National Fresh Breath Day is celebrated in August, but who doesn’t want fresh breath every day? Everyone has bad breath once in a while, so here are some tips to fight it.

1. Step up your oral hygiene routine.
Good oral hygiene is the first line of defense against bad breath. Brush your teeth morning and night and floss daily to remove much of the tiny food debris and plaque (colonies of oral bacteria) that can cause bad breath.

2. Don’t neglect your tongue.
A coated tongue can be a source of bad breath, so brush your tongue as well as your teeth or use a tongue scraper, which can be purchased in the oral health aisle of your local pharmacy.

3. Clean around your braces.
If you have braces, use an interdental brush or a water flosser to free trapped food particles.

4. Pay attention to your oral appliances.
If you wear dentures, be sure to clean them thoroughly every day, and brush your gums and the inside of your mouth as well. Bridgework also needs special attention: Clean carefully around the bridge and under the false tooth, as food can get stuck there.

5. Tackle dry mouth.
Dry mouth, a major cause of bad breath, can result from numerous medications, salivary gland problems, or breathing through the mouth instead of the nose due to sinus problems, sleep apnea, or other conditions. If your mouth is chronically dry, chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production, or ask about an over-the-counter or prescription saliva substitute.

6. Avoid extreme dieting.
Weight loss diets that advocate a stringent reduction in carbohydrates can lead to “keto breath.” This foul-smelling breath happens when the body burns fat instead of glucose for fuel.

7. Quit smoking.
In addition to smelling like cigarettes, people who smoke have less—as well as lower quality—saliva, which contributes to bad breath and poor oral health. If you need help quitting, talk with us or call (800) QUIT-NOW.

8. Be aware that some foods and beverages can leave stinky breath.
These include garlic, onions, strong spices, coffee, alcohol, cheese, and canned fish.

9. Keep up with regular dental visits.
Professional dental cleanings are necessary to get rid of hardened plaque (tartar) that can’t be removed by your brushing and flossing routine at home. We also check for gum disease, another cause of bad breath.

10. See your doctor.
Certain medical conditions like acid reflux, diabetes, and respiratory infections can cause bad breath. If you have an untreated health condition, make an appointment with your medical doctor.

If you are concerned about bad breath, please contact our office or schedule a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine article “Bad Breath: More Than Just Embarrassing.”

After several treatment sessions your periodontal (gum) disease is under control. But, while we may have won this battle, the war rages on. To keep an infection from re-occurring we'll have to remain on guard.

Gum disease begins and thrives on a thin film of bacteria and food particles on tooth surfaces called plaque. The infection usually begins as gingivitis, which causes the gums to become red and swollen (inflamed). Untreated it can develop into periodontitis, a more advanced form that progresses deeper into the gum tissues resulting in bone loss.

To treat the disease, we must remove all the plaque and calculus (hardened plaque deposits) we can find no matter how deeply they've penetrated below the gum line. Since the deeper it extends the more likely surgical techniques may be necessary to consider, it's better to catch the disease in its earliest stages when plaque can be removed with hand instruments or ultrasonic equipment.

The appropriate treatment technique can effectively stop and even reverse gum disease's effects — but it won't change your susceptibility. Constant vigilance is the best way to significantly reduce your risk of another episode. In this case, our prevention goal is the same as in treatment: remove plaque.

It begins with you learning and applying effective brushing and flossing techniques, and being consistent with these habits every day. As your dentist, we play a role too: we may need to see you as often as every few weeks or quarter to perform meticulous cleaning above and below the gum line. We may also perform procedures on your gums to make it easier to maintain them and your teeth, including correcting root surface irregularities that can accumulate plaque.

Our aim is to reduce the chances of another infection as much as possible. "Fighting the good fight" calls for attention, diligence and effort — but the reward is continuing good health for your teeth and gums.

If you would like more information on continuing dental care after gum disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Periodontal Cleanings.”

If you regularly participate in sports or other physical activity, you’re at a higher risk for dental injuries. While chipped teeth are the most common result of these injuries, a few may result in more serious trauma — dislodged, cracked or knocked out teeth. In these cases, the core of the tooth — the pulp — and the root may have been damaged. Saving the tooth may require endodontic treatment and possibly the expertise of a specialist in the field, an endodontist.

Endodontics, from the Greek words for “within” and “tooth,” is a specialty of dentistry that treats disease or damage affecting the inner parts of a tooth, particularly the pulp chamber, the root canals, and the root. While all dentists are trained in endodontic procedures, an endodontist has advanced training, experience and specialized equipment to address complex cases.

The type of endodontic treatment needed for an injured tooth will depend on the extent of damage. A mature, permanent tooth with pulp damage, for example, may require a root canal treatment. In this procedure the pulp chamber and root canals are thoroughly cleaned out, and then are filled with a special filling to prevent any future infection. Later the tooth should be crowned to permanently seal it. Although a general dentist may perform a root canal, more complex cases, such as a tooth with an extensive root canal network, may need to be performed by an endodontist using microscopic equipment.

A tooth that has undergone severe trauma, especially a knocked out tooth, will need extensive follow-up care by a general dentist and possibly an endodontist to improve its chances of long-term survival. Because of the severity, the tooth may lose viability and the body ultimately may begin to reject it. For this reason, the tooth should be monitored on a regular basis and may need further treatment from time to time, even up to five years after the injury.

One final word: if you participate in sports or exercise activity, you can significantly reduce your risk of dental injury with a mouthguard. There are various types, but the best protection is one custom designed to fit the specific contours of your mouth. We’ll be glad to advise you further on how to protect your teeth from injury.

If you would like more information on dental injury prevention and treatment, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Trauma & Nerve Damage to Teeth.”