Basics That Beat Bad Breath

Bad breath is embarrassing. It inconveniences you and everyone around you. It affects your life in more ways than you might be aware of. It is crucial that you give due care to your oral health well in time to save difficult procedures and unbearable decay in time. Here are a few ways how you can do that:

1. Brushing Twice: This is the first and the most important. The reasons of odour in the mouth are mainly gum disease, tooth decay, and cavities. You should brush your teeth twice, once right after you wake up and just before you go to bed.

2. Tongue Cleaning and Flossing: It’s not just brushing, you need to clean your tongue too. This is the area where harmful bacteria are present. To avoid odour and mouth diseases, ensure that you have a tongue cleaner and that you clean your tongue every time you brush your teeth. Also remove the in-betweens of the teeth with a flossing thread. It ensures complete deposit free oral hygiene.

3. No to Mints: Avoid using mints and gums to disguise the odour in your breath. They are temporary disguises and do more harm than good. They have sugar which stays back in your mouth and spoils your oral health, drastically. If you have to choose ones which are free of sugar.

4. Drink Ample Water: If your mouth is dry, it is a bad sign. Saliva has the important enzymes which help kill bacteria. If your mouth is dry, bacteria are increasing. So, drink water. Ensure you drink at least eight glasses of water in a day.

5. Rinse After Every Meal: Always wash the insides of your mouth well, after eating anything, esp. chocolates and other sugary foods. A good swirl with water inside your mouth will get rid of the food lodged in corners.

6. Pick The Right Fruits: Certain fruits and vegetables are very good for oral health. Juicy and crunchy Vitamin C rich fruits like bell peppers, broccoli, berries and apple have a cleansing effect on your teeth.

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6 Effective Basics That Beat BAD Breath

A quite serious bacterial infection, diphtheria is caused by the Corynebacterium diphtheria. It usually tends to affect the throat and the mouth of an affected person, although there are other varieties which can infect your skin as well. However, the most common cases of diphtheria affect the throat and the mouth. 

Symptoms of diphtheria in general
It may take up to five days for symptoms to show up when you are infected with the disease. Some of the symptoms would be:

You neck would swell up due to swelling in the lymph nodes, especially in the neck
Your throat and tonsils will develop a thick grayish membrane 
Your throat may become sore and hoarse
You may face difficulty in breathing, depending on the size of the membrane and the resultant inflammation
You may have difficulty swallowing as well
These are the primary symptoms which will affect your throat in general. Some of the other symptoms that may show up are:

Fever
Nasal discharge
Malaise or a general feeling of discomfort 
Chills
The parts of your body, which are affected the most tend to be your throat, tongue and the neck. The pain tends to persist for quite some time as you recover.

Causes of diphtheria 
Diphtheria is usually spread by the following methods

Airborne droplets: This is possibly the most common method of contracting the disease. This usually happens when a person is infected with diphtheria coughs or sneezes around you. The airborne droplets then travel from one person to another, transmitting the infection. This is particularly the case in crowded area such as public transport and public spaces.
Touching personal items which may be infected: Touching used towels, paper tissues or drinking from an unwashed glass may cause an infection as well. These tend to happen mostly in an indoor setting such as offices and houses. Even toys, door and equipment handles can cause transmission of this virus. 
If you are showing any of these symptoms, it is prudent to go visit your doctor immediately as diphtheria, if left untreated, may also result in serious complications.

Diphtheria - How it Affects Your Throat and Tongue?

Why it's more important to brush your teeth in the night than in the morning

Most people wake up every morning and stumble to wash their teeth first thing. Do you believe that brushing your teeth in the morning is sufficient to keep your mouth healthy?

While it is important to brush your teeth in the morning for good oral hygiene, what goes on in your mouth all night is even more important. Brushing your teeth once a day is barely enough to maintain perfect oral hygiene. By brushing twice a day you can make the difference.

Do you know why it can be important to brush at night since you are only about to sleep?

Here are a few things that brushing before bed does.

1. Reduces acid build up

Everyone has acid being constantly produced in their mouths. The saliva secreted contains calcium which neutralizes the acid being built up. At night the saliva secretion slows down which allows the acids to get accumulated. The acids keep corroding the teeth all night. When you brush your teeth, the fluoride present in the toothpaste stimulates saliva secretion. So by brushing before bed you ensure that the saliva secretion does not fall drastically. In the process you prevent your teeth from getting corroded.

2. Reduce bacterial multiplication

The saliva in our mouth not only neutralizes the acid it reduces bacteria from multiplying as well. During the reduced saliva production, as you sleep, the bacteria in your mouth multiply manifold and attack your teeth and gums. This is why keeping your saliva secretion regular by brushing before bed is of utmost importance.

3. Reduce the decay of food particles

After you have your dinner just rinsing your mouth is not enough. Tiny food particles that get stuck in your teeth rot overnight. It is best to go to bed with a clean mouth rather than a mouth with tiny decaying food particles.

No matter how much of a task it might seem like, brushing at night is as important, if not more important, than brushing in the morning.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Is it More Important to Brush Your Teeth in the Night Than in the Morning?

Prevent mouth ulcers naturally

Ulcers are painful sores on the lips, tongue, gums or the insides of the cheeks. These are common and usually happen due to bowel diseases, hormonal imbalances and stress. While there are medicines and ointments available to cure sores, you can cure the ulcers naturally also. 

Rinse with baking soda - baking soda or salt can be used to rinse the mouth. Mix a few pinches of either in a glass of warm water. Now swish the water around the inside of your mouth and spit it out. Do this about three times in a day.
Orange juice - orange juice has vitamin c and as ulcers sometimes occur due to lack of this vitamin, drinking the juice can prove to be helpful. 
Oral hygiene - prefer using toothbrushes with soft bristles. Also ensure that you brush your teeth after every meal to keep any food out of your mouth.
Avoid spices - avoid eating spicy, acidic and hot foods.
Extremely hot beverages - tea and coffee should be avoided. Yogurt and buttermilk, on the other hand, are highly beneficial.
Have onions - raw onion contains sulphur which is good for health of inside your mouth.
Consume amla - make a paste of indian gooseberry (amla) and apply it over the ulcer. This provides quick relief and healing.
Avoid meat - animal protein increases the acidity in the body. So, avoid fish and meat.
Gargle - use fresh coconut water to gargle with about three to four times a day. This cleanses the mouth and eases the pain.

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How To Prevent Mouth Ulcers Naturally

An immune system disorder distinguished by dry mouth and dry eyes is known as Sjogren s Syndrome. It can also cause dryness in places that require moisture, such as throat, nose and skin. Sjogren s syndrome is often linked to other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (disease in which the immune system destroys its own tissues and causes inflammations). Sjogren s syndrome normally affects people over the age of 40, and it mostly affects women.

Symptoms 
Sjogren s syndrome has mainly two symptoms, and they include:

Dry eyes: You feel like there is sand in your eyes as it burns and itches
Dry mouth: You have difficulty speaking or swallowing
Sometimes, you might experience other symptoms as well, such as:

Joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Inflamed salivary glands
Dry skin or skin rashes
Vaginal dryness
Continuous dry coughs
Sustained fatigue
Causes
The exact cause of Sjogren s syndrome is not known, but research strongly suggests that the autoimmune disease could be caused by genetic factors; especially if the illness has been found in more than one member of the family. Also, families with members suffering from type I diabetes, lupus and autoimmune thyroid disease can cause one or more members of the family to develop Sjogren s syndrome.

Complications
The complications of Sjogren s syndrome include:

Dental cavities: Saliva protects the teeth from harmful bacteria that cause cavities. Since your mouth is dry, you become more susceptible to develop cavities.
Yeast infections: Oral thrush, an oral yeast infection, is likely to develop if you have Sjogren s syndrome.
Vision problems: Dry eyes can cause corneal ulcers, sensitivity and blurred vision.
Problems in the lungs, liver or kidneys: Inflammations can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia in your lungs; may cause cirrhosis or hepatitis C in your liver; and may lead to kidney malfunctions.
Lymphoma: Some people with Sjogren s syndrome might develop lymphoma, or lymph node cancer.
Peripheral neuropathy: Another complication of this illness is peripheral neuropathy, which is a tingling, burning and numbness sensation felt in your feet and hands.

Treatment
Sjogren s syndrome is either treated with drugs, or with surgery. Doctors may prescribe drugs to increase the production of saliva and to treat inflammations. Alternatively, surgery is done to either seal the tear ducts or insert silicon or collagen plugs to close the ducts temporarily.

Dry Mouth and Eyes - Complications Associated With It!

4 Foods That Strengthen Your Child’s Teeth

Kids have a mind of their own when it comes to food. The unhealthier it is, the more they tend to like it. Most taste driven or sweet foods are harmful for your child’s oral hygiene. However not all foods that your children like to eat are as bad for their oral health, some even help strengthen their teeth.

Here are 4 foods that your children can have for healthy teeth and gums.

1) Sugarless Gum - It helps loosen plaque and increase the number of natural antibodies in the mouth. It also keeps the gums hydrated. While too much of anything is not good, these gums are good once in a while.

2)  Crispy Vegetables  - These might not be popular with children but can be made yummy with interesting dips to go with them. Raw carrots, celery, cauliflower, and green beans are chewing foods which clean the child's teeth and gums.

3) Natural Sugar - Sugar from milk, yoghurt and cheese are rich in vitamin D, phosphate and calcium. When consumed, they raise the pH level of the mouth which lowers the level of acids, hence reducing risk of tooth decay.

4) Vitamin C Rich Foods - Fruits like oranges, kiwis, strawberries, papayas and limes help kill bacteria that can cause gingivitis. They also aid a good supply of collagen in the child's gums. However, parents need to remember that one can eat citrus foods only after thirty minutes from brushing their teeth. This is because the citric acid in these foods can weaken the tooth enamel temporarily.


If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.


4 Foods That Strengthen Your Child’s Teeth

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