Monday, June 27, 2011

Bad Breath Remedies, Get Rid of Bad Breath, Bad Breath Cure

Original article by Dr. Harold Katz  - BAD BREATH EXPERT

The truth is, bad breath is universal. No matter how well you brush, floss, and gargle you still carry the germs that cause unpleasant smells with you every day...in your mouth.

The Science of Bad Breath
Bad breath is basically caused by anaerobic sulfur-producing bacteria. These bacteria live within the surface of the tongue and in the throat and are nothing to worry about - they are naturally occurring. These bacteria are supposed to be there because they assist humans in digestion by breaking down proteins. Proteins are commonly found in food, mucous or phlegm, blood, and in diseased or "broken-down" oral tissue. Not a very pretty picture, but this is the science of what happens in your mouth.

Under certain conditions, these bacteria start to break down proteins at a very high rate. It so happens that proteins are made up of amino acids. Two of the amino acids (cysteine and methionine) are dense with sulfur. When the bacteria really crank up the rate at which they break down proteins into amino acids, the rate at which sulfur is produced also increases and BINGO! You have halitosis.

As bacteria feasts on proteins in your mouth sulfur compounds are released from the back of the tongue and throat. Bacteria excretes waste as hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, and other odorous and bad tasting compounds. These smelly substances are called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). Volatile means vaporous and effervescent, two adjectives which accurately describe their ability to offend other people instantly. As long as this process continues unchecked, your breath gets worse and worse.

Finding a Solution to Prevent Halitosis - Bad Breath Remedies
Because my original degree is in bacteriology, I was able to understand the process both as a Dentist and as a Bacteriologist. This was the key to finding an effective ongoing solution for halitosis.

The first and most important thing to keep in mind is that the bacteria responsible for bad breath is not an infection, a 'disease' or a sign of poor health or hygiene. Everyone in the world has the same group of bacteria in their mouth. You cannot "catch" bad breath from someone else, even by kissing. It's simply a matter of how quickly they work on digesting proteins, how many there are, and how much food they have to work with that are the driving causes of worsening breath. Since they are part of our normal oral flora, you cannot permanently remove these bacteria from your mouth - not by tongue scraping, antibiotics, or rinses which claim to "lift the bacteria off your tongue."

During my tenure as Director of the California Breath Clinic I've personally treated over 10,000 cases of halitosis and discovered this one important truth: The only scientifically proven and clinically effective method of halting halitosis is by attacking the bacteria's ability to produce VSCs and by converting the VSCs into non-odorous and non-tasting organic salts. Simply put, the rate at which bacteria digest protein and excrete waste has to be slowed, and the waste that is produced has to be neutralized.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Gum Disease Links to Heart Disease and Stroke


Heart Disease

Several theories exist to explain the link between periodontal disease and heart disease. One theory is that oral bacteria can affect the heart when they enter the blood stream, attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries (heart blood vessels) and contributing to clot formation. Coronary artery disease is characterized by a thickening of the walls of the coronary arteries due to the buildup of fatty proteins. Blood clots can obstruct normal blood flow, restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly. This may lead to heart attacks.

Another possibility is that the inflammations caused by periodontal disease increases plaque build up, which may contribute to swelling of the arteries.

Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease can also exacerbate existing heart conditions. Patients at risk for infective endocarditis may require antibiotics prior to dental procedures. Your Periodontist and Cardiologist will be able to determine if your heart condition requires use of antibiotics prior to dental procedures.

Stroke

Additional studies have pointed to a relationship between periodontal disease and stroke. In one study that looked at the causal relationship of oral infection as a risk factor for stroke, people diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular ischemia were found more likely to have an oral infection when compared to those in the control group.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Do you have sufficient jaw bones for IMPLANTS?


The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues. The upper back jaw has traditionally been one of the most difficult areas to successfully place dental implants due to insufficient bone quantity and quality and the close proximity to the sinus. If you’ve lost bone in that area due to reasons such as periodontal disease or tooth loss, you may be left without enough bone to place implants. Sinus augmentation can correct this problem whereas Zygomatic implants can divert it.

Sinus lift
The aim of this procedure is to raise the sinus floor in order to develop bone for the placement of dental implants. Several techniques can be used to raise the sinus and allow for new bone to form. Depending on your individual needs, we normally wait four to 12 months before putting the implants into place. After the implants are placed, an additional healing period is required. In some cases, the implant can be placed at the same time the sinus is augmented. This treatment could be suitable if you have lost one or several teeth and an important amount of bone.

Zygomatic implants
The development of the Zygomatic implant presents a unique alternative for total rehabilitation of the severely resorbed maxilla (upper jaw), with only one surgical procedure and without the need for grafting. This long implant is anchored in the upper jawbone and in the very dense zygoma bone. A temporary prosthesis can be fixed immediately after placing the implant and until the final restoration, once the aesthetic criteria have been met and your expectations have been fulfilled. The main advantages of zygomatic implants over sinus lift procedures are the shorter duration of the treatment and the success rate, which is 100% after 5 years, according to scientific studies. If you are a patient dissatisfied with your upper removable prosthesis, you should consider this option, because zygomatic implants will give you the opportunity to recover the biomechanics of your original denture.

Start with a TEMPORARY DENTURE and graduate to using a PERMANENT one


Temporary Dentures are ideal for those people who are waiting to get their permanent dentures, but do not want to have holes in their mouth for that time being. Temporary Dentures are not very expensive, and the results are immediate and short-term. Temporary Dentures are made before the natural teeth are removed so that they can immediately be installed after tooth extraction. A mold is taken of the teeth and gums, and the mold is then sent away to be made into Temporary Dentures. This should not take more than two visits to your dentist. When the Temporary Dentures are ready, you can make an appointment with your dentist to get your teeth extracted. After the natural tooth is extracted, the prefabricated tooth is put into the socket. This is painless since the area is still numb from extraction. Because the gum is swollen from the extraction, the denture should fit well in the mouth. As the swelling goes down, the gum and bone shrink and even change shape, which then keeps the denture in place. These Temporary Dentures only last for about three to six months, at which time the more permanent set of dentures will be put in place of the temporary ones.

Introduction to Dental Implants

The best way to educate yourself on dental implants will be to view a few videos on the YouTube. However I got a nice and brief introduction to Dental Implants, to share with you.


Dental Implants are a fabulous alternative to dentures. They are actually stronger and more durable then dentures, and you do not have to worry about them moving around in your mouth. Getting Dental Implants is a surgical procedure. After the dental implant is made, it is then able to be implanted into the gums. When making the dental implant, or implants, you are able to choose the color, shape, and size of each. This allows you to match them to your natural teeth so that even the implants look natural. It would be silly to have implants that did not match your existing teeth, so your dentist should go above and beyond to make this perfect match happen. To install the implant, a hole in made in the gums. The implant is placed in this hole, and a temporary protective covering is put over the implant. This procedure has about a 95% success rate. It is becoming more and more popular among patients because of how real the implanted teeth really look. For those who are self-conscious of the dentures that they currently have, Dental Implants could be a rewarding alternative for you. Talk to your dentist to see if this option is a feasible choice you can make.

Soft Dentures


Some people have a hard time adjusting to the acrylic base of dentures. Discomfort can occur when chewing as the acrylic hits and rubs against the gums. Experiencing these feelings each day can make a person very unhappy and put them in pain. However, a solution has been found! Soft Dentures, or flexible dentures, have a soft, flexible base that is able to contour to your mouth. No glue needed, these Soft Dentures make chewing easy and painless, while staying in place. The trick to the Soft Dentures has to do with the undercut of the ridge of the gums. The dentures are flexible enough to hook into the undercuts. This is what makes Soft Dentures so stable. The main difference between the Soft Denture and a regular denture is the coating of flexible resin that is put on the base of the Soft Denture. This special resin is what makes the Soft Dentures more stable and more comfortable to wear. It also makes it impossible for bacteria to build up between the gums and the base, which is extremely important in avoiding any kind of infection. Soft Dentures are more expensive than regular dentures, but there are so many benefits to having them! If this is something you are interested in you should speak with your dentist right away and see if Soft Dentures will work for you.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Dental college to soon boast of tobacco museum


DAVANAGERE: For the first time, a tobacco museum will be set up at the College of Dental Sciences (CoDS) in Davanagere with the support of its chairman Shamanur Shivashankarappa, according to the principal Dr V V Subba Reddy.

The museum will be getting ready in a month or two. Two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D) models made of plaster of paris along with charts depicting the ill-effects of tobacco consumption, including oral cancer will be displayed in the museum, Prof Reddy said.

Besides, different tobacco products which are being sold in the market and cases of their side effects will be displayed in the museum, he added. As a pilot project, the museum will be in a classroom of 30x40 feet size, mainly to create awareness among the public, Prof Reddy hinted.

"The museum will be very effectively used for counselling and also for de-addiction purpose," Prof Reddy noted. "The number of gutka chewers is alarming, particularly among the high school boys, women folk, labour class," according to Dr G Rajeshwari Annigeri, professor and head of Oral Medicine and Radiology.

Women and labour class people get addicted to gutka after they give up beetle leaf consumption, she noted. "Several youth who are addicted to tobacco have been suffering from oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF), a kind of disease, through which they develop burning sensation, difficulty in opening mouth and swallowing," she said. Gradually, it turns into cancer.