Oral cancer

How Older Adults can Take care of their Mouth Better 

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When you take care of your teeth, you’ll have them for a lot longer.  This matters at every single age, since healthy mouths means you’re talking, smiling, laughing, and you’re able to keep your teeth for a whole lot longer.  However, as you get older, there are certain things that you can do to help make sure that your teeth are fully taken care of.  Here’s how you can make your teeth last a whole lot longer even when you’re older. 

You may wonder why you should worry about your teeth? Well, teeth are a focal part to overall health and wellness, and if  you take care of it now, it can prevent future issues as well, especially in terms of your own body and wellness. 

As you get older, if you don’t prevent this, it can be a major problem, so be mindful of that when you’re looking for the right type of safety for this, and also, try to make sure that you also look at the overall big picture. 

Tooth Decay 

Tooth decay happens when starches and sugar feed on the teeth, attacking this. If you don’t handle this, it leads to fillings, crowns, extractions, and root canals, which are expensive and not fun. 

Gum disease 

Gum disease is another problem that happens whenever you don’t’ take care of your teeth. Because of the buildup of plaque and the tartar is left there untreated, it gets into the gums, making them swollen with a red color, and bleeding as well. This can get really bad, eventually ruining your gums, bones, and the tissue as well, and in severe gum disease cases, it results in tooth loss as well. 

How to prevent this 

You should definitely make sure that oral care is the main focus, and you should definitely understand it’s not too late for you to start taking care of your teeth. Here’s how you can. 

First, you need to brush your teeth twice daily. Use a soft bristled toothbrush with some fluoride, brushing this for a couple minutes usually.  You may struggle with this if you have arthritis or other conditions. You should talk to a doctor if that’s the case. You may want to use a bland of elastic to attach the toothbrush towards your hand.  You may also benefit from using a sponge and taping it there.  You can also use a toothbrush that’s electric if you do have limited types of mobility. 

Next, you should make sure that you do clean between the teeth every single day. This can be done with a flosser, or a water flosser, otherwise known as an interdental cleaner, since this helps those who struggle to use their hands with it. 

Next, make sure you’re seeing the dentist often. You can find out new and early signs of this decay, and then do something about it. Oral cancer can start in people above the age of 40, so proper dental screenings are imperative during this. Letting the dentist know about swelling you have, soreness of the mouth, or lumps is important. 

Then, make sure you use fluoride. This helps with mineralization. You can also use a rinse with this to help with it. Finally, if you’re going to take care of your teeth, you’ve got to look at the diet. Start to replace the carbs that are unhealthy with healthier foods. Try to eat fibrous foods, and also use the foods that’ll help keep the teeth nice and strong, so hat you’re not ruining the teeth as well. 

Back to School Oral Care Kits 

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With the school season always a focus for many parents, oral care is something that’s oftentimes not fully looked at, due to the flurry of haircuts, shopping, schedules, and even new seasons. When a child’s starting a new grade, putting together oral care kits for kids is perfect. That way, they’ll be able to walk into classrooms wearing the hottest accessories for the school year: bright, healthy smiles. Different kits vary based on age groups, and you’ll be able to experience your full journey with this. 

Planning these Kits

When putting together these kits, you want to get into good habits first and foremost, so that it sets up the family for success in the long term. 

While the weeks leading up to this feel like they’re forever, you should know that the health of a child is a critical part of starting this calendar. 

When you’re prepared for healthy routines, you’ll be able to kick things off in a strong manner. 

Taking time to schedule dental checkups a month before they begin, and even stocking up on oral hygiene and other items, and even good snacks is good.  It sets them up for a future of bright, healthy smiles. 

Now for kids ages 5 to 8, they probably don’t have a regimen down yet.  But don’t ferret, that’s normal. The simplest solution is to have reminders that’ll help them brush and get them to do this.  getting them to brush for 2 minutes, and then having them do this twice a day, especially before bed, is good. Sticker charts are a great way to keep one on track. 

These oral kits need to include: 

  • New toothbrushes of their choice.  You should make sure to change every quarter, as they are good for remembering to keep them clean 
  • Mild toothpaste with fluoride in them, so that they get a fun, exciting flavor 
  • Flavored floss or even flossing holders 

For kids 8 to 12 years old, they’re preteens, starting at new life stages, and teeth usually start to enter a new stage, which is the braces stage. It’s recommended that children get their first orthodontic checkup at the age of seven or so.  When setting this up, you can also ask your dentist for referrals to orthodontists if you’re worried about teeth alignment. 

When you put together a dental care kit, having these supplies in their gym bag, along with deodorant and shower gel, will help them stay on top of their oral health. 

Finally, you can get them an electric toothbrush. 

Their oral kit should contain: 

  • Battery powered toothbrushes for home, and a soft-bristle toothbrush on the go 
  • Fluoride toothpastes of choice 
  • Flavored floss and a flosser 
  • A small pouch to hold this 

Then at ages 12 to 18, you want to focus on the stress of teenagerhood.  They are definitely something that you’ll want to keep on hand.  You should give them a reminder either in their phone, or even notes. 

Adolescence is usually the best time to focus on keeping the cavities away, and brushing with fluoride types of toothpaste and treatment is good.  You want to make sure that you have good oral care, and also eat a diet that’s healthy and nutritious, in order to give teenagers healthier mouths. 

Their kit must include: 

  • Portable, manual toothbrushes that are good for their gym bags, or even a tongue cleaner 
  • An electric toothbrush that’s battery powered with different settings 
  • Travel mouthwash 
  • Fluoride toothpastes of their choice.  

These are all good for their bags to get them on the right path to oral health and success. 

Do Tooth Worms Exist? 

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Did you ever wonder if there is a “tooth worm” that eats at the teeth inside, which is what creates the toothache? While the tubules and dentin within the pulp that’s disease do look like a worm, there’s not actually worms in your teeth, even though they do look like this.

The Tubules 

Tubules in dentin are little tubes that are hollow and sometimes cause diseases. They’re seen only with a microscope, and they do look like worms according to the ADA. The dentin tubules have a specific job which is pretty important. That is to conduct the sensitivity that’s there when exposed to heat or cold on the surface of the tooth all the way to the nerve. 

But there are some instances where discomfort and pain occur when you expose the tubules.  They do look like worms at first when you look at them with a microscope. However, they are not actually worms. 

The Cause of Dental Disease 

If it’s not tooth worms or problems in gums, what’s causing these toothaches? 

The most common cause is bacteria, or plaque that forms on the teeth. They decay and play the part of the villain for people. 

Plaque is where it forms when there is a lot of buildup near the bacteria that’s within the teeth. It leads to gingivitis and gum disease. It also causes periodontitis, which affects over half of Americans that are above 30 years old. 

The treatment for Caries 

While there’s no actual worms there, there are treatments that come with this.

Some of the treatments include: 

  • Cleaning out the teeth, filling them with restorations 
  • Preventing the pulp that’s there from being hurt further and dying, with a capping of the pulp 
  • Performing root canals on affected areas 

If there is a lot of decay there, to the point where it can’t be salvaged, more than likely they’ll just take it out via extraction.  Usually, they replace this with implants, or bridges. Ideally, it shouldn’t get to that point, but you never know. 

Overall, your dentist will give you the right treatment. If there is periodontitis, then chances are they’ll also have you get a scaling, which is a deep cleaning of the mouth. This can prevent further worms from burrowing in, giving it a deep cleaning that’ll really work its magic. 

Keeping the Mouth Healthy 

While you shouldn’t worry about worms, you’ll want to make sure that you keep the mouth clean and healthy. 

The best way to treat caries is to prevent them before they get worse.  What’s the best way to prevent this though? 

Well, the best ways are as follows: 

  • Brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes with a fluoridated toothpaste 
  • Floss once a day to get in between the teeth 
  • Rinse out with a mouthwash that’s antibacterial, and ideally alcohol free so that you don’t dry out the mouth and invite the cavity causing bacteria in 
  • See the dentist every six or so months to get a checkup and to look for any possible problems that might occur 
  • Have the teeth that are damaged examined and taken care of as soon as possible, in order to mitigate the damage that’s there 

With a lot of advancements in modern medicine and dental science, you want to make sure that you take the time to ensure that this is properly taken care of. 

Practice good oral hygiene practices, and from there you won’t have to worry about the dental worms. They’re for the birds then, rather than for your teeth. 

Helping children Floss

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One thing that a lot of parents need to teach their child is proper oral care. While brushing twice daily along with flossing come together to reduce tooth decay and gum disease, the one that a lot of children have trouble with is flossing.  You can learn how to help children clean between the teeth with their floss, encouraging them to keep up the habit for the rest of their life. 

When to Start 

Children need to start flossing when enough of the teeth that they have start growing next to one another. Bacteria settle in between the teeth, which leads to tooth decay, and gums which are inflamed. Parents usually have to floss the kid’s teeth usually initially. It’s vital to also be gentle when you do this, as this can sometimes be a bit sore afterwards, and crate gums that are bleeding. Keep it gentle, so that you can teach children the vital nature of this habit. 

Getting Children to Floss Better 

If you’re dealing with a child who is against flossing, or hesitant on doing this, you’re not alone. When you clean between the teeth, this is challenging, but there are a few ways to make it fun for them. 

Close up Young asian boy useing toothpick to clean his teeth on white background.

Some of these include: 

  • Demonstrating the way flossing works 
  • Rewarding correct flossing 
  • Singing different songs 
  • Letting children pick out the products they need to use 

You can show them how flossing removes this debris pretty easily. First, you want to eat snacks including fruit, leafy greens, and the like, something that usually gets stuck between a person’s teeth. You then demonstrate the correct technique for flossing, so you can provide children with a visual on just how this works. Then, you want to make this a habit, by having them put together a calendar that demonstrates their oral care. Whenever they do something correct, they get a sticker. Then, as  they accumulate the stickers, they can get rewards for it. 

Sometimes, singing works too, as it can help get children engaged and excited for flossing. 

Flossing for Kids 

If you’re wondering the best way to floss a child’s teeth, you’re not alone. 

You can actually do this in just four simple steps, provided that the child has enough teeth to make this a reality. In fact, once the floss is there, you can then continue, and from there, build the best means for you to get the results you want. 

  • First, you want to get about 18 or more inches of floss, but not a ton of it. 
  • Wind a bit of floss around the index finger and the thumb, at every single end until there’s a small section of floss a person can use between their fingers. Then, you want to slide this between the teeth of a child.
  • Angle this so that it creates  a C shape that curves around the teeth, sliding the floss along the sides of your teeth, and then underneath the gum line 
  • Using a fresh and new floss section, repeat this each time so that the biofilm and the food doesn’t get put back in there, because that can happen 

If this is hard for them to do, or if it’s not comfortable, the best way for a child to manage this at this point is either water flossers or interdental brushes that clean up the teeth, preventing further discomfort from happening.

With all of this, you as a parent will be able to ensure that the child gets proper care, and they’ll be able to grow with this, building better health habits. 

How to Fix Bad Breath and Dry Mouth 

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Bad breath is something that we all have every single morning.

However, some of us have really bad breath, and it can be a bit embarrassing, and bring a self-conscious feeling to this.  The best way to prevent this is by practicing good dental health.

However, dry mouth also is the cause of bad breath, and that has so little to do with how you take care of your teeth.

However, there are ways to fix it, which is what we’re going to talk about here. 

The Cause of Dry Mouth 

The cause of this is a variety of reasons.  Vomiting, the flu, or dehydration are a lot of causes but those are temporary.

Sometimes, if you have diabetes or another medical condition, you may experience dry mouth.  It’s also a side effect that some medications have, including decongestants, antihistamines, pain meds, and muscle relaxants.  If you have a prescription for anxiety and high blood pressure medications, you might also suffer from dry mouth.

Finally, if you get chemotherapy, you might also deal with dry mouth. 

Bad Breath Reasons 

You may get bad breath sometimes from dry mouth, but that’s not always the case. 

How does it happen though? it’s actually not from the medication, but it’s actually chemicals present within the medicine.  They directly inhibit the production of saliva from the salivary glands. Saliva is responsible for hydration, getting rid of food particles from gums and teeth, and fighting off tooth decay.  Without the use of saliva, you’ll have more bacteria, dry mouth and oral parts of your mouth, and this creates bad breath.

Diagnosis of Dry Mouth 

You may have some problems in the mouth responsible for the production of dry mouth.

Woman using breath freshener

If the reason for dry mouth is your oral health, then periodontal disease, cavities, and the like might be the problem. 

If you’re taking medication that causes this, however, you should talk to a specialist, or even a physician, in order to take care of the issue at hand. 

Treatments and Prevention 

There are a few ways for you to treat dry mouth. Usually, it’s a two-step program. First, the doctor will give you some medication for the symptoms.  You may have bad breath, dental sores, and the like. If it’s caused by periodontitis, then a deep cleaning might happen.

They may also give you antibiotics to treat any infections that’ll happen. If this doesn’t go away, then you’ll get some tests for this, and you may also need to adjust the dosages and medications that are there. 

As for preventions, you’ll want to make sure that you look at alternatives so that you’re not dealing with bad breath. For those with limited medication options, or medical conditions, you might want to discuss this with your doctor.  The best way to prevent it in that case is to keep up with your oral care and hygiene, so that you prevent this development.

You should also engage in lifestyle changes too. There are certain products that prevent the formation of dry mouth, so make sure to ask about those. If you smoke, drink alcohol, or like caffeine, then you might also want to limit these habits as well.

There are a few causes for dry mouth, but you can improve this situation in a lot of cases. The best thing to do in this case is to make sure that you protect the mouth and the structures, engage in proper hygiene in order to have good breath that you can be proud of, and not hate as well!