How to Properly Floss the Teeth

If you’re someone who wants to floss their chompers correctly, you’re not alone.  There are certain steps that you need to take in order to floss this correctly. In this, we’ll go over the exact steps necessary for you to floss your teeth well, and different ways for you to properly floss them to benefit your oral health.

Why floss 

Flossing is part of your oral care routine for the sole reason that it gets in between the teeth.

It was found in a study that if you floss your teeth and only do that, you’re less likely to get tooth decay than if you choose to only brush your teeth.

Simply put, flossing is great for your oral health needs, and it’s vital for ensuring that there isn’t any tooth decay or other problems.

Learning how to do it right is important, since it prevents further decay from occurring whenever it happens to you.

So, with that in mind, let’s go over the exact steps necessary to properly floss your teeth without issues.

How to Floss 

The first thing that you need is floss that works for you.  You can get any old floss, or flavored floss if that’s something that you like.

After that, take a strip that’s long enough to wrap along the middle finger a couple of times, and then, hold across with your other hand.  Cut that using the box for ease of access. 

Now that you have that, take a small section about an inch, and hold it between your pointer and thumb on each hand. Have the excess on each side wrapped around your pointer finger on the left, and the index finger on the right, or vice versa if you’re left handed.

After that, you want to move to the very back of your mouth. Take a strip of this, and from there, you want to gently push it down so that it's between the teeth, right at the gumline. From here, you want to clean it with the floss, like how you might with a toothpick.  After that, pull it up, or if the gap is too tight, just pull it through, letting go with the right hand.

After that, you take the area that you used to clean between those teeth and hold it on the right. Thread out more with your left hand, and from there, you want to repeat this process.

Continue with this until you have it done on all of the teeth. You may need more floss if you find that the piece is too small the first time. It takes a little bit to get this perfected, but once you do, you’ll be glad that you did.

After that, you take the floss and toss it in the nearest wastebasket, and then, when it’s time for a new flossing session, you just get some new floss, and then continue.

Some people do better with those plackers types of flossers, or with a water flosser. But good old-fashioned floss is the way for you to go, as it allows you a chance to properly get the oral care that you need, and fight off tooth decay immediately! Now that you know this, try flossing today, and see for yourself the difference that it makes, now that you know how to floss correctly, and are able to take care of your teeth. You’ll find that your dentist is happy, and you’re happy too with the difference that this makes for your teeth, and your oral health right now for you.

Vitamins That Improve Teeth and Gum Health

For better health of your body, you need proper nutrition. Good nutrition also helps in improving health of your teeth and gums. Among other nutrients, vitamins are the ones which can specifically be used for improving the health of oral cavity. Having that said, below mentioned are some vitamins which you can use to improve the health of your teeth and gums.

Calcium

We all know how important calcium is for bone health. Teeth are also the bones. The matter of fact is that direct exposure of teeth to supply of calcium can help in strengthening of dental structure in pretty nicer way. In order to get adequate supply of calcium, you need to consume foods which would absorb well in the body. Milk and yogurt are those foods which are not only rich in calcium but they also absorb well in the body. Canned salmon and sardines also contain calcium in good amount. Vegan foods, which are high in calcium, include green leafy vegetables, blackstrap molasses and fortified cereals.

Phosphorus

After calcium, the nutrient which is present in our body in abundance is phosphorus. This nutrient is very helpful for teeth. For good overall health, phosphorus mainly helps in the repair of body tissues. For teeth, phosphorus works with calcium to improve strength.

Phosphorus is mainly contained by protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, legumes, lentils and dairy products. Whole grains and dry fruits also contain fair amount of phosphorus.

Vitamin D

When it comes to keeping your teeth healthy, vitamin D is the micronutrient which you cannot ignore. The main job of this vitamin is to instruct intestines to absorb calcium you have eaten. After that, the calcium gets added into the bloodstream. Milk and breakfast cereals usually have high content of vitamin D.

Vitamin C

While a lot of vitamins are good for teeth, vitamin C is particularly helpful in maintaining and improving health of gums. Study suggests that vitamin C can be helpful in formation of blood vessels and other tissues in your gums in order to support your teeth well. Furthermore, this nutrient also helps in the healing process. Without adequate amount of vitamin C, your gums may be more susceptible to bleed. The major source of vitamin C usually lies in vegetables.

Vitamin A

While you may have heard about importance of vitamin A for eyes, it is also good for the health of your oral cavity. Tissues of teeth and mucus membranes are supported well by vitamin A.

How to take these vitamins?

For optimal health, you need to make sure that you get all your vitamins from natural food resources. Supplements should be avoided as much as possible. if you thing that you require vitamins from supplements, you can ask your dentist.

Herpangina in Children

Children get scratches and bumps like anyone else due to their curiosity and interest in the world around them. But what if the bumps happen in their mouth, and not as a result of them falling? It could be herpangina.  Here, we’ll go over what herpangina is, and how to relieve the discomfort associated with this condition. 

What it is

It’s something that does come with mouth sores, but you also may get a headache, loss of appetite, fever, and even a sore throat, all of which can make swallowing hurt in a lot of cases. 

The sores in the mouth are like tiny fluid bumps or even blisters that are white or even whitish gray, with a border that’s red. 

Visible on the mouth roof, the back of one’s throat, and sometimes in specific areas in the mouth. Sometimes, a fever accompanies it, which can be quick, ranging from 101 to even as high as 106 in a lot of cases. The biggest thing to worry about is avoiding dehydration, as it happens a lot in this condition. 

Relieving Discomfort 

Because herpangina is a viral condition, the symptoms can be discomforting.  Many times, healthcare professionals diagnose this, but it’s mild, with no specifics in terms of treatment. 

There are different ways to relieve symptoms, which include: 

• Reducing fever and pain with acetaminophen and ibuprofen 

• Increasing foods or fluids that will help with lowering temperatures 

• Eating a diet that’s bland and not irritating 

• Gargling with peroxyl and cold water 

Try to also make sure that the oral health environment is maintained too. Have them brush their teeth and take care of it as best as they can. 

A mouthwash may be used too in this case, in order to heal the irritation a little bit faster. However, you should always check with the dentist, in order to ensure that rinses are appropriate for them before they get thrown into the oral care routines. 

Herpangina is a contagious disease, and it can be something that does spread to siblings and classmates. That means, practicing good oral hygiene and also practicing good overall hygiene is imperative. 

Disinfect the surfaces that a child has touched in a lot of cases. 

You may even need to isolate the child, keeping them at home, and away from other people, so that they don’t spread the infection. 

If they’re in daycare, you may need to keep them at home, until the symptoms resolve. 

Now, you don’t send them back until they’ve fully made a recovery. This can be a bit of a challenge for some parents, as they may believe that once the fever breaks, it’s okay. However, due to the contagious nature of this disease, it’s better to keep them at home until they’ve managed a swift, speedy recovery. 

Herpangina is a condition that has a lot of lingering effects if one isn't careful, and it can affect the mouth, along with the rest of the body. Like other colds and ways of getting sick, it can take some time for you to properly get used to this. With that said, if you notice that you have some issues, the best thing for you to do is to make sure that you get the treatment that you do. 

Herpangina is treatable, and it can be a bit scary for children. But with the proper treatment and wellness, you’ll be able to improve the aspects of this, and in turn, you’ll be able to, over time, create and craft the best experience that you can, and enjoy the results too.

How long will my Bridge Last

If you’ve gotten a dental bridge, you probably want to replace those teeth to make them function like the real thing, and to make them last the length that your real teeth do too.  Are they able to last a long time with the dental bridge? How can you make the lifespan better?  All those answers are here. 

Removable Vs. Fixed bridges 

When you’ve got bridges, you have two types: the removable ones, and the fixed ones. Removable is pretty simple. it’s removed, and they’re usually clipped onto the current teeth that you have, and your dentist files them down.  If you want to get this, you do have to clean every single day, taking them out. They tend to cost a lot lower, and they won’t require you to get surgery either. You can get fixed bridges too, one with the bridge that caps right over the tooth naturally, or there is one that’s put on each side, and one of them does get cemented.

There are also implants that you need to have put on via surgery directly to where the jawbone is. 

Over 3 million people in America alone have some form of dental implants, and these implants tend to last a long time. they get put into the bone, Osseo integrating where the bone gets fused to the metal, offering support, and allowing you to speak and eat like how you would normally. 

These can take a bit longer, and usually, after the implant is fastened onto there, there’s a pole that’s put on there, and then of course, the crown.

This is something that a lot of people have looked into as it can prevent the shifting of those empty spaces and reduces the rate of TMJ in the body.

How long do they last? 

There are various amounts of time, and this is something that’s really just impacted based on the diet you have, your oral care, and also, how you take care of it, and what sorts of activities you do. Usually, the removable ones last up to seven years, but if you do visit the dentist on the regular and take care of your teeth, they can last over a decade. This is something that you should be mindful of, since if they last longer than a decade, they might even last a whole lifetime. 

How to Care for this 

Caring for this is important, as it offers you good hygiene, in the same manner that you would your actual teeth. The goal is to brush these twice daily, floss these between the teeth either with interdental cleaners, or through using water flossers once a day.  You may also want to consider using tongue scrapers and mouth rinses, in order to ensure that everything is cleaned up. 

Another thing that you should do is see a dentist, since they can check and clean the teeth, ensuring that they look perfect, no matter what.

They also will give you everything that you need to know to care for the bridge health, so you’re not left hung to dry.

If you’re worried about your bridge getting gross, make sure that if it’s removable, you remove this, and then you want to clean it the same way you would anything else. 

Make sure that you brush it the same way you would a normal toothbrush, and consider denture cleaners too, but be mindful of anything that’s abrasive.

Don't leave the bridge in denture solutions or in water, as this can cause it to rust. 

Take care of it, and you’ll be able to make it last.

Heart Disease and Oral health: The Connection

Did you know that your oral health is much more intimately connected than you think? There is now evidence between oral health and heart disease connections. New studies have shown that for those with mild to moderate gum disease, they may be at risk for heart disease compared to those with healthy gums. Oral healthcare does provide warning signs for a variety of conditions and diseases too, including those in the heart. 

So can Bad teeth really cause heart Problems? 

Yes, it can. This is because of the bacteria and germ spread that happens from the mouth to various other parts of the body, entering via the bloodstream. When they reach the heart, they’ll attach to damaged areas, creating inflation. Of course, according to the mayo clinic, this may result in endocarditis, which is an infection involving the inner lining parts of the heart. It can also cause a risk of atherosclerosis to form, along with stroke, both of which are linked by oral bacteria. 

Who’s at Risk? 

Those with chronic gum conditions, including periodontitis and gingivitis, are at a higher risk for heart disease due to bad oral health. This is especially true if it remains unmanaged and undiagnosed.  The bacteria that’s associated directly with oral infections does enter the bloodstream. It attaches to the blood vessels, increasing one’s risk for heart disease. 

Even if one doesn’t have noticeable inflation, good oral hygiene is something that can help with reducing the amount of biofilm that shows up, and also reduces your heart disease risk even more. 

Bacteria does move, and it can go to the bloodstream. This causes the C reactive protein, which marks inflammation for one’s blood vessels, to increase.

 

Yes, this can increase your risk for stroke, depending upon who you are. 

Signs, Symptoms and Prevention 

So what should you look out for if you may be at risk for this? 

Well, if you’ have gum disease, especially in its early stages, which puts you at risk for heart disease. 

Some other signs include: 

• Red, swollen gums that are sore to touch 

• They bleed when you brush, eat or floss your teeth. 

• There’s pus, or other infection signs around the teeth and gums 

• They’re pulling away from the teeth. 

• You’ve got bad breath, or bad taste in your mouth. 

• You have teeth that are loose, or feel like they’re moving away from the other teeth too 

Now that you know abut this, how can you prevent it? 

Well, the best way is oral hygiene.  Protecting your teeth and practicing good oral hygiene prevents the brunt of this. 

Brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits within the mouth is your first place to start. This helps keep the teeth surfaces adequately brushed.

Also, use an ADA-certified toothpaste proven as well by many to increase one’s gum health in about four weeks. 

Finally, make sure that you floss daily, and also see your dental hygienist to get regular cleanings, especially if you need it. 

When you take care of your oral health, you help your body health, and you also protect yourself from developing these heart-body connections, including heart disease and other such problems.  You’ll be able to keep the smile clean, healthy, and even beautiful, throughout all parts of your life. 

Your oral health does matter, and for a lot of people, there are a lot of great ways to make your oral health really shine. The best way to prevent bad things is to be proactive, so do something about this right away. 

Titanium Implant Allergies

One thing that happens when you damage your teeth, is the replacement option. Dental implants are one of these, and it’s a great way to replace them. That's because it feels and looks like an actual tooth.But what happens if the body rejects this, and also what might happen next? Implants are made with a metal alloy, and in a few cases, people do get allergies from the titanium in there and you’ll be able to recognize the symptoms and get a diagnosis from the dentist. 

What implants Are 

Implants are essentially a replacement for the tooth. It’s inserted into the jawbone in a screw or cylinder one.  It won’t make noise or slip, and then, an abutment joins the implant and the crown together.

 Once the surgery is finished, crowns get put on part of the implant, and further protrude through one’s gumline. 

Usually, dental implant surgery is something that takes some time to heal. It takes longer if you’re removing the tooth that’s damaged, struggling with bone grafting, and also the placement of the crown and the rest of it.  Once this is placed, then you just have to practice proper oral hygiene in order to heal that area. This does take a long time, especially months. 

Implant Rejection 

While titanium causes a lot fewer problems compared to other types of metals, there’s the allergy factor some people struggle with. 

The International Journal of Implant Dentistry notes that the corrosion and wear that happens with these implants can happen when the titanium alloy gets put into the tissues surrounding it.  

It can cause inflammatory reactions, bone loss, or even hypersensitivity that can create implant failure. 

How does one know if they have an implant allergy though? 

It usually involves the following: 

• Skin redness around the implant area 

• Hives on the skin and the surface of the gum. 

• Eczema and itching of the gums and skin. 

• Pain and swelling 

• Tissues and cell death around your implant 

• Yellow nail syndrome or other toxic reactions (this also does affect the airways and lungs) 

• Bone loss 

If this does happen, don’t wait, and contact the dentist right away! 

Diagnosis of the Allergy 

Most of the time, dental professionals may look at the mouth and the implant site.  They also may do diagnostic types of tests like the patch test to figure out where the allergy is happening. 

They may also use in vitro blood tests so that you can get a feel for the metal allergy. There is also the lymphocyte transformation test and the lymphocyte migration inhibition test to help you get a feel for the allergy to the area and the sites. 

They also may look at whether it’s an allergy or something else. 

If there is an allergy, they might use zirconia instead. However, due to the lack of long-term data, the professional may look to other options. 

Noticing that you might be allergic to the implant can be overwhelming and disappointing. But the cool thing about this, is that there are many new evolutions to implants that you can use, and plenty of options to choose from. Dental professionals will help you treat this allergy, ensuring that the gap within the mouth and the treatments are ideal for you. 

The sooner you do this the better, especially since it can cause issues with the body, and there is a strong chance that it could impact your health on other levels. You don't want that, right? 

Then start taking care of this right away, and start changing out the titanium implants, especially if you’re worried about the potential effects.

What causes Submandibular Gland Swelling

Most people know what salivary glands are, and they usually aren’t something that we think about. But if something goes awry, then we’ll notice this quickly. Our salivary glands are used to chew, swallow, speak to others, and also wash out the food that’s on our teeth. The submandibular gland swelling is associated with infection, dry mouth, and most other conditions. Burt, most of the causes of this are easy to treat. 

What the Submandibular glands are 

They’re basically two walnut-sized glands on each part of your face, right in front of the curve near the lower jaw, at the back part of the mouth. Along with the salivary glands, the glands here provide saliva, which contain different enzymes that’ll break down minerals and food, reducing the damage of acids and food on the enamel of the tooth. Saliva also makes food that you chew nice and wet, along with easy for you to swallow too. 

Causes of the Swelling 

If you feel some kind of swelling under the lower portion of the jaw, this could be known as swollen submandibular glands. Swollen glands are caused usually by small stones that block the ducts, and those that channel saliva into the mouth. These stones can be made through saliva, especially when you’re dehydrated. 

When stones block salivary glands, this is known as sialolithiasis, which is where you have pain and swelling in that gland.  While not totally known, this is associated with gout and liver disease. 

According to The Journal of Medical research, sialolithiasis is one of the most common types of salivary gland diseases, and the submandibular gland is usually affected in about 83% of different cases. 

The infections usually come from ducts that are blocked.  In most of these cases, the swelling is accompanied by pus and redness too. 

Salivary gland swelling also happens when you have a tumor.  This can be caused by both non cancerous and cancerous tumors, and the glands might be firmer due to this infection. 

Cancerous tumors tend to be much harder to fix and they usually are stuck to the tissue of the gland. However, tumors that aren’t cancerous might be removable. 

Talk to your dentist if you have this, so that you can get an effective treatment. 

The Treatment  for Swollen Salivary Glands 

The treatment does vary based on the severity of this. earl/y treatment will save you from developing infections. 

According to the national health service, you do want to increase the production of saliva through chewing gum and drinking tons of water. You can also massage the stone in order to dislodge this. 

If you can’t treat this at home, push the stone out through the submandibular gland, at your doctor’s office, and they use a small instrument to do this. In the rare case that it’s stuck, they may need to use surgery to get this out. If you do have a condition that causes you to develop this, getting treatment early will help with reducing the risk of developing this. 

If you do have an infection here, a doctor can prescribe some kinds of antibiotics, and also get any pus joust, especially if there is an abscess. Swelling caused by tumors, however, must be treated with surgery. Cancerous tumors need to be treated right away and do require minoring. If it’s painful, you can use a warm compress on the gland area directly, and also rinse out the mouth with water in order to help with the discomfort. Overall, make sure that you watch your water, and avoid smoking to prevent this formation. 

Diet and Oral Health

Tooth decay is a big part of a person’s oral health, and if you let it linger, it causes extractions, fillings and the like. Decay occurs when the sugar does react with the plaque bacteria, forming acids that will eventually destroy your enamel. After his happens a few times, this will cause a hole to form, and the cavity gets in there, causing further decay far quicker. 

So how does food play a part in this? decay is caused by sugars, all of which come in different forms, with most of the “ose” words being the source for this. fructose, glucose, and sucrose are common ones. And they are, of course, gross, damaging the teeth.

Processed foods have higher sugars in them and tend to appear higher on the ingredient list. Try to read the ingredients when you’re out shopping for food. 

When you do read, make sure you’re mindful of the different types of items that are in there. if there isn’t “added sugar” that doesn’t mean that it’s totally sugar free, just there’s no extra sugar.   They might contain carbs, so make sure you’re sure of what you’re putting in your body before you have it. 

Can drinks and foods cause erosion? 

Yes they can, especially if they’re acid.  T his dissolves the tooth enamel. Anything with a smaller pH than 5.5 may cause this. some alkalis do have a higher pH that will cancel out the different pH that the acidic foods have. 7 is the number that’s right in the middle. 

Here are some foods that are more alkali: 

• Mineral water 

• Milk 

• Cheddar cheese 

Some of the more acidic foods are: 

• Lager 

• Orange juice 

• Pickles 

• Grapefruits 

• Sodas 

• Vinegar 

• Red wine 

So if you are going to have them, you want to make sure that you balance these out. for example, you have some fruit? Eat some cheese after that. 

Some good savory snacks may be good as well, such as: 

• Raw veggies 

• Breadsticks 

• Nuts 

What about Sweets 

You need to bear in mind that there’s no set amount of what you can drink in terms of sugar, and same with eating, but it’s more based on how often you consume these. Sweets are fine but have them during meals. Don’t just walk around in between and have some cookies. 

Try to reduce the sugar foods, and consider having xylitol gum, in order to help offset the effects of tooth decay. Sugary foods and items cause a ton of different health issues, such as increasing body weight, heart disease, and other problems. 

Why this matters 

So you might wonder why your diet has such an intimate connection with oral health. Well, whenever you eat or drink something, the teeth get thrown under an attack of acid for up to an hour, because the sugar naturally reacts with the bacteria inside plaque, the sticky parts of the teeth, and creates acids that are harmful. So make sure that you have these foods and drinks during mealtimes and limit the time that the mouth gets at risk.

When you constantly consume acids, it’s harmful, and the acid will erode or dissolve the enamel, and expose your dentine under this, and make the teeth unsightly and sensitive. 

Diets rich in vitamins, minerals, and even fruits and veggies help with this.   you can prevent gum disease, which will cause you to reduce the tooth loss, and bad breath that’s there. 

So yes, keep your diet good, and keep your teeth aligned, for the best results you can get!