Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a condition where individuals emanate an unattractive odor from their mouth. We’ve all experienced bad breath but having bad breath all the time can become embarrassing and induce anxiety. Mints or gum not working? Brushing your teeth not working? There are a variety of reasons why you may be experiencing chronic bad breath.
Causes of Bad Breath
Food
The odor from food that you eat can stick around until the food has completely worked its way out of your system. Food is digested, enters your bloodstream and is carried to your lungs which then affects your breath. It can take up to three days for food to leave your system. Some things that also contribute to bad breath include eating onions, garlic and certain spices, or drinking coffee.
Smoking & Tobacco
Individuals that smoke have an increased risk of getting gum disease which is another source of bad breath. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those that smoke are twice as likely to experience gum disease. In addition to bad breath, smoking causes an array of other oral and overall health problems.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Brushing and flossing daily is very important in preventing bad breath. If you don’t brush or floss, food particles can remain in your mouth and cause bad breath. The tongue can also trap the bacteria that creates bad breath.
Bacteria
Hundreds of different types of bacteria live in your mouth. These different types of bacteria can lead to bad breath. Your mouth unfortunately acts as a hothouse for these bacteria and allows them to grow. When you eat food, these different types of bacteria that live in your mouth feed on the food particles left behind which leads to bad breath.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, can contribute to bad breath because the production of saliva is decreased. Saliva helps cleanse your mouth, removing particles that cause bad odors. If your body is not producing enough saliva, your mouth is not getting washed out properly. Dry mouth naturally occurs during sleep, leading to “morning breath,” and it worsens if you sleep with your mouth open. Chronic dry mouth can be caused by a problem with your salivary glands, medications and some diseases.
Gum Disease
Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue, can destroy the bone that supports the teeth, and cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of a sticky, cavity-causing bacteria called plaque, which in turn contributes to bad breath.
Medical Conditions
Medical conditions that can cause bad breath include gastric reflux, liver or kidney disease, or diabetes, to name a few. If your dentist has ruled out any mouth infections or conditions and you are brushing and flossing daily, make sure to visit your healthcare provider.
Medications
There are some medications that contribute to dry mouth which is another source of bad breath. Other types of medications are broken down in the body and release chemicals that can be carried in your breath.
How to Prevent Bad Breath
There are some things that you can do to stop bad breath dead in its tracks.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene includes brushing twice a day and flossing daily. In addition to brushing morning and night, it is also a good practice to brush after every meal. Using mouthwash can help kill bacteria and temporarily mask bad breath as well.
Drink Water
Drinking lots of water helps to keep your mouth wet and helps to prevent dry mouth. Chewing on sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless candy also helps stimulate saliva production which assists in washing food particles and bacteria away.
Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking is not only good for your oral health, but also good for your overall health. If you need help quitting, visit waytoquit.org. Way to Quit provides free and confidential tools to quit nicotine, available 24/7 and is proven to help you succeed. Quit online, by phone or text, or create a quit plan customized just for you.
Eat Fruits & Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, celery and other hard fruits and vegetables help to clear odor-causing plaque and food particles from the mouth.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
You should be visiting your dentist at least twice a year (every 6 months) for your checkup and cleaning. At these appointments you’ll also receive an oral exam to determine if any treatment needs to be done such as a filling or crown.
If you haven’t been into your dentist in the last six months, schedule your appointment today with Roseman Dental.
It’s a known fact that smoking and tobacco are bad for overall health. Every time an individual decides to smoke, real damage is being done to the body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general. It also causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States and causes roughly 90 percent of lung cancer deaths. In addition, smoking is the number one cause of preventable diseases and death in the U.S. Since smoking and tobacco are proven to harm every organ of the body, there should be no surprise that they also are very harmful to oral health.
Oral Health Effects of Tobacco & Smoking
Stained teeth and tongue, bad breath and loss of smell and taste are just the beginning when it comes to a smoker’s oral health problems. The tar in cigarettes stains teeth, discolors the tongue and leads to halitosis, also known as bad breath. These side effects are minimal compared to the more detrimental effects listed below.
Weakened Immune System
Smoking weakens the body’s infection fighters, known as the immune system. This weakening causes the immune system to be compromised. When the immune system is compromised, the body is unable to fight against oral diseases and takes longer to recover from dental surgical procedures, such as tooth extractions.
Gum and Periodontal Disease
Gum disease, also known as periodontitis, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue, can destroy the bone that supports the teeth and cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. According to the CDC, those that smoke are twice as likely to experience gum disease.
Tooth Decay & Loss
Tooth decay and tooth loss occur with smokers because smoking supports the build-up of plaque and tartar. Also, because smoking causes the immune system to weaken, the body is unable to fight off the build-up of bacteria. The build-up of bacteria, plaque and tartar leads to cavities, decay and tooth loss.
Mouth Sores & Ulcers
Mouth sores and ulcers are common; however, they are more common with individuals that smoke. Ulcers, also known as canker sores, are painful sores that appear on the inside of the mouth and are usually red or yellow.
Gum Recession
Those who smoke are known to develop gum disease which in turn causes receding gums. Receding gums is when the gums recede or pull away from the teeth. This in turn causes pockets or gaps to form between the teeth and gum line which makes it easier for disease-causing bacteria to build up.
Oral Cancer
Cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco contain harmful chemicals that cause mutations in the healthy cells of the mouth and throat, increasing the risk of developing oral cancer. Oral cancer is the most serious side effect of smoking and tobacco use. Oral cancer are cancers that effect the lips, tongue, cheeks, floor of the mouth, hard and soft palate, sinuses, and pharynx (the throat). Oral cancer is part of a group of cancers commonly referred to as head and neck cancers, and of all head and neck cancers, they comprise about 85 percent of that category. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, close to 54,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or oropharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 54,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years – approximately 57 percent.
World No Tobacco Day – Monday, May 31
World No Tobacco Day is a day focused on informing the public on the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiatives in fighting the tobacco epidemic, and what people around the world can do to claim their right to health and healthy living and to protect future generations. This year, the theme for World No Tobacco Day is “Commit to Quit.” Commit to quit today and sign the pledge.
There is no better time than the present to commit to stop smoking. When an individual quits, the body begins to heal itself and reverse the side effects of smoking. Oral health and overall health begin to improve.
If you or someone you know wants to quit, but needs help, visit waytoquit.org. Way to Quit provides free and confidential tools to quit nicotine, available 24/7 and proven to help you succeed. Quit online, by phone or text, or create a quit plan customized just for you.
If you do smoke, it is imperative to visit your dentist regularly. Schedule an appointment today with Roseman Dental.
After reviewing The Washington Post article “After a year of pandemic-delayed medical treatments, doctors are seeing more cases of advanced illnesses”, it’s safe to say that delayed care due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a big concern. COVID-19 created unprecedented challenges for those patients seeking care for conditions not related to COVID-19.
As COVID-19 cases subside and vaccination efforts continue, many healthcare providers are encouraging patients to prioritize their health and seek timely treatment – including Roseman Medical Group and Roseman Dental & Orthodontics providers.
Barriers Leading to Delayed Care
An article published in JAMA Health Forum outlined the results of several public opinion polls conducted during the pandemic to gain insight on whether individuals were able to access medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. One study reported that one in five adults in the United States – roughly 20 percent – reported experiencing delayed care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 31-42 percent reported postponing health care for non-COVID-19 issues, such as dental care, regular check-ups, treatment for ongoing conditions, diagnostic or medical screening tests, vision care, and surgical procedures.
Barriers to care included:
Full out-of-pocket costs
Fear of COVID-19 exposure
Finding an available physician
Securing appointments for care
Accessing location where care would be provided
Positive COVID-19 tests for those slated for surgery
Consequences of Delayed Care
For those who reported postponing care due to the pandemic, 57 percent said they experienced negative health consequences as a result. The Washington Post pandemic-delayed care article cited several occurrences of patients experiencing adverse effects from postponing care, as well as new medical concerns.
A survey conducted by the American Dental Association found that over 70 percent of dentists reported an increase in patients grinding or clenching their teeth and 60 percent reported an increase in chipped or cracked teeth which are common stress-related conditions. Additionally, physical therapy needs are on the rise with pain and injuries related to remote work and optometrists and ophthalmologists are seeing an increase in eyestrain due to increased screen time.
The consequences of delayed care vary, depending on factors such as underlying health and the type of care avoided. Recent evidence shows that states with an increased number of COVID-19 deaths also experienced substantial increases in mortality due to other causes, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Delayed care can lead to numerable consequences:
Prolonged avoidance of primary and specialist care impacts chronic condition control, increases the probability of acute complications, and delays diagnosis of new conditions
Delayed preventative screenings could lead to undetected diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression, cancer, and more
Forgoing pediatric visits could cause negative impacts on physical, mental, and social development of children
Skipping preventative dental care such as semi-annual exams and cleanings could lead to costly damage to oral health such as tooth decay and gum disease
Prolonged hospital stays and higher costs
Increased illness severity, morbidity, and mortality
“Upon review of the Washington Post article, I definitely agree with the importance of timely preventative, urgent and chronic medical care for patients. Unfortunately, I have seen many patients delay care during the COVID-19 pandemic and end up hospitalized for issues that could have easily been prevented on the outpatient basis. With this in mind, I encourage our RMG patients to schedule their annual physical, dental visits, follow up for chronic illnesses, and COVID-19 vaccination for those that qualify at this time.”
“As a dentist, I have certainly seen an increase in major dental issues since the COVID-19 pandemic began. With the shutdown, fears about going to the dentist, and people losing their jobs, many people had no choice but to ignore their dental health, unless they were experiencing significant pain. Unfortunately, by the time a tooth is hurting, it usually requires major dental work to treat. Small cavities that can be easily treated are usually present with no symptoms. This is one of the reasons it is important to find a dentist that you trust and visit on a regular basis. Dental offices have taken extra precautions in order to provide care safely, and patients can feel confident in seeking dental care.”
“A couple of things I have noticed in regard to orthodontic treatment and the quarantine period/COVID:
It appears that due to the mask mandate, many people (particularly adults) have opted to undergo orthodontic treatment because nobody can see that they are wearing appliances
People seemed to be brushing less, again likely because of the mask mandate, and perhaps because for the longest time, people didn’t leave the house. This has subsided (thankfully), but for patients in treatment, that can mean white spot lesions on their teeth where early demineralization has occurred.
Some patients had appliance/wires, that continued to work even though we were not able to see them as often/readily. Those patients may have had teeth move more than we would have liked, or in directions we didn’t necessarily want. Thankfully, again, this type of movement was minimized because most treatment modalities have some built in stop-gaps.
Invisalign trays will only act as a retainer after the programmed tooth movement in any given tray.
Elastomerics deteriorate over time reducing the amount of force placed on the teeth.
Because orthodontists were not able to regularly see their patients and continue treatment improvement, most patients saw their overall time in braces increase. There have been studies that have concluded that the degree of COVID-19 and the mortality can be directly correlated to oral health. So, keep brushing and see your dentist!
Let’s face it, most people dread hearing that they might need a root canal. For decades, people have feared root canal treatment because of common misconceptions regarding them. These fears are real as identified in a survey conducted by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) where 59 percent of participants feared receiving a root canal and 53 percent of participants said they would rather have a snake in their lap for 15 minutes than partake in root canal treatment.
With over 25 million procedures conducted every year, millions of teeth are treated and saved through root canal treatment. Understanding the procedure and the benefits it provides can make all the difference in your future oral health, as well as alleviate any fears you may have.
What is a Root Canal?
A Root canal is a safe, convenient, and widely recommended endodontic treatment that relieves tooth pain and saves the natural tooth. Inside the tooth below the white enamel and hard layer (dentin) is the soft tissue (pulp). The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue – all of which help the root of your tooth grow during development. Once a tooth is fully developed it can survive through the nourishment of the tissues surrounding it, therefore no longer needing the pulp. If a tooth becomes infected or inflamed, a root canal may be recommended to eliminate bacteria from the infected or inflamed root canal of the tooth which prevents reinfection and saves your natural tooth.
Is a Root Canal Painful?
A common misconception is that root canal treatment is extremely painful. While that may have been the case decades ago, modern technology and anesthetics have aided in the precision of the procedure and ease discomfort making the procedure virtually painless. In fact, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reports that 97 percent of root canal procedures are successful and 85 percent of teeth last a lifetime following the procedure. Additionally, patients who experience a root canal are six times more likely to describe the treatment as painless compared to those who have a tooth extracted.
What is the Procedure for a Root Canal?
A root canal can be performed by a general dentist or an endodontist who specializes in tooth pulp. The procedure is relatively straightforward and can be completed in just one or two visits. The procedure consists of removing the inflamed or infected pulp from the canal of the tooth then filling and sealing the tooth to prevent reinfection. These are the steps your dentist or endodontist will take when performing a root canal:
Your dentist or endodontist will examine the tooth, take a radiograph using x-rays, and administer a local anesthetic. Once your tooth is numb, a small protective sheet (dental dam) is placed over the area to isolate the tooth – keeping it clean and free of saliva during the procedure.
An opening is made in the crown of the tooth. The inside of the tooth is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with very small instruments – removing the damaged pulp and any pus-filled sac that is in the canal to shape a space for the filling.
The tooth is then filled with a biocompatible rubber-like material, called gutta-percha, to ensure complete sealing of the root canals.
Lastly, your natural tooth will be restored with a crown (or a crown and post) or filling to protect your tooth and regain full function.
A root canal is often compared to a routine filling. Some patients have reported tooth sensitivity and mild soreness for the first few days proceeding treatment.
How long does a Root Canal Procedure take?
A root canal can be done in one to two visits – depending on the condition of your tooth and your unique circumstances. Typically, the first appointment consists of the removal of the pulp and any associated infection. During the second appointment, you could expect your tooth to be filled with a rubber-like material and then sealed with a crown or filling to prevent further infection and restore your natural tooth to its full capability. Each appointment lasts approximately 90 minutes.
What are the signs of needing a Root Canal?
A root canal is necessary when the pulp of your tooth becomes inflamed or infected. Some of the causes for the inflammation or infection could be:
Deep decay
Repeated dental procedures on tooth
Crack or chip in tooth
Injury to tooth
Faulty crown
Untreated inflamed or infected pulp can lead to an abscess and lead to significant pain. Identifying your symptoms might help in the survival of your natural tooth. Here are a few symptoms that could indicate the need for a root canal:
Severe pain while chewing or biting
Pimples on your gums
Chipped or cracked tooth
Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold – especially after the sensation has been removed
Swollen or tender gums
Deep decay or darkening of your gums
Advantages of Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is virtually painless and provides you with a pain-free, healthy mouth. Sweeping the misconceptions under the rug, the AAE identifies the below as advantages of a root canal:
Saves your natural tooth
Helps maintain your natural smile
Limits the need for ongoing dental work
Efficient and cost-effective
Allows you to continue to eat the foods you love
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned or have tooth pain, don’t hesitate to contact Roseman Dental. We will be able to diagnose the problem and provide you with the proper treatment.
For affordable, high-quality dental care in Henderson, Nevada and South Jordan, Utah contact Roseman Dental.
