Skip to main content

Mayo Clinic Health Tips: Freshening Bad Breath

Want to get rid our your smelly breath? Check out these tips from the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. (Volume 37 Number 1 January 2019)
Bad breath (halitosis) often stems from bacteria feeding on food particles in the mouth. Fend off bad breath by:
  • Brushing your teeth — Brush at least twice a day. Consider also brushing after meals. If brushing isn't convenient, swish with water or mouthwash, or chew sugarless gum, to rid your mouth of food particles.
  • Cleaning your tongue — Odor-causing bacteria thrive on the rough surface of the tongue, particularly at the back. Mucus from postnasal drip also can feed odor-causing bacteria. Use a toothbrush to brush your tongue, or use a tongue scraper. Gargling with mouthwash also may help.
  • Flossing daily — This removes food particles between your teeth.
  • Drinking enough water or chewing sugarless gum — Saliva and water wash away food particles that feed bad breath. Talk to your doctor if you have persistent dry mouth, as it can be caused by a number of medications or certain diseases.
  • Watching what you eat, drink and inhale — Tobacco, garlic, onions, alcohol and coffee cause temporary bad breath.
  • Talking to your dentist or doctor — Bad breath that doesn't respond to these changes may be related to a dental problem such as gum disease or an abscessed tooth. Dry mouth or problems of the sinuses, throat, stomach or lungs may cause bad breath, as may a number of diseases.
  • Brushing your dentures — Brush before soaking them at night and before putting them back in.


     

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Face Shields: Do We Need Them?

The last few months have brought many changes on how the world operates. Dental offices are no exception. In our office, we wear extra gear, such as wearing mask at all times, disposable jackets, hair bouffant cap, gloves and etc. According to a recent article in the The Wall Street Journal: “With face shields a growing part of hospital protocol, some infectious disease doctors are calling for greater adoption outside the medical setting.” You may wonder, how does a face shield offer protection from COVID-19? Let’s understand how one gets infected with COVID-19. This virus spreads through droplets that are released into the air from an infectious person when they cough, sneeze or talk. The mouth, nose and the eyes are potential areas of how the virus can get into your system. Masks protect your mouth and nose, but what about the eyes? According to the vice president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and an infectious disease physician Dr. Daniel McQu
Post a Comment
Read more

Important Office Changes...Updated!

The last few weeks have been very hectic! Though we have been open through it all for emergencies, we have found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands. Luckily, there have been many wonderful webinars full of awesome information. It's never bad to welcome change. To help us service our patients and community in a healthier and safer environment, we are implementing some changes in our office. Here are some precautions we are taking to help fight COVID-19: 1. We ask of patients, if you're having a cough, fever or any symptoms that suggest an illness, stay home! Seek medical assistance. 2. Prior to the pandemic, we went to great lengths to provide a clean and safe environment for our patients. We're taking it a step further! The office is cleaned & disinfected every morning, in between patients and every afternoon. Even if there are no patients seen that day. Kat wiping down the front desk counter. 3. Doctor and staff are wearing facial masks/shields a
Post a Comment
Read more

CBCT Scan: Maxillary Resorption by Tooth #1

Despite years of training and practice, it has been difficult to correctly diagnose what can barely be seen on 2-D intra-oral images. The  Kodak 3D extra oral imaging (CBCT) shows the whole picture from the axial, coronal, and sagittal views. CBCT provides additional information that is essential when used in Endodontics for finding evidence of resorption .  This patient was diagnosed with pain in the maxillary right area. The patient was sent to this office for root canal therapy on tooth 2. Ordinary radiographs did not show a clear picture of the area. A CT was taken and the results show resorption of tooth #2 by tooth #1. Clearly the prognosis is poor. CT scans are recommended to diagnose the relationship of tooth #1 in relationship to tooth #2.   If you're in any doubts as to the prognosis of your patient's tooth, please let us help you save a tooth.
Post a Comment
Read more