadian residents between ages 20-79 are edentulous (more commonly known as toothless).  This number has decreased over the years. Those who speculated the reasoning for this said that better fluoridation in the water had a positive influence, as well as better oral hygiene awareness and services.  An increased awareness of oral health may have also resulted in a decrease of people having bad breath, also known as halitosis. 

Dentures can never feel as natural as real teeth, and they can also cover some taste buds.  Sometimes wearing dentures can result in sores when a person removes them, especially when someone eats.  Also, some denture-wearers are stuck eating softer foods-eating an apple may not be possible.  Dentures can also make kissing less enjoyable.

It’s important to take care of your teeth, because when a person loses them, the face may appear to be hollower, and there is a higher risk of jaw injuries, especially in females!

Source: Associated Content

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Does your dog have bad breath? Well, maybe you are not employing the use of proper oral hygiene. After all, us humans need to maintain a level of oral care so that we don’t have halitosis. Also, just like people, dogs and cats can get gum disease–and if a dog or cat’s gums are infected and abscessed, bacteria can enter the bloodstream, causing liver, kidney, and even heart malfunctions. So, what’s a good way to brush your best friend’s teeth?

Here are some tips for brushing your pet’s teeth:

#1 Start off slowly. Make sure to use a toothpaste formula that is specifically made for animals, since human toothpaste can give stomach upsets to animals. Have your pet lick the paste off of your finger, and you might need to try a few different flavors to find one that your pet likes.

#2 Once you can get toothpaste into the animal’s mouth, use a slight amount on your finger and run it across the dog or cat’s teeth. This might even take several days to get your pet to do this agreeably. Once your pet is fine with you doing this to its teeth, use a toothbrush (made for pets) and make small circles on the gum line. Don’t brush too hard!

#3 Be sure to cheer on your pet and express approval during this process. Afterward, you could also give your pet a treat, playtime, a walk, etc., so it will think of brushing as a positive moment.

#4 In order to practice proper oral hygiene with your pet, try to brush your pet’s teeth every day.

Here are some warning signs to look for in your pet’s mouth:

1. Yellow or brown tartar, especially where the teeth and gums meet
2. Red, swollen, bleeding, inflamed, tender, and/or receding gums
3. Chronic halitosis
4. Teeth that are chipped/broken
5. Tooth resorption (especially common in cats)- a very painful condition in which the tooth dissolves
6. A change in the animal’s diet, chewing habits and appetite can signify depression (along with pawing at the face/mouth).

Also, don’t forget to try this oral rinse for dogs and cats that helps prevent plaque and tartar buildup.  Be sure to practice good oral hygiene with your pet, so that the both of you can have great smiles!

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Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a problem that is more common in adults than children.  According to the American Dental Association, it can frequently be a symptom of a health condition or a side effect of a medication (i.e. decongestants, antihistamines, diuretics, and pain relievers). 

Sometimes dry mouth causes the following: a sore throat, burning sensation, hoarse voice, difficulty with speaking and/or swallowing, and nasal dryness.  Consequently, if chronic dry mouth is not remedied, it can lead to tooth decay and damage! This is because saliva is needed to prevent a dry oral cavity, neutralize acids and dispose of food/tartar build-up.  Plaque can create acids that cause damage to the teeth.   Furthermore, a dry mouth is usually accompanied by bad breath. 

If a person’s mouth is excessively dry, it can negatively affect the oral tissues, sometimes causing inflammation and a higher risk of getting an infection.  If you suspect you have chronic dry mouth, consult your dentist for a checkup and look for treatments. 

Source: MSN

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As you get older, you’ll realize how important proper oral hygiene is.  There are ways you can keep tabs on your oral health every month or so.  Check your mouth for white and red patches, tongue flakiness, pigmented lesions, and sores with uneven borders.  Oral cancer is rare with non-smokers, but it’s still possible to get it.  In order to check yourself for it, look at your outer and inner lips, and all sides of the tongue.  Look on the outside and inside if you cheers, and if there’s ever abnormalities that last longer than 14 days, ask a dental expert about it. 

Here are some things that you can pay attention to in order to protect your oral health:

Canker sores: these tend to pop up when people are stressed.  You can try a topical pain reliever directly on the spot.  Dentists can also use a soft-tissue laser to get rid of them.

Fix bad breath: If you’re not sure that you have bad breath at any given moment, use a cotton ball or gauze pad on the back of your tongue and smell it.  Whenever you brush your teeth, make sure to also get the back of your tongue, since this is where bacteria really like to proliferate.  Alcohol is found in most mouthwashes, but the problem with that is that alcohol helps dehydrate — thus drying the gums and reducing saliva flow.  After this, the bacteria multiples and causes the halitosis to worsen.  Keep in mind that TheraBreath sells an alcohol-free mouthwash!

Back of the mouth: Make sure to get this area when brushing, especially along the gum lines.  If you have a hard time accessing that area when brushing, slighty open the mouth.

Floss, floss, floss!  This is especially needed to prevent tartar buildup.  Toothbrushes can only get so far between the teeth–only 1 millimeter under the gums.  The problem is that gum pockers are usually 3-4 millimeters, which is deeper.  The bacteria feeds off the particles that get caught in these pockets, and if you don’t take care of the issue, you’ll have tooth decay and in extreme cases, jawbone loss.  Keep in mind that 80% of adults allegedly have a form of gum disease!

By practicing good oral hygiene, you’ll help keep your smile white and clean!

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