Brushing your teeth is important to prevent tooth decay, and it is also for your overall hygiene as well. To brush your teeth properly, you need to have a soft bristle brush, and a tube of toothpaste. Simply squeeze a little bit of toothpaste with fluoride into your toothbrush. Hold your brush at a 45 degree angle and use short strokes back and forth while brushing the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth.
by: Christine Zafra
Eating is fun. Yes, this has been the mantra of the obese. However, binging as a hobby can pose a threat on one’s oral condition. A study from Sweden stated that obese individuals have higher cavity rates than those who have normal weights (obese have 60 percent more cavities in their compared to those whose weights are normal). The subjects of the study were teenagers, ages 1 to 15, and the researches used the BMI method to measure if the teens are overweight or not. They also found out that the teens who gorge on snacks or junk foods when they were still young, have a higher tendency to build plaques and cavities on and in between their teeth.
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by: Christine Zafra
If your teeth are crooked, then your orthodontist or dentist might suggest that you get braces. However, recent studies show that having perfect, straight teeth can lead to certain oral problems in the future. Dentistry practitioners from the University of Washington in Seattle studied people who have had braces before. Dentists found out that they (past braces users) in fact have a higher chance of having receding gum lines. They also lost some part of the bones that support the teeth in gripping the gums. If these problems are not treated, doctors say that this can lead to gingivitis, or much worse, periodontitis.
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by: Christine Zafra
If you just had your dental extraction, do you feel like your lip is a little fatter than the usual? It feels awkward, right? Now, you don’t have to worry about it on your next extraction. There is a new drug that has been carefully designed to counteract the anesthesia that has been injected on you. Introducing OraVerse. The local anesthesia that has been injected to your gums or lip normally wears off about three hours. With OraVerse, the waiting time can actually be cut into half. 60 percent of those who were given a shot of OraVerse had the numb feeling subside an hour later and about 88 percent who decided not to get the shot had their “fat lips” for more than an hour.
OraVerse is a FDA approved drug.
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by: Christine Zafra
Bleeding gums while brushing teeth connote something serious. Either you brush your teeth to hard or you have gingivitis. This bleeding shouldn’t be taken lightly as it can actually develop into a more serious problem such as periodontitis. Periodontitis is a tooth and gum disease that is caused by the bacteria surrounding the tooth. The bacteria around the tooth loosen the grip of the teeth to the gums, making you toothless if untreated. This is a prevalent disease in America, affecting almost 30-50% of the American population. Brushing of teeth should be a daily (twice or thrice a day) ritual for everyone to avoid periodontitis.
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by: Christine Zafra
If you have not been brushing your teeth regularly, you might have cavities in there lurking at the corners or backsides of your teeth. These cavities do cause pain (if not treated immediately) and bad breath. However, cavities are not the only source of bad breath as diet to takes a big role in your oral hygiene. Have you been skipping meals lately due to your hectic schedule? The stomach is producing acid to break down the food inside. If you haven’t eaten anything, chances are, the acid inside is bumping the walls of your stomach lining, making you secrete a foul acid smell through your mouth.
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by: Christine Zafra
Dental insurance is a must. Yes, aside from the home, car, life, health and other known insurances, one must also avail of dental insurance. Not only does this help the person financially when it comes to dental costs but it can also motivate them to be orally hygienic for them not to lose their insurance (depends on the insurance company). However, how can this be a motivating factor if dental insurances have limits? The annual limit of a dental insurance is around $1000 more or less. An average American spends almost $7000 for his or her dental needs per annum. This limit has not changed since dental insurance’s conception (and that was about 40 years ago!).
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by: Christine Zafra
It is a fact that children do get tired of brushing their teeth. Sometimes, you even have to chase them with their toothbrush and threaten them just to make them brush their teeth. However, if you think children are the only ones facing this brushing dilemma, then better think twice. Adults too are in danger. The fast-paced world and their work sometime prevent them from brushing their teeth regularly. Those who are always in a breakfast, luncheon or dinner meeting are the ones mostly at risk. If the children only have teeth problems related to sweets and the like, adults tend to have vices that are teeth damaging (such as smoking and drinking). It is important to take note of oral hygiene whether you’re a child or an adult.
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by: Christine Zafra
Taking note of whatever you see on your toothbrush is important. Some don’t mind or brush aside the fact that they see blood on they toothbrush, saying that perhaps they just scrubbed their teeth to hard. However, this is not the case most of the time. Have you gone to your dentist? This might be an early sign of gingivitis. The next time you brush your teeth, make sure you do not scrub too hard. It may feel right to actually brush as harder as you can, thinking that you can remove all the plaques on your teeth, however, removing these entails the right way of brushing.
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Do you love to drink wine? Do you drink it on a daily basis?
Guys Hospital in London conducted a study years ago. It was later found out that the acid that is present in wine has the ability to grind down the enamel on the teeth. There was this one wine taster in London who was overexposed to wine that the fillings are already protruding in some other parts of the teeth. Any individual who drinks wine should brush and floss his/her teeth at least three times a day. Usually, the red wine causes the worst teeth stains ever.