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All Posts in Category: Bad Breath

Comments Off on What You Need to Know About Periodontal Disease and Treatment Options

What You Need to Know About Periodontal Disease and Treatment Options

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Periodontal disease is an infection of the tooth’s structures. These include the ligaments, gums, bone and tissues that are necessary for good oral health. Bleeding and swollen gums are early signs of gums that have been infected with bacteria. According to a study by researchers at the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) performed in 1999, about half of Americans over the age of 30 experience bleeding gums. What’s even more surprising is the fact that many people think this occurrence is normal.

Stages of Gum Disease

In fact, the presence of bleeding and swollen gums is a sign that you could have the first stage of periodontal disease, gingivitis. This is caused by a buildup of plaque that occurs at the gum line. Plaque is a sticky substance that can form on the teeth. If plaque isn’t removed regularly, the body’s immune system releases substances that are an attempt to oust the bacteria. This reaction from your body is what causes the bleeding and swollen gums that mark gingivitis. It’s at this earliest stage that gum disease can most easily be reversed.

Periodontitis is the second stage of gum disease. It is at this stage that the bones, tissues and fibers that support your teeth are damaged. Periodontitis is marked by pockets that form below the gum line. Though gum disease cannot be reversed at this stage, there is much that a dentist can do for a patient with periodontitis. Improved oral care at home performed by the patient, as well as specialized dental treatment, can often help reduce further damage.

The final stage of gum disease is advanced periodontitis. It is at this late stage that the other, supporting structures of the teeth are damaged. These bones, ligaments and fibers are destroyed which can lead to your teeth becoming loose or shifting in your mouth. Not only can this adversely affect your bite, it can also require that those teeth be removed.

Treatments for Periodontal Disease

For people who have gingivitis, there is still hope of reversing the disease. With good daily oral care at home in the form of proper brushing and flossing — as well as regular professional dental cleanings — gingivitis can be reversed.

Once gum disease reaches the periodontitis stage, though, professional intervention is necessary in order to save the teeth. Scaling and root planing is a treatment that is performed at the dentist office to scrape and remove the tartar and plaque from the root surfaces and the teeth. Afterward, these surfaces are smoothed to remove any roughness that can provide a welcoming place for bacteria to settle and flourish. Scaling and root planing is a procedure that could take more than one dentist visit to finish. Eventually, the gums heal and then reattach to the clean surfaces of your teeth.

There are other treatments available for advanced gum disease. Have you had a regular cleaning at Dupont Dental lately? Contact us today to make an appointment and to obtain an evaluation of your oral health!

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Comments Off on What Causes Bad Breath Even After Brushing?
bad breath after brushing

What Causes Bad Breath Even After Brushing?

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With an estimated 80 million people experiencing bad breath on a regular basis, there’s a lot of myths that abound about why your mouth becomes so odorous. Understanding the true causes of recurring bad breath, especially a smell that lingers after brushing, is the only way to tackle the problem truly. Get your breath smelling better without expensive rinses and mints by finding the cause.

Sinus Infections

A low grade and chronic sinus infection are one of the most surprising and common causes of serious bad breath. Even a little infection lingering in the cavernous spaces behind your nose, eyes, and mouth can result in a very offensive odor. You may have little to no outward symptoms, or confuse your sniffles and stuffiness for allergies, allowing the infection to worsen over time. A dentist can help you determine if this is the reason your bad breath is unabated by brushing.

Lack of Flossing

You brush twice a day, but do you remember to floss every day? It can be a little uncomfortable, but finding a method that is comfortable for you is necessary for fresh breath. Brushing leaves behind food particles that rot and feed bacteria, leading to stink producing colonies hidden between the teeth where the brush can’t touch them. Choose a flossing method you can live with if you want to enjoy fresh breath throughout the day.

Halitosis

For some people, bad breath is a hereditary condition that requires regular treatment from their dentist. The term halitosis refers to bad breath in general, but as a diagnosis, it is considered its own condition. Some people experience chronic halitosis because they make an insufficient amount of saliva. They may not feel like their mouth is dry, but a lack of saliva allows bacteria levels to rise. This results in the bad breath that doesn’t respond to over the counter treatments and threatens the health of your teeth and gums as well.

Coffee Drinking

Too many people overlook their coffee and smoking habits when wondering why they’re experiencing chronic bad breath. Even if you routine brush or rinse your mouth after every espresso or cigarette break, the long term effects of smoke inhalation and high acid content contribute to halitosis regardless. Breaking these habits, or at least switching them for healthier alternatives, will reward you with better breath all day long in addition to the rest of the health benefits.

Plaque Deposits

Skipping your routine cleaning visits at the dentist does more than just raise your risk of getting a cavity. Going too long between cleanings allows tartar to harden into plaque. Plaque is an ideal host for the bacteria that produce the sulfur compounds that make other people find your breath unpleasant. Routine cleanings remove the plaque, so your brushing efforts work to sweep out the bacteria gathering at the gum lines. As a result, you’ll also help avoid gingivitis and advanced gum disease. Resistant bad breath is one of the earliest signs of gum disease, so visit your dentist for a checkup any time you notice an odor returning as soon as you’re done brushing your teeth.

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Comments Off on Key Ways Your Everyday Choices Affect Your Oral Hygiene and Health
Woman brushing her teeth to achieve healthy oral hygiene

Key Ways Your Everyday Choices Affect Your Oral Hygiene and Health

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Keeping your teeth and mouth clean is about more than just brushing your teeth. The choices you make every day can have an effect on the health of your mouth. What you choose to eat and drink has an impact on your oral hygiene. Whether you smoke and even what medications you take can also influence how healthy your teeth and mouth are. If you want to have healthy teeth and gums and to avoid bad breath, your lifestyle makes a difference. It’s also not just about preventing cavities and halitosis. You can also prevent things like gum disease or teeth staining by making the right choices.

Food and Drink Choices

It’s no secret that your diet can affect your oral hygiene and health. For example, we know that a diet high in sugar can encourage bacteria to grow. It’s also best to avoid having too many acidic foods, such as citrus fruits. Both sugar and acid can encourage bacteria to grow in your mouth. Starchy foods can raise acid levels in the mouth too, and can sometimes get stuck in your teeth. What you drink makes a difference too. Sugary drinks should be consumed sparingly, and alcohol can also cause problems. Alcoholic drinks dry out your mouth, which makes it easier for bacteria to thrive.

Smoking

Smoking and using other tobacco products can cause several problems for you. It can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and even oral cancer. Smoking also stains your teeth, due to the nicotine, and it can give you bad breath. Choosing to smoke makes it harder to care for your oral health and maintain good hygiene. Not only that, but it can have an effect on your health in many other ways. If you want to improve your oral health, cutting out smoking or using other tobacco products should be the first thing you do.

Medications

Certain medications can have an effect on your mouth. For example, several medicines you can get over the counter can make your mouth dry. As mentioned before, a dry mouth means that bacteria can multiply more quickly and easily. This can lead to bad breath and tooth decay. Some medications could stain your teeth, such as some types of antibiotic. Other prescribed medications might have unfortunate side effects, such as oral thrush. However, you have to balance a drug’s side effects with its intended purpose. Sometimes, the solution is to change medications but other times it’s to be more vigilant with your oral hygiene.

Your Oral Hygiene Routine

Of course, the routine you keep to look after your teeth, gums, and mouth is important too. You have to make a conscious choice every day to brush, floss and perform other tasks for oral hygiene. If you don’t, you can start to get lazy about looking after your oral health. It can sometimes be confusing if you’re not sure when to brush and what you should be doing. If you’re ever unsure, talk to your dentist or dental hygienist.

It’s important to consider all the choices you make and how they affect oral hygiene and health. It should be something you think about every day.

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Comments Off on Choosing the Right Mouthwash
Choosing the right mouthwash

Choosing the Right Mouthwash

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Along with brushing twice daily and flossing once a day, using an anti-bacterial mouth rinse can help improve your oral health. When you’re thinking of adding a mouth rinse to your dental hygiene routine, the numerous options available can be overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to ask your dental professionals for their recommendation.

Mouthwash types

There are two main types of mouthwash: therapeutic mouthwashes and cosmetic mouthwashes. Therapeutic mouthwashes help prevent dental disease such a gum disease and tooth decay with their anti-plaque and antibacterial properties. Reducing plaque and tartar with a therapeutic mouthwash can decrease your risk of gum inflammation and gum disease. Some therapeutic mouthwashes contain fluoride, which improves their tooth decay fighting abilities. Cosmetic mouthwashes work to freshen your breath and may including whitening agents, but they don’t usually include the same effective agents as therapeutic mouthwashes.

Benefits of therapeutic mouthwash

Using a therapeutic mouthwash can benefit your oral health in a variety of ways. If you have any concerns about using mouthwash, consult with your dentist first to learn what will work best for your specific dental health.

  • Source of fluoride – Using mouthwash with fluoride may lower the risk of developing tooth decay as studies show that fluoride strengthens enamel and reduces the breakdown of the protective surface of the teeth. Strong enamel can help prevent cavities. Some types of fluoride used in mouthwash serve as antibacterials that protect against gum disease.
  • Prevent gum disease – A therapeutic antibacterial mouthwash helps prevent gum disease by lowering the amount of harmful bacteria in your mouth. That harmful bacterium usually feeds on food particles and releases acids that weaken bone and inflame gums, but reducing the amount of bacteria helps your oral health.
  • Protect against pregnancy gingivitis – When a woman is pregnant, the elevated hormone levels can make them more prone to developing gum disease if they don’t maintain proper oral hygiene. Research has shown a link between gum disease in an expecting mother to preterm and low weight babies. By using a therapeutic mouthwash (with the approval of their doctor and dentist), a pregnant woman can protect her mouth against gingivitis and the most advanced stages of gum disease.

Disadvantages of therapeutic mouthwash

Although using therapeutic mouthwash can be beneficial to oral health, it also has certain disadvantages such is irritating canker sores. Therapeutic mouthwashes can freshen bad breath temporarily but are not substitute for proper oral hygiene and dental visits to prevent the sources of bad breath. Alcohol based mouthwashes can create a burning sensation that some patients may not like, but there are numerous alternatives that can be just as effective.

Adding mouthwash use to your oral hygiene routine can help improve your dental health, but it shouldn’t take the place of proper brushing and flossing. Mouthwash is another tool in the fight against oral health issues. To learn more ways to protect and improve your dental health, contact Dupont Dental.

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Comments Off on Causes of and Treatments for Bad Breath
treatment for bad breath

Causes of and Treatments for Bad Breath

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Chronic bad breath, or halitosis, can cause frustration, embarrassment, and concern for those suffering from it. Halitosis can be a symptom of a more severe dental problem, but the only way to know for sure if by consulting a dental professional who can perform a thorough oral exam. A dental professional can recommend treatment for bad breath and deal with any underlying causes, which can restore a patient’s confidence and ability to smile and speak without embarrassment.

Common causes of bad breath

Thankfully, in many cases of bad breath, all that’s needed to solve it is a thorough dental cleaning and restorative dental treatments that improve the overall health of gums and teeth. It’s important to discover the cause of the bad breath first before working on a solution, though. Common causes of bad breath include:

  • Odorous foods – One of the top causes of bad breath is having a diet of odorous foods such as garlic, onions and other potent flavors.
  • Food Residue – When a small particle of food become stuck between teeth, they can breed bacteria as they decay which leads to bad breath.
  • Decay – Without proper brushing and flossing, plaque and tartar can build up leading to cavities and decay, which give a distinct, unpleasant odor.
  • Dry mouth – Saliva carries away food particles and bacteria from your teeth and mouth regularly, and without it, bacteria build up in a dry mouth and causes halitosis.
  • Sinus or throat infection – Even though bad breath may come out the mouth, it doesn’t always originate there, and in some cases, bad breath indicates the development of an infection in the sinus or throat areas.

There are many other causes of bad breath including tooth abscesses or taking certain medications, and only a proper assessment from a health professional can pinpoint the exact issue.

Treating bad breath

Treating bad breath correctly depends on finding the cause. When poor oral hygiene is causing halitosis, fixing the issue involves improving a patient’s brushing and flossing routine and visiting the dentist for a professional cleaning and exam. If improper oral hygiene has caused tooth decay, then the dentist needs to remove the decay and treat with crowns or fillings to prevent further problems and remedy bad breath from decay. Prescription Mouthwash can alleviate chronic dry mouth and antibiotics can help clear up sinus or throat infections that lead to bad breath. Working with a dentist to find the best course of treatment for bad breath ensures that you find and deal with any underlying issues before they become more severe and costly.

No one needs to live with the discomfort and embarrassment of bad breath when there are a variety of ways to treat and eliminate it. Dupont Dental is dedicated to the great oral health of their patients and works to find the solution to any dental issues.

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