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Did you know that the most common chronic childhood disease is tooth decay?  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one out of every five children in the US has an untreated cavity.  More than 51 million school hours are lost every year because of dental problems.  Moreover, nearly 100% of cavities are preventable.  Want a cavity free year?  Following these five simple steps can keep you and your kids on the right path to a healthy mouth:

1. Catch up on dental visits.

Start the year off right by setting up an appointment and taking care of issues you may have been avoiding.  Time or finances can result in missed checkups, but putting off needed exams or dental work often causes problems to become more costly, more time consuming and more painful.

2. Commit to brushing 2min2x.

Brushing for two minutes, twice each day is basic to staying cavity free.  Brushing at the same time each day, as part of your regular routine can help develop a daily habit of oral care.  Consider brushing with your children so they can see an example of good oral hygiene and will be motivated to care for their own teeth.  Because brushing for a full two minutes can be a challenge for young children, the ADA has created fun videos that are exactly two minutes long.  You can find them on the 2Min2X website.

3. Consider using mouthwash.

Studies continually show that mouthwash can dramatically reduce cavities when used alongside regular brushing. Choose a mouthwash with the American Dental Association (ADA) seal of acceptance and make using it part of your daily routine.

4. Check that you are getting the proper amount of fluoride.

Fluoride is a natural mineral that has been shown to dramatically reduce cavities.  You may not realize it, but most of the water coming from faucets in the U.S. is fluoridated.  Unfortunately, bottled water usually doesn’t contain fluoride, so kids and adults that exclusively drink bottled water may be missing valuable anti-cavity benefits.  Switch to tap water this year. You could save a plastic bottle from the trash and possibly your teeth from a cavity.

5. Clean between teeth by flossing.

Surprisingly, a survey from Delta Dental revealed that 43 percent of parents said their children’s teeth are never flossed.  Additionally, the ADA reports that one in ten US adults neglect flossing as well.  Why not start a new habit this year and begin flossing regularly?  Flossing helps to reach the places that a toothbrush simply cannot go and it’s one of the best ways to prevent gum disease.

Cavities are preventable.  This could be a banner year for your teeth simply by following these simple steps.  Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or give us a call to set up an appointment today!

Bad breath, or halitosis is a common problem for people of all ages.  While some bad breath is normal, such as what’s caused by certain foods, bad breath may also be a symptom of something greater.  Here are five common causes of bad breath and their solutions:

Cause: Smelly food

Foods with a strong odor before you eat them are likely to have a strong odor afterwards.

Solution:  Chewing sugar-free gum is likely to help cure bad breath caused by smelly foods such as garlic.  You might also try eating something minty – the real reason that your meal often comes with parsley.  Also, one trick is a small dab of mustard, which is said to kill the smell quickly.

Cause: Medication

Sometimes certain medications (such as antihistamines) can cause you to produce less saliva, making your mouth dry.  Bacteria that often gets washed away by saliva is then left to reproduce and leave a foul odor.

Solution: Aside from changing your medication, sugar-free chewing gum may help your mouth by increasing saliva.  Drinking more water will also rid your mouth of some of the bacteria that causes bad breath.

Cause: Dairy

Generally, dairy products are good for your teeth.  But they can also cause bad breath because bacteria love to feed on their high levels of amino acids.

Solution:  Keep eating dairy; it’s really good for your teeth! But be sure to brush and floss regularly as well.  Rinsing your mouth with water following meals may also help keep bad breath away.

Cause: Mouth breathing

Breathing through your mouth, especially when congested from a cold, can cause bad breath because it dries out your mouth.  But if you regularly breathe primarily through your mouth while sleeping it may be caused by a larger problem.

Solution: Seeing a physician for sleep apnea, snoring or asthma may be in order.

Cause: Gum disease & plaque

Your mouth may smell because it’s unhealthy.  Bacteria allowed to grow between the teeth and around your gums may be causing damage that needs to be treated.

Solution:  Aside from regular brushing and flossing, staying on top of regular dental check-ups is essential.  Is your family caught up?  Why not give us a call and schedule an appointment today?

One of the most surprising facts of caring for your teeth is that you should actually wait at least an hour after eating before brushing.  In fact, brushing right after a meal may actually do more damage than good.

Here’s why you shouldn’t brush your teeth immediately after eating.

Your tooth enamel, the hardest substance in your body, works to protect your teeth.  But acids created by food can wear away that protective enamel.  During meals, that acid level gets elevated and your teeth are at their weakest state.

Your body has a natural way to correct the high acid levels in your mouth and return it to a proper pH level.  It’s the work of saliva to naturally wash away food particles and give your enamel the balance it needs to continue its protective work.

Brushing right after meals can mean that you are actually attacking your teeth! Even soft-bristled toothbrushes can be highly abrasive when enamel is already weakened by high acid levels.  It’s best to let saliva do its job after you eat.  You can help the process along by rinsing your mouth with water or chewing sugarless gum which will help to increase the amount of saliva in your mouth even more.

But don’t forget to brush!

Wait at least an hour for your mouth to recover from the acid assault.  And don’t forget to brush at least two times a day and for two minutes each time.

The History of Chewing Gum

Chewing gum has a long and fascinating history.  For 5,000 years humans have enjoyed chewing on bark tar, resin from the mastic tree and other plants and grasses.  American Indians made a form of gum from spruce tree sap.  But for most of our history, we have used chicle, a natural gum made from trees in a similar way that natural rubber is produced.  Political reform in Guatemala during the 1950’s meant that big chewing gum companies like Wrigley no longer had access to chicle, so by the mid 1960’s most gum was produced from a butadiene-based synthetic rubber.

Will swallowed gum harm me?

Gum made from synthetic rubber may not sound too appetizing, however gum is generally harmless to your body.  Have you ever heard people claim that swallowed gum will stay in your stomach for “seven years” or that it will “stick to your lungs”? While it is usually a good idea to simply spit out used gum, only a very large quantity of gum or gum that is swallowed with food or foreign objects poses any risk to blocking your intestinal tract.  Your teeth, however, may be another story.

Gum and your teeth.

Because many types of gum contain sugar as a primary ingredient, frequent gum use can be harmful to your teeth.  Sugar feeds the bacteria that cause plaque, which in turn hammers away at the enamel on your teeth.  A lot of sugary gum means that bacteria are getting a lot of food to grow which can lead to a lot more plaque.  Additionally, while many people chew gum for fresh breath, the end result of extra bacteria (caused by the extra sugar) is even more bad breath.

What about sugar-free gum?

Studies have shown that sugar-free chewing gum is actually good for your teeth.  When you chew, saliva is produced that helps to wash away food particles.  In fact, saliva is your body’s first natural defense against the bacteria in your mouth.  Further, some sugar free gum is made with a natural sugar substitute called xylitol that has been shown to reduce cavities and protect teeth.   Even with xylitol, however, chewing gum can never replace brushing and flossing.  Sugar-free gum can be a good alternative for people who love to chew gum but also want to protect their teeth.