When I was young, I remember situations where I was experiencing jaw pain. And like any other young boy, I dismissed those flashes of pain as something that would go away. Now remember, I was too young to think any more of the pain, but was old enough to know that pain that emanates from the mouth requires dental care.

The pain throbbed incessantly. It was a pain that was very much different as opposed to the pain one might have if one has a toothache. I know the kind of pain that would merit a dentist’s attention, and this jaw pain I was having was not it. I shrugged it off as some kind of muscle pain.

Big mistake. After a few days, the left side of my mouth was swollen and I couldn’t open my mouth to even sip a glass of iced tea. After some trepidation, I finally agreed to see a doctor. It was a general health doctor, or whatever you call it, and his prognosis was, I should see a dentist. I was adamant and refused to see a dentist since I was so sure that it was muscle pain. I’m sure you guys understand my fear of dentists, after all, who among us didn’t fear them at such a young age right?

Eventually, I agreed. The pain continued and when the dentist examined me, he told me that it was because of an abscess in a tooth that spread throughout my jaw. He was asking me why I waited so long before I went to him and I just shrugged. Apparently, if the abscess was left untreated, the pain would go away, but then would come back worse than ever and would be beyond help.

In conclusion, dear readers, if you fell some kind of jaw pain, and you are not sure what it is. Take the safest route and visit your nearest dentist. Sometimes it may be just muscle pain, but just to be sure, it may be something happening in your mouth. Your best bet would be to get proper dental treatment every six months so that your dentist can evaluate whatever it is that’s happening to your mouth.

Image by rosefirerising via Flickr

Bacterial plaque, bad breath and dental problems are all directly linked.

The anaerobic bacteria that live in the mouth cause bad breath or halitosis, dental decay, periodontal disease and gingivitis.

Anaerobic means living in the absence of air.  These types of bacteria are mostly the ones that cause disease.

Some dental issue definitions are:

Bad breath – the odor produced by bacteria living off food particles, each other and dying tissue.  Bad breath can also be caused by other more serious health issues.  An example of this is diabetes that can cause acidosis which in turn causes bad breath.

Dental decay – caused by the acidic excrement from the bacteria. The tooth is literally being dissolved by chronically being bathed in this acid.

Gingivitis – the inflammation of the gums caused by your own body trying to fight off the invasion of the bacteria.

Periodontal disease – (perio = around, and dontal = tooth) the loss of bone and tissue attachment around the teeth. It is caused by a microbial invasion around the teeth by anaerobic bacteria.

Between the teeth, along the gum line and on the surface of the tongue is where the film of plaque grows best.

The odors and acids tend to accumulate in these areas.

Bad breath is caused by not being able to keep the population of bacteria under control.  In most cases, poor oral hygiene is the culprit.

Cleaning the teeth twice daily is the minimum requirement for reducing the population of bacteria.  However, meticulous cleaning is difficult.

Tooth brushing does not access in between teeth and often causes ridges and grooves along the gum line.

And oral irrigating does not cut through the sticky greasy barrier the plaque produces.

It is possible to use modern technology and techniques to quickly and easily perform a thorough oral cleaning, though.

Meaning, the best results will probably be achieved with an electric or ultrasonic toothbrush and either manual flossing or using a flossing device.

The key is to be able to access every surface of every tooth and then be able to remove the entire layer of plaque.

If one or more areas are chronically missed, disease will likely develop.

Often, bad breath is caused by infections from dental decay, gingivitis, or periodontal disease.

Once again, poor oral hygiene is the biggest reason for these infections.

Unknown to most people is the fact that improper flossing may take an infection from one part of the mouth and spread it to a healthy part.

The infections may also cause some gum tissue to die, which adds to the food feeding frenzy of the bacteria.

Bad breath from periodontal disease has a characteristic smell.  It’s the gasses from the disease process and dead tissue that you smell.

There are other factors that contribute to the bacteria and odor besides food and infection.

Smoking, mouth breathing, alcohol-based mouth washes and certain medications increase dry mouth.  Reduced saliva in the mouth does not allow your mouth to flush away the bacteria that cause the odor like it normally would.

In addition, the bad breath odor may be from sources other than the oral cavity.

Some medical conditions cause bad breath.

Infections in the lungs, nasal cavity or sinuses can cause odor that is associated with bad breath.  Bad breath in diabetics is a rather common occurrence.

Those with stomach acid conditions may have chronic, toxic-smelling breath.  And finally, less likely, but still possible, bad breath can be associated with certain conditions related to malfunctioning kidneys and some cancers.

Because bad breath is so repugnant to both the individual who has it as well as those they come in contact with, it is important to maintain a thorough oral hygiene regimen that includes cleaning the teeth at least twice, if not three times every day.

Want to learn more on how to reduce bad breath, have a white, healthy smile and manage periodontal disease? I have designed and developed a home dental cleaning system that uses the technology of the professional Prophy-Jet to power wash between your teeth and around the gum line.

I invite you to sign up for my articles at http://dentalairforce.com

Dental Instruments

Are you afraid of the dentist?

If so, you are not alone.  Dentist office fear is common.

Let’s face it, there are plenty of scary tools and procedures that take place at a dentist’s office.

Let’s take a look at the most common dental fears and how to beat them.

The biggest fear people experience when needing dental care is fear of the dentist themselves.

In actuality, the dentist does not enjoy inflicting pain.

Even if you have had a bad experience with a dentist in the past, try to put that one experience behind you.

Remember, most dentists are there to help – not hurt. Most people become a dentist to help others.  This is an important fact to keep in mind.

Of course, a big concern for many people facing a dental visit is the fear of pain associated with their procedure.

If this is one of your fears, you’ve probably had a painful dental experience in the past – probably as a child.

A great way to overcome this problem is to simply explain your concerns with your dentist. There are plenty of pain eliminating options available these days.  Let your dentist help you find the right solution for you.

The drill is another cause of anxiety for dental patients.  For many patients, the sound of the drill alone is more than enough to cause worry.

Try these 2 techniques to overcome this phobia:

First, get familiar with the tools (instruments) your dentist will use.

Ask your dentist for permission to hold the drill.  Hold the drill while it’s running and you’ll see there’s nothing to fear.

Second, listen to music during your treatment to reduce the anxiety of hearing the drill.

Another great idea is to watch a movie during your dental procedure. These days, many dental offices have the ability to play movies during your treatment.

Choking is another common fear many dental patients struggle with.

Having your mouth filled with dental instruments can make you feel as though you can’t breathe.

You may also experience anxiety from excess saliva that makes it difficult to swallow.

To overcome this problem, ask your dental technician to allow you to control the vacuum-like tool used to clean excess saliva from your mouth.  This will allow you to control the suction, giving you added comfort.

Of course, anxiety associated with a dental visit is common.

Discuss these tips and ideas with your dentists and the two of you can work together to make your dental experience more comfortable and enjoyable.

Amalgam Fillings – Amalgam vs. Composite

Key Meyer lost 60 lbs when she developed food allergies about a decade ago. She couldn’t seem to think clearly, as she suffered from fatigue and pounding headaches on a daily basis. Mayer wasn’t overly sure what had made her sick, but she did have a suspicion that it was mercury – she not only ate a ton of fish, but, she worked as a dental assistant who handled mercury on a daily basis. She also had a number of dental fillings herself, which contained about 50% mercury.

After undergoing a medical exam, doctors found elevated levels of mercury in the 65 year old by testing her blood, hair, and urine. When asked about her experience, Mayer stated that “it was determined that a combination of all three of those things led me to have pretty high elevation of mercury in my system and organs and blood stream, which caused a myriad of health problems including fatigue, brain fog, inflammation throughout my body particularly in my digestive system and bladder. I was diagnosed with high mercury elevation. Eventually, I found a dentist in Skowhegan who over several months very carefully removed all my fillings. Over time, my symptoms got better – some of them went away.”

More than half of Maine dentist have stopped using fillings that are mercury based as of today; this, due to health and cosmetic reasons, says Matt Prindiville of the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Now, filling materials are a basic composite of tooth colored resins. Original amalgam fillings, which are made up of mercury and other metals, are seemingly being replaced according to Frances Miliano, the Director of the Maine Dental Association.

When asked about the old style fillings, Prindiville said “over half of the dentists offices in Maine no longer use mercury … mostly it’s consumer driven. We’re moving closer to not using (amalgam fillings), and in all probability, in the next decade, we’re not going to be putting mercury in people’s teeth anymore.”

The US government, however, doesn’t see things this way. They feel that the amalgam mercury fillings are still safe to use. Amalgam is a less expensive way to fill teeth, and is very durable. When questioned on price, Miliano stated “I’ve heard composite fillings may be as much as 50 to 80 percent more, although we don’t track what dental offices charge.” She went on to say that a lot of people are using the fillings for aesthetic reasons “…choosing to use the composite type of materials even for the back teeth. There certainly is a gradual decrease as composite fillings get better and easier to use. They are more expensive, but are usually covered to some degree by insurance companies.” Click for a full product list of dental suppliers.

By: Paul Guenther

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Getting anxious during a dental visit may seem silly to some. But there are people whose anxiety levels increase tremendously at the thought of dental appointments, let alone an upcoming dental procedure.

These patients may have gone through a traumatic experience in the past or they simply have a low tolerance for pain. Further, hard to restrain children who are obviously anxious about going through the dental treatment are unable to stay put in the dental chair for a long period.

There is a solution to reduce the anxiety and calm the patient during dental visits and treatments: sedation and sleep dentistry.

Administering these dental techniques depends on the patient’s needs and the type of procedure they’ll go through. Local anesthetics are typically used to numb the area so that you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the treatment.

There are two kinds of anesthetics utilized in dentistry today: topical and injectable.

Topical anesthetics are applied on the gum using a swab or an adhesive patch. This reduces the stinging sensation the patients experience when an injectable anesthesia is used.

Injectable anethesia is introduced to prevent pain and discomfort in the area where the treatment will take place. It blocks the nerve endings and temporarily numb the tissues around the mouth. Injectables are administered during root canals, tooth extraction and other tooth restoration procedures.

Despite the introduction of anesthetics to reduce the pain and discomfort, some patients need to deal with anxiety which local and injectable anesthetics don’t provide. In such cases, the dentist will use anti-anxiety medication or sedatives to provide relief for anxious patients. Conscious sedation can be administered through pills, gas or intravenous injection. The most commonly used sedative agents are nitrous oxide and intraveous sedation.

Nitrous oxide or commonly known as laughing gas or happy gas is administered by mixing it with oxygen and inhaled through a breathing mask. The sedative properties wears off once the mask is taken off. Intravenous sedation is generally administered in the vein on the arm. After a few minutes, the patient will be put in a relaxed state; breathing on their own and able to respond to verbal commands.

As a patient, you need to openly discuss your dental anxiety concerns with your dentist. There are options available to you such as conscious sedation that can help alleviate the discomfort and anxiety levels during dental treatment and procedure.

Leff, Weiss and Walde DDS are a team of Ft Lauderdale dentists specializing in sedation dentistry. For more information about eliminating anxiety and discomfort during dental treatment, visit sleepdentists.com.