Oral Health News

In this blog, you'll find many bite-sized morsels, guaranteed not to give you bad breath or halitosis. In fact, you may very well find exactly what you need to improve your oral health and keep your breath as fresh as possible. In the days, weeks, months, and years to come, we'll bring you oral health news items such as information about the causes, treatment, and prevention of bad breath and halitosis. We'll also keep you up to date on other relevant oral heallth issues including tonsil stones or tonsilloliths, and canker sores.

You may not have thought of this, but there are many oral health products which make excellent gifts. Why? It's because these products are items that people really need but on which they are reluctant to spend money. For this reason, we'll also bring you product reviews and recommendations from time to time.

But our favorite thing to publish will undoubtedly be words of encouragement from those who have dealt with these and other oral health challenges and overcome them successfully.

It is our sincere hope that you will find the Oral Health News blog as enjoyable as it is useful.

December 6, 2006 19:49 - Beware of Bad Bad-Breath Articles

We all know that there are multitudes of poorly researched, poorly written, and plain old stupid articles on the Internet. This is every bit as true for articles about oral health topics, such as bad breath and halitosis, as it is for any other topic. Take a look at the first paragraph of an article I found today:

Bad breath (Halitosis) is very common among individuals originating in the mouth. Nasal problems are the main causes of bad breath. They can be easily diagnosed by comparing the existing odor in the nose and the mouth. The other factors are insufficient oral hygiene or dietary predilections.

So what important tidbits can we take away from such a profound work as this?

Statement: Bad breath (Halitosis) is very common among individuals originating in the mouth.
Meaning: If you originated in someone's mouth, you're likely to have bad breath.

Statement: Nasal problems are the main causes of bad breath.
Meaning: If another person's bad breath enters your nasal passages, then you caused their bad breath.

Statement: They can be easily diagnosed by comparing the existing odor in the nose and the mouth.
Meaning: So if the odor in the nose and mouth are equally bad, there's no bad breath?

Statement: The other factors are insufficient oral hygiene or dietary predilections.
Meaning: High-falutin' way of saying, "If you never brush and you eat garlic and onions, your breath will stink."

Anyway, it continues its march toward illiteracy with several other paragraphs that are equally painful to read. In all fairness, English is probably not this particular writer's mother tongue. And while this person may not have that strong a grasp of the English language, the writer does understand how Google AdSense ads work becuase they're all over the site.

Whether it's about bad breath or any other topic, be careful what you choose to read and believe. And please don't help these people out by clicking on their Adsense ads.

(Helpful Resource...)

December 19, 2006 13:05 - Avoid the Holiday Sweet-Tooth Blues

Got a sweet tooth?

Does it get worse during the holidays?

According to an American Dental Association (ADA) consumer advisor, how often you eat sugary treats and how long they remain in your mouth are two factors that will determine whether you're at an elevated risk level for tooth decay and gum disease.

Furthermore, if I've just described you, how well you adhere to a good oral hygiene regimen is also important.

"If you don't bother to properly clean your teeth, the results might be tooth decay, gum disease and possible tooth loss," says Dr. Matthew Messina, an ADA consumer advisor and practicing dentist from the Cleveland area.

And here's why... That colorless, sticky, bacterial film we call Plaque is constantly forming on our teeth and gums. When these bacteria encounter sugar in the mouth, they produce acid for the next 20 minutes or more. Ongoing attacks result in the breakdown of tooth enamel.

If you think about this for a few minutes, you'll realize that some sweets are worse than others. Which ones? The ones that aren't easily washed out of your mouth, those that tend to stick to your teeth and gums are going to be worse for you because they stay in your mouth longer.

According to Dr. Messina, "The stickier things are, like fruit cakes and gummy bears, the less likely they'll be washed out from between the teeth by saliva. Any kind of candy that sticks to your teeth is more harmful than a chocolate bar that gets washed away."

The ADA offers the following tips to help reduce tooth-decay risk and still enjoy holiday sweets:

• Consume sugary foods with meals rather than in between meals. Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acid production. Increased saliva production also helps rinse food particles from the mouth.
• Limit snacking between meals. If you crave a snack, choose a nutritious snack and consider chewing sugarless gum afterward. Sugarless gum increases saliva flow and helps wash out food and decay-producing acid.

December 22, 2006 13:33 - Here Comes Da Judge

It's amazing how little time modern society wastes rushing to judgement about anything and everything. For those who suffer from bad breath or halitosis, every contact with another human being is a potential confrontation with judge, jury, and executioner. A poor first impression is all the evidence needed.

Have you ever wondered whether or not your bad breath has affected you professionally?

Looking for a new job? Before the interview, you'd better make sure your breath is beyond reproach.

How about your social life? Maybe you're in a secure relationship with a partner who wasn't afraid to discuss your breath problem with you, who understands what you're going through, and who is willing to stand by you until the problem's been resolved. But what if that's not the case?

Do your friends come around as often as they once did, or do you get the feeling people are avoiding you?

It may sound as if I'm making light of the situation, but that's just my writing style, not my intent. I've found myself in the grasp of the bad breath demons, but I was fortunate enough to have a family who let me know the problem existed and then stood by me until I found a solution.

No... There's no doubt in my mind as to how painful the problem can be, so why not click the "Helpful Resource" link below to read the full article, "The Social Consequences of Bad Breath."

(Helpful Resource...)

December 23, 2006 22:40 - Legally-Mandated Oral Hygiene

Hey... If you're a woman living in Vermont and you happen to have false teeth, I hope you have your husband's permission to wear them. If your husband told you it would be okay to wear them, that's not good enough. You have to have his permission in writing before you put in those pearly whites, or you just might find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Here are some other laws to help you adhere to your community's oral hygiene standards no matter how ridiculously high they may be.

The good citizens of Hackberry, Arizona have found the cure for bad breath. Well, they've cured bad breath in women one day a week... They have an ordinance that prohibits women from eating raw onions while drinking buttermilk on Sunday.

People in Castaic, California obviously feel strongly about their teeth, but I don't think they trust their dentists. According to their laws, if a dentist accidentally pulls the wrong tooth, the patient then has the right to pull one of the dentist's teeth. It sounds to me like a thorough application of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," etc. I do hope they don't have a similar law for opticians.

Indiana has found a way to eliminate bad breath. According to Indiana state law, once your breath leaves your body, it no longer belongs to you. So I guess it's not possible to have bad breath there.

Louisiana law states that if a person bites someone with his or her natural teeth, it's "simple assault." But if a person wearing false teeth bites someone, that's "aggravated assault."

At one point, the citizenry of White Horse, New Mexico was deeply concerned about onion-induced bad breath. Okay, that's not entirely true. They were concerned about married women with bad breath. (What's up with these places and women with bad breath?) Alright, it wasn't exactly a widespread problem, but they did feel strongly that no married woman should eat onions on the Sabbath unless she is "properly looked after." This means that her spouse must "follow 20 paces behind carrying a loaded musket over his left shoulder."

In Gary, Indiana, garlic is apparently a bigger problem than onions. People there are prohibited from going to the movies or riding a street car within four hours of eating garlic. But at least their law applies to everyone, not just women.

December 25, 2006 12:33 - A Christmas Wish from Oral Health News

Merry Christmas, Everybody!!

Although our family strives to remember the Savior and follow his teachings throughout the year, there's something special about this day on which we commemorate the arrival of the most precious gift that ever has been given, or ever will be given, to the children of men.

It must have been a chilly night in Bethlehem some 2,000 or so years ago, when the baby Jesus, even Christ the Lord, the Son of the almighty God, was born. From this miraculous birth, came a perfect yet humble life, filled with precepts and examples, all aimed at helping mankind overcome the world.

Eventually the fullness of this gift became evident in the form of the atonement and resurrection. Through the precious gift of the promised Savior comes the path by which we may, if we live worthily, return into our Heavenly Father's presence.

Even if you have not been inclined to do so in the past, we invite each and every one of you to join us as we celebrate the Savior's birth. It doesn't matter what your life has been like up until now. For answers to your most burning questions about what we believe regarding man's existence and his relationship to God, click on the Helpful Resource link below, or email me at "garybucher @ earthlink.net" (Don't forget to remove the spaces.)

Again, I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous, blessed, and joyful New Year.

(Helpful Resource...)