Sores in the Corners of the Mouth

The last few winters have brought me a new problem: the corners of my mouth dry out and crack open. It’s painful, it looks ugly and makes me self-conscious, and I’m having a hard time healing it. If I open my mouth too wide (like for a yawn), anything that has healed cracks open again. It’s very frustrating! You know what that means: time to do some research and write an article. There are a few names for this sort of problem. According to Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice health site, this is known as angular cheilitis, angular stomatitis, or … Continue reading →

Fight Cavities with Gummy Bears

Another candy joins the fight against bad teeth: those sweet, colorful Gummy Bears! As long as those Gummy Bears are sweetened with xylitol, that is. Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol that is often used as a sugar substitute. Studies have shown that xylitol can help reduce levels of a particular kind of bacteria (mutans streptococci) in plaque. You may have seen xylitol as an ingredient in sugar-free chewing gum! However, gum isn’t usually recommended for younger children — it’s all too easy for a young child to chew and swallow gum, rather than just chew it. A study from … Continue reading →

Dentist Anxiety

There’s been a lot of talk in my life about dentists lately… namely because a coworker at the cats-only boarding facility where I have a part time job just had a heck of a time having one of her wisdom teeth removed. My coworker’s rough time made me think of the rough time Heather had with her wisdom teeth: Dental Horror Story: The Wisdom in Teeth The Horror of Dental Insurance and Teeth Dental Horror Story: Going Back to School Dental Horror Story: The Happily Ever After Part I was lucky that I had a very easy time of it … Continue reading →

Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Avoiding Complications

The most common treatment for problems with wisdom teeth is extraction. The procedure is usually relatively quick and easy: the gum over each tooth is opened, the tooth is removed, and the gum is closed again (sometimes with stitches). When I had my wisdom teeth removed, I had dissolving stitches — so I didn’t have to go back the dentist to have them taken out. For many people, the recovery time from a wisdom tooth extraction is just a few days. Your dentist or oral surgeon may have you take painkillers. You’ll need to rest for a few days — … Continue reading →

Wisdom Teeth: The Basics

I was lucky — when I had to have my wisdom teeth taken out, I had a very easy time of it. Others (like Families.com’s own Heather Long) didn’t have an easy time at all. Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars in the mouth — a pair on the top and a pair on the bottom. They earned the name “wisdom teeth” because they usually show up when a person is (supposedly) old enough to have earned some wisdom. If your wisdom teeth are healthy and there’s enough room in your mouth for an extra set of molars, … Continue reading →

The Fluoride Debate

Fluoride is good for your teeth, right? Right… most of the time. What is fluoride, anyway? Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in soil and in many sources of water. It is used to fight cavities topically (as toothpaste or mouth wash, for example) and systemically (in drinking water or lozenges, for example). Topical fluoride is very effective in protecting teeth from cavities by helping repair damaged areas. Systemic fluoride may provide protection because it is absorbed into the body itself. There are lots of big health organizations that believe in the positive impact of fluoride on children and … Continue reading →

Common Causes for Bad Breath

Would you believe that there are ninety million people in the United States alone suffering from chronic bad breath? That’s a lot of halitosis! What causes all that bad breath? These are the top culprits: The food you eat. Some things are just stinkier than others — like garlic or onions. Food can also contribute to problems with bacteria in the mouth (see number 3 for the explanation). Tobacco and alcohol. They can leave your mouth stinky! Bacteria that lives in the mouth. When bacteria in the mouth interact with food particles, they can give off stinky by-products. Bacteria can … Continue reading →

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth can be a situational problem — like getting nervous before making a speech — or a chronic problem. Chronic dry mouth occurs when saliva glands don’t work properly. Chronic dry mouth could be caused by medication or chemotherapy, it could be nerve damage from a head or neck injury, or it could be a disease that affects the saliva glands themselves. If you do experience chronic dry mouth, you should talk to your doctor or dentist. But for situational dry mouth (or while you’re waiting to see your health care professional) you can try these tips: Sip water … Continue reading →

The Basics for Brushing

Just because we brush every day (often twice a day) doesn’t mean we’re doing it right! Studies have shown that there are lots of people out there who have bad brushing habits. Here are some tips to help you get it right. Don’t brush too hard. You can actually hurt your teeth and gums this way. A thorough brushing takes two minutes or more — whether you use an electric toothbrush or a traditional one. Set a timer if you need to. Most people think they’re brushing long enough and they just aren’t. Those “Tooth Tunes” brushes are great for … Continue reading →

BrushTest

Have you seen the ads from the American Dental Association? A quick, easy test is now available that can detect unhealthy cells in the mouth long before they turn into oral cancer. Oral cancer is more common than you may think — it is about as common as leukemia (but seems to get less notice in the news). Oral cancer takes more lives than melanoma (skin cancer) or cervical cancer. Bad news — oral cancer is on the rise among women, young people, and non-smokers. More than a quarter of all oral cancers develop in people who DO NOT SMOKE … Continue reading →