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What Causes Bad Breath?

Posted by: Dr. Sarah Po | Comments (0)
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

This is a very popular question.  Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is an unpleasant condition that is cause for social embarrassment.  Here are some causes:

  • Eating foods with strong odors.  This is an obvious one, and examples are onions and garlic.  The good news is that bad breath from foods is temporary and should disappear once the food has been passed through your body.
  • Poor oral hygiene.  Keep in mind that bacteria lives in your mouth and can be found in plaque or tartar.  When you do not brush or floss regularly, this odor-causing bacteria will continue to grow.  Bacteria also tends to accumulate on the tongue, so clean your tongue with your toothbrush or ask your dentist for a tongue scraper.
  • Cavities & Abscesses.  Bacteria will release waste products in the form of sulfur compounds which will cause bad breath.
  • Gum Disease.  In this case bad breath comes from having large amounts of bacteria in deep gum pockets in combination with bleeding gums
  • Smoking.  Not only does smoking cause bad breath, it also stains your teeth, increases your risk to oral cancer, and irritates your gums.
  • Dry mouth (xerostomia).  This could be due to salivary gland problems, certain medications, or chronic mouth-breathing.
  • Medical conditions such as sinus infections that cause postnasal drip, diabetes, acid reflux, and liver problems can also cause bad breath.

How To Avoid It?

  • Brush and floss regularly, and keep your tongue clean
  • See your dentist regularly to ensure healthy gums and teeth
  • Do not smoke
  • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
  • Chew sugar free gum to help stimulate saliva flow

Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
Mar. 30, 2010

Source:  http://www.ada.org/public/topics/bad_breath.asp

Categories : Bad Breath
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Early Detection of Oral Cancer

Posted by: Dr. Sarah Po | Comments (0)
Thursday, February 4th, 2010

When was the last time you had an oral cancer screening?  If you visit your dentist regularly, chances are you’ve had a screening recently.  This means your dentist or hygienist checked all of these soft tissue areas:  inside of your cheek and lips, all surfaces of your tongue, floor of your mouth, palate, lips, and throat.  Basically any red or white spots, bumps and lumps that are out of the ordinary would be noted.  Some offices use additional tools like the Vizilite Plus or the Velscope whenever they detect a suspicious lesion.

In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned that smoking is the number one risk factor for oral cancer.  But that does not mean the rest of us non-smokers are in the clear.  The American Cancer Society estimates that 25% of oral cancers occur in people who don’t smoke and have no other lifestyle factors.  That means virtually everyone is at risk, including you.

In addition, human papilloma virus (HPV), the sexually transmitted infection commonly associated with most cervical cancer cases, has been linked to oral cancer.

The good news:  Oral cancer is one of the most curable diseases when it is caught early, and your dentist could save your life through early detection of oral cancer.  When premalignant or early stage oral cancer is found, the treatment is simpler, less invasive, and more likely to be successful.

So, I urge you to protect yourself:  If you are not visiting your dentist regularly, then no one is checking the inside of your mouth.  Have your dentist do a complete oral cancer screening during your dental checkups.  Whether or not you consider your teeth and gums a priority, I’m sure you consider a healthier life to be a priority.

Thank you for reading.  I encourage you to leave comments or questions below.  To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
Feb. 4, 2010

Sources:
ACS Cancer Facts & Figures 2006
Herrero, R et al. for the IARC Multicenter Oral Cancer Study Group.  Human papillomavirus and oral cancer:  the Internationl Agency for Research on Cancer multicenter study.
www.vizilite.com

Categories : Healthy Teeth
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Smoking and Oral Cancer

Posted by: Dr. Sarah Po | Comments (0)
Friday, January 15th, 2010

It’s that time of year for New Year’s Resolutions.  One common resolution is the decision to quit smoking.  If you are one of these people, congratulations!!  You have made a life-saving decision that will not only improve your overall health (not just dental) but will also lower your risk for oral cancer.

Here are some facts on oral cancer, taken from the American Dental Association’s fact sheet:

  • Oral cancer strikes an estimated 34,360 Americans each year.  An estimated 7,550 people (5,180 men and 2,370 women) will die of these cancers in 2007.1
  • More than 25% of the 30,000 Americans who get oral cancer will die of the disease.2
  • On average, only half of those diagnosed with the disease will survive more than five years.4

What is the number one risk factor for oral cancer?

You got it – Smoking.  This includes all forms of tobacco use including cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco.

Other benefits to quitting smoking are:  decreased risk of lung cancer, heart disease, COPD, improved circulation and breathing, eliminating exposure of tobacco to those around you via second-hand smoking.  From a dental perspective, you will reduce staining of your teeth and bad breath, and the health of your gums will improve.

For the complete ADA articles on oral cancer and smoking, please refer to

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/cancer_oral.asp

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/smoking_tobacco.asp

In future blogs I will cover more on the specifics of oral cancer detection as well as other dental conditions linked with tobacco use.  Until then…

Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po

Categories : Dentistry, Elite Sacramento Dentist, Healthy Teeth
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