(360) 629-7229

7204 267th St. NW, Suite 102
Stanwood, WA 98292

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Chronic Bad Breath? Causes and Treatment.

Rapidly Dividing Oral Bacteria

Bad breath or what is known clinically as halitosis, can be embarrassing.  For most of us it is pretty infrequent occurrence but for others they suffer from this condition chronically.  So, what causes this phenomenon and what can be done about it?

Although short term bad breath may be due to whatever you just ate, think garlic and onions, longer term bad breath is a bit harder to deal with.  If you just had something stinky to eat, the best way to deal with that is to try and get rid of the remaining food odor either rinsing with water and/or chewing sugar free gum to trigger your salivary flow to help rinse and cleanse your mouth. 

If you suffer from chronic bad breath it is more likely due to the presence of bacteria that release noxious odors that are hiding in the many nooks and crannies of your mouth.  There are a couple obvious places that bacteria like to hide in your mouth.  If you can manage to disrupt these colonies of bacteria, your bad breath should subside.

The most obvious place bacteria like to hide is your teeth.  If you have a lot of buildup on your teeth, this buildup is comprised of colonies upon colonies of bacteria.  We recommend visits (for most of you) of every six months to see our hygiene team to help in removing this buildup as it’s impossible to remove tartar with an ordinary toothbrush.  Another location on your teeth that is commonly forgotten, is between your teeth.  Correct and regular flossing and/or waterpiking can help disrupt these colonies of bacteria to help keep their numbers low.

Other areas that are often underestimated are your taste buds on your tongue.  If you have a condition known as “hairy tongue”, “fissured tongue”, etc, your anatomy may be trapping bacteria making it harder to clean your tongue.  If you are not brushing your tongue already, try that.  If you have tried this already, take a look at your local drug store or online for a “tongue scraper” – these can work wonderfully.

Bad breath can be a pretty significant sign of a larger underlying dental condition known as periodontal disease.  Periodontal disease is a chronic and non-painful condition that leads to the destruction of the bone around your teeth and can lead to eventual tooth loss if left untreated.  Similarly to bacteria hiding between your teeth, periodontal disease leads to the loss of bone around your teeth creating new areas, below your gum line, where bacteria will fester.

If you have not been in to visit us recently and would like a dental exam to address this and any other dental conditions you may have, please feel free to call us at (360) 629-7229.

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Non-fluoridated Toothpastes

Occasionally, patients will ask for guidance with the use of fluoride as it relates to their dental care. I understand their concerns as there can be some misinformation about its risks.  I have talked about the many benefits of fluoride use before and continue to remain a firm advocate of its responsible use based upon the extensive research conducted on this naturally-occurring compound.  Per the American Dental Association (ADA): “More than 70 years of scientific research has consistently shown that an optimal level of fluoride in community water is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay by at least 25% in both children and adults. Simply by drinking water, Americans can benefit from fluoride’s cavity protection whether they are at home, work or school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named community water fluoridation one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.” (See https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation). 

 
Recently, I encountered new research that provides further evidence on the continued responsible use of fluoride.  New research results, published by the National Institute of Health, conclude that the use of non-fluoride containing toothpastes do not aid in the prevention of cavities.  In essence, the primary benefit of utilizing toothpaste while brushing is caries prevention. For patients that choose non-fluoride containing toothpastes, this recent research continues to support existing evidence that these patients will see higher rates of tooth decay.  I encourage those looking for more information to review the peer-reviewed findings published at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29766564. 

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Candy Season 2017

It’s holiday season again, or as my hygienist calls it, “cavity season”.  Because candy is so ubiquitous this time of year, I thought I should give some helpful advice for all of us (dentists included) that appreciate something sweet every now and then.

 

  • Try your best to avoid those stickier candies like taffies and Sour Patch Kids. The key is getting the sugar out of your mouth as quickly as possible and these sticky sweets tend to stick around a lot longer.
  • Eat your candy quickly. Sucking on Jolly Ranchers, for instance, for an extended period of time never lets your mouth cleanse itself and will predispose you to a higher risk for cavities.
  • If you have to choose a candy that is best for your teeth, chocolate is a good choice. Although any amount of sweets is hard on your teeth and your diet, there are compounds in chocolate that are antimicrobial and even helps fight plaque!  Additionally, chocolate rinses away quickly and doesn’t linger.
  • Try and avoid hard candies. They stick around longer and you will not be tempted to bite into them which can break your teeth.  Sometimes we can fix broken teeth but sometimes they break so badly that there is nothing a dentist can do for it.  Additionally, if you have existing dental work in your mouth, hard candies are very rough on existing dental work.
  • Rinse after you eat sugar! Try and avoid brushing right away as your teeth will be sitting in an acidic environment and brushing softened tooth structure will erode your teeth a lot quicker.
  • Sugar free gums (especially with xylitol, an alternative sugar) will help bring your risk for tooth decay down! It even works great as a trick or treat bag stuffer.
  • Lastly, a friendly reminder for patients with multiple items on their treatment plans: if you have any outstanding insurance benefits left over at the end of the year, it is use it or lose it season. Most patient’s insurance rolls over at the end of the year so keep that in mind to help maximize your insurance reimbursement!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment to discuss your personal situation, please give us a call today at 360-629-7229.

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Pediatric Oral Health

Pediatric oral hygiene is the foundation for ensuring a healthy transition for a child into their adult years.   As a parent of a two year old boy, I can say from personal experience that taking care of his teeth is hard but so is nearly everything you do with a child so I would not expect it would be any different. Setting a good example by brushing and flossing your children’s teeth is important to help establish a good routine that they will continue on their own into their adult years.  Oral health impacts children just as much, if not more, than their adult counterparts.

Parents often disregard cavities in their children’s teeth because they feel “it’s a baby tooth” and they feel that it will be replaced in a couple of years.  However, primary teeth serve a larger purpose by acting as placeholders for permanent teeth.  Without them, adult teeth very likely would not have enough room to erupt into their correct locations.  Additionally, baby teeth can also become abscessed, much like adult teeth.  In fact, tooth pain is one of the leading causes for children to miss school and should not be taken lightly.

Here are a few suggestions for any parent looking to implement a healthy routine with their child:

–          For younger children, if they sleep with a bottle, avoid anything in their bottle at night except water.

–          Once their teeth start erupting, set a good example by brushing twice a day and flossing once a day.  Using a smear of fluoride toothpaste before your child can spit it all out will help fight tooth decay.  Once they can spit, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste starts to make more sense.

–          Getting kids in to see the dentist around one year of age for a “happy visit” is a great idea.  We can look at their teeth (if they will let us), let them ride in the chair and check out the gadgets we use for cleanings, like air and water hoses.  It sets the foundation to help kids feel more comfortable visiting a dental office and getting to know their hygienist and dentist.

–          I hear from parents that have had bad dental experiences as a child that they are afraid of passing on their dental phobia to their kids. This is a very real concern.  I recommend avoiding phrases like “it’s not going to hurt” when you talk to your kids about dental work and cleanings.  Children hear what you are not saying and can read between the lines about our own experiences.

–          Get a cheap electric toothbrush!  Oral-B makes all sorts of character electric toothbrushes.  It makes brushing their teeth fun and engaging.

–          You may find that boys need help longer with brushing their teeth.  Let them help with one hand on the brush but you should be doing the work until you are confident that they can do it themselves.  Let us evaluate if necessary!

–          Getting children on a fluoride supplement early is important in non-fluoridated communities like in Arlington and Stanwood-Camano areas.  Fluoride becomes incorporated into their adult teeth and lowers their cavity risk into their adult years by 300%!

If you have any questions, we can help. Please call us at 360-629-7229 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a pediatric visit for your child.

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Alternative Means to Arrest Tooth Decay

If you’re a nerd about teeth like I am, you may be excited about a new FDA-approved product, silver diamine fluoride, that we recently made available at Cascadia Dentistry. The compound, when applied appropriately, works to arrest existing cavities. Because of its ability to stop decay (after multiple applications), it is a great alternative for treating some types of tooth decay that were previously untreatable or were difficult and sometimes traumatic to treat.

One example of an area where this new compound can be used is on root surfaces below the gum line that were traditionally very difficult to treat. These types of cavities tend to affect patients with dry mouth. Known as root caries, these cavities have been notoriously hard to treat due to their location, the need to visualize complete decay removal and the need to keep the area dry when placing a more traditional filling.

Similarly, in children that struggle with longer dental visits or can’t tolerate anesthetic and/or a dental drill, silver diamine fluoride may be another great alternative to slow or stop tooth decay in primary or “baby” teeth because it is so easy to administer. The procedure is fairly straightforward and simply requires isolating the affected area, placing the material and drying. Standard application is at least two applications spread over at least a week period.

Although we are pleased to announce that we now offer this less invasive approach to treat tooth decay, this is not a silver bullet (no pun intended) for all tooth decay. Because this material stains nearly anything it touches dark brown or black, it is not appropriate for many patients with decay in areas that are visible.

If you are interested in learning more, the following article has more information: more here. Please feel free to reach out and let us know if you have any questions about this or any other procedures that we offer. Call (360) 629-7229 to schedule your next visit today!”.