Bad breath affects everyone at least once in a lifetime and it’s completely normal. But it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing or worrisome. At our Asheboro dental office, we hear a lot of questions about bad breath – what causes it? How do you cure it? Is it serious? – so we’d like to talk about some common causes of bad breath and ways to cure it.

Cause #1: Dry Mouth.

Some medications, mouth breathing, or lack of proper water intake can cause dry mouth, and a dry mouth is a great place for bacteria to hide. Dry mouth creates the perfect situation for bacteria to create bad odors..

Cure: One of the easiest ways to avoid bad breath caused by a dry mouth is to drink plenty of water every day. A well-hydrated mouth keeps saliva flowing and removes lingering bacteria. The water itself can also neutralize acid the mouth and flush out even more bacteria.

Cause #2: Delicious, Yet Oh So Stinky, Food.

Garlic, spicy dishes, onions, oh my! Plenty of our favorite foods taste so good, but leave an unpleasant odor in their wake. Most of the time, this isn’t a medical concern, but may cause insecurity. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want to squash the stench and replace it with a little freshness. Here’s how.

Cure: Following such a meal, a quick and easy way to relieve bad breath is by chewing a piece of sugarless gum. Not only does the sticky texture pull lingering food particles off your teeth, it typically has a nice, minty, fresh smell. No gum handy? Fruits and veggies high in fiber and that require a lot of chewing, like apples, can help clean teeth and the vitamin C kills bacteria.

Cause #3: Gum Disease.

Bad breath that doesn’t go away is one of the earliest and most common signs of gum disease, which is a serious problem that has been shown to cause oral health, and whole-body health, concerns. If untreated, gum disease may lead to tooth loss, sensitivity, and receding gums. It may also increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. That’s the bad news.

Cure: The good news is, it’s treatable. There isn’t  a one-size-fits-all cure for gum disease, but we strongly encourage you to visit your dentist in Asheboro as soon as you can. Gum disease is serious and the earlier we catch it, the better. Each gum disease treatment is different, so work with your dentist to determine which is best for you.

If your bad breath lingers day after day, or if you notice it more often than just after a meal or post-coffee, call our dental office in Asheboro. We will help find the cause of your bad breath and work with you to cure it. We don’t judge our patients and are here to help get their mouths, and bodies, healthy. Call for your appointment today.

Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

As we get older, our bodies go through a lot of changes. Some of them don’t directly affect our health, but one in particular may. We’re talking about osteoporosis. At our dental office in Asheboro, many of our patients are over the age of 50 and, therefore, at increased risk for osteoporosis. Believe it or not, seeing us regularly is a great way to first spot signs of osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disorder that affects and weakens the bones, making them more likely to break. With an estimated 10 million Americans already suffering with the disease, an additional 34 million are at risk. This bone disorder doesn’t plague all genders and ages equally. Although it can happen at any age or gender, typically, women over 50 are at the greatest risk.

How Dental Care Can Help

Many times osteoporosis isn’t diagnosed until the bone density is already diminished considerably. Usually, an injury that results in a broken bone is what leads to a proper osteoporosis diagnosis. However, there are a few ways to catch osteoporosis before this happens. And it all starts with your dentist.

Individuals with low bone density may have a higher incidence of oral health problems, and many times, these issues allow your dentist to catch osteoporosis early. Following an in-depth exam and set of x-rays, we may be able to link what we’re seeing in your mouth and on your x-rays to osteoporosis. Some of the things we’re looking for include:

• Bone loss in the jaw
• Tooth loss
• Gum disease
• Poor fitting dentures that weren’t always so uncomfortable

If we find any symptoms of osteoporosis, we’ll discuss your options with you and work on getting your mouth, and your body, strong and healthy.

Prevention

Besides keeping up with recommended dental appointments, there are several other ways you can prevent osteoporosis.

• Get enough calcium and vitamin D
• Stop smoking
• Limit caffeine intake
• Minimize alcohol consumption
• Exercise

If you’re concerned about osteoporosis, or if it’s been awhile since you’ve seen the dentist, give our Asheboro dental office a call. We’ll be sure to screen you for any potential problems and are happy to work with you to treat anything we happen to find.

Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

As with any health care, dentistry comes with its fair share of confusing recommendations, nonsensical terminology, and overall general questions about the whats, whys, and hows. At our dental office in Asheboro, we strive to ensure all our patients have their questions answered completely and accurately, so we’ve dedicated this blog to some of the more common questions we get asked.

“What is Morning Breath?”

We’ve all experienced the stale stench of a mouth closed for the past eight hours or so , the odor assaults the nostrils and we wince in disgust. But why does breath insist on smelling so darn gross in the morning? The answer is this: there’s not as much saliva in your mouth while you sleep as when you’re awake. Saliva is the natural way to rinse away bad breath bacteria, and when the supply decreases, bacteria are left to multiply and we’re left with morning breath. Usually a proper brushing and flossing will diminish the smell. If it doesn’t and your breath is chronically a little on the sour side, it may be a sign of something serious. Get to your dentist as soon as possible.

“How Often do I REALLY Need to see a dentist?”

We didn’t make up the twice a year rule simply because we enjoy seeing you, even though that’s still true. Biannual visits are important to both your oral health and your overall health for several reasons. First, regular visits allow us to catch any small problems before they have a chance to become huge, possibly painful problems. Second, many dental diseases are linked with whole-body health, so the sooner we catch an issue and begin to treat it, the healthier your mouth and your body will be. There are times when we recommend more than two visits a year, which is pretty common if you’re at risk for oral cancer, gum disease, or have an extended treatment plan. If we recommend it, you should follow it. Your smile will thank you.

“Do I Need to Floss?”

If you want to keep your smile healthy, and we assume you do, then yes, you absolutely need to floss. Flossing removes plaque and bacteria between teeth that a toothbrush alone can’t reach. In fact, if you don’t floss, 35% of your teeth surfaces aren’t getting cleaned and your chance for decay increases. We recommend brushing twice a day and flossing once a day.

We’ve only touched on a few of the many dental questions we’ve heard. If you have any others, give our dental office in Asheboro a call. We’re here to help make dentistry easy and comfortable, and we’d be happy to have you.
Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

How’s your relationship with your toothbrush? Is it working for you? Is it getting the job done well? At our dental office in Asheboro, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your toothbrush relationship should never be long-term. Is it time you moved on to something better?

Toothbrushes are specifically designed to gently and effectively remove plaque, bacteria, and food debris from teeth. But they aren’t designed to last forever. In fact, the American Dental Association strongly advises against keeping a toothbrush any longer. At three-to-four months, toothbrushes begin to show signs that it’s just not working out, and nobody wants to stay in a relationship that’s not working.

Signs It’s Over

There are some obvious signs that it’s time to toss your current toothbrush and look for a newer model. Most clues of an old toothbrush are found in the bristles, so keep an eye out for:

• Fraying
• Discoloration
• Flattening

If you notice any of these signs, head to the store and treat yourself to a newer, better toothbrush. You deserve it.

How to Care for Your New Toothbrush

Like any relationship, you should treat your toothbrush with care for a healthy, three-month commitment. Follow the tips below to get the most out of your time together.

• Sharing is NOT Caring. One of the main things you can do to keep your toothbrush in tip-top shape is keep it for yourself. Sharing toothbrushes means sharing bacteria, and that’s pretty gross.

• Rinse it Well. Following each and every cleaning, it’s important to thoroughly rinse your toothbrush. A good rinsing farther removes any bacteria that may be lingering around.

• Store it Correctly. Keeping your toothbrush out to air dry is the ideal storage solution. Avoid trapping it in a container. Containers encourage bacteria growth.

Not only should you always take care of your toothbrush and use it twice a day, you should also maintain regular appointments at our Asheboro dental office. Pairing a healthy at-home oral health routine with professional cleanings is the best way to maintain a healthy, problem-free smile. If you’re in need of a new dentist, give us a call today. We’ll be happy to have you.

Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

Any emergency is serious and should be treated as such. Dental emergencies, which include any injury to the teeth, gums, or mouth, are no exception. At our Asheboro dental office, we understand that a dental emergency can be scary, so we’re here to help give you a few tips on how to handle several types.

Abscess

An abscess is a very serious dental problem and should not be ignored. An abscess is an infection that affects the root or the space in between teeth and may feel like a painful pimple-like protrusion on the gums. If left untreated, an abscess might damage surrounding teeth, tissue, and the infection can even spread to other parts of your body. Because of these very serious concerns, it’s extremely important to get to your dentist as soon as possible. Prior to your appointment, try rinsing with warm salt water several times a day. This should ease the pain and encourage the bacteria inside to come to the surface.

Lost Filling

If you lose a filling, sugarless gum can be a temporary fix. Just make super sure it’s sugarless or you’ll experience some serious pain. Take a piece of the gum and place it into the cavity. Then call your dentist to get a permanent fix.

Chipped/Broken Tooth

A chipped or broken tooth might result from anything like a popcorn kernel, opening packaging with your teeth, or a fall. When a tooth is chipped, the first thing to do is rinse your mouth out with warm water and find any pieces, if possible, and rinse them off, too. Then apply gauze and slight pressure if there is any bleeding, and a cold compress to the cheek to ease pain. Get to your dentist to fix the chip.

Toothache

A toothache is your mouth’s way of letting you know that something is not right. Ease the pain and help keep other problems away by first rinsing with warm salt water. Salt water can help decrease swelling and keep dangerous bacteria from attacking. If the pain is severe, try placing a cold compress against your cheek or apply a bit of clove oil to the sore spot. Again, get to your dentist as soon as you can.

One of the best ways to avoid a dental emergency in the first place is to maintain regular visits to our dental office in Asheboro. Regular checkups and cleanings allow us to catch and treat any potential problems before they can turn into an unexpected dental emergency. However, anything can happen at any time, so if you do experience an emergency, give us a call right away.

Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

Now that summer is officially here, we’re all starting to plan those well-deserved vacations or long weekends away. Naturally, you also need to pack. So you load up on clothes, snacks, medications, and everything you may possibly need. Yet you forget your toothbrush. What do you do when you’ve reached your destination and it’s time to brush those pearly whites? Take some advice from our dental office in Asheboro.

Solution #1

Even if you’re without a toothbrush, you should still do something to rid your mouth of the bacteria that accumulates over time and after meals. But how? With a paper towel!

A clean, sturdy paper towel can go a long way toward getting your teeth clean until you have a chance to get to the store and buy another toothbrush. Simply find the thickest paper towel you can, wet it, dab on some toothpaste, and wrap it around your finger. Place your towel-wrapped finger along the gum line and gently scrub outwards. Then follow the same technique on the backs and chewing surfaces of each individual tooth. Don’t forget about the tongue! Scrub it as best as you can. When you’re done, rinse well.

Solution #2

If you forget both a toothbrush and toothpaste, this tip is for you.

Start by washing your hands with soap and warm water, but don’t dry them. While fingers are still wet, take your index finger and begin to scrub it over each individual tooth, the backs, and chewing surfaces. If a paper towel or soft wash cloth is handy, wet it and follow up your finger cleaning with a gentle brush of the cloth. Rinse, swish, spit, and repeat if necessary.

Solution #3

If you have no toothbrush and no toothpaste, but have some handy ingredients, you can make your own temporary paste to use with the above tip. All it takes is some water, salt, or baking soda. One or two teaspoons of salt or baking soda dissolved into warm water act as a gentle abrasive for your teeth, and can be an adequate replacement to toothpaste if needed.

This summer, or any time you’re away from home and find yourself without a toothbrush or toothpaste, follow the tips above. While these aren’t long-term solutions and a proper toothbrush and toothpaste should be found as soon as possible, they can go a long way in getting dangerous bacteria off your teeth. And as always, keeping up with appointments at our dental office in Asheboro are crucial to maintaining a healthy smile for a lifetime.

Accepting patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, Randleman, and nearby neighborhoods.

We always encourage the patients at our Asheboro dental office to brush and floss everyday — usually in the morning and before hitting the hay at night. But brushing after meals, including lunch at work, is just as important. In fact, keeping up with your oral hygiene while at the office is better for your mouth, and your job.

While skipping the toothbrush post-lunch probably won’t get you fired, just like brushing alone won’t reward you with a promotion, good oral health is important for your career. In a study conducted by the Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B, we found out just how your smile, teeth, and breath affect the workplace.

The Findings

• 40% of respondents cited a smile as the first thing they notice about a co-worker
• 32% said bad breath was the least attractive trait
• 75% ate two times or more a day while at work
• 14% brushed their teeth following a meal!

If you’re part of that 14%, you’ve made us proud, keep it up! If you’re in the other 86%, don’t’ worry, we’re here to help.

The Importance of Post-Meal Brushing

When we eat, our teeth are exposed to many elements including starches, sugars, and acids. If these are left on the teeth, bacteria will begin to attack the tooth enamel and make teeth more susceptible to decay. Even if there’s no evidence of food remaining in the mouth, these dangerous bacteria are growing and causing damage. This makes brushing after meals crucial for a healthy mouth.

Switch It Up

Brushing after lunch is a great step to ward off any lingering bacteria, but there are two other main meals we typically eat throughout the day — breakfast and dinner. Many patients we talk to typically brush their teeth before digging into their bacon and eggs each morning. Try switching it up and brushing after. Same thing with dinner. The sooner you can brush after eating, the better (unless the food is high in acid, then wait about an hour). Brushing after these meals is just as important as storing a toothbrush in your office desk drawer and using it after lunch.

While brushing after meals is important to oral health, it’s still necessary to maintain recommended appointments to our dental office in Asheboro. With a proper at-home, and at-work, oral health care routine and regular visits with us, we’ll help keep your smile healthy and your co-workers happy.

Welcoming patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

We usually talk a lot about tooth health, proper oral hygiene, and how important it is to take care of your teeth. However, all of us at our dental office in Asheboro want to take this opportunity to talk about an often forgotten part of your overall oral health. Your tongue.

Your tongue is a pretty amazing muscle. Not only is it one of the strongest muscles in the body, it serves many purposes including chewing, swallowing, and talking. But it can also hold a lot of bacteria and other smile-damaging particles. This makes proper tongue care just as important to proper teeth and gum care.

Why to Take Care of Your Tongue

Making your tongue a daily part of your oral hygiene routine has lots of benefits.

• Yum!! A cleaner tongue means your taste buds aren’t covered with bacteria or acid, so food tastes better. This benefit alone makes us want to go brush our tongues right now!

• Keeps Teeth Healthier. Your tongue and teeth are in contact most of the day, everyday, which means your teeth are constantly exposed to whatever is on the tongue. If bacteria and acid are lurking on your tongue, the chance for tooth decay and erosion greatly increases.

• Ahhh, Fresh! While there are many reasons behind bad breath, an uncared for tongue is often a culprit. Giving your tongue the attention it deserves is a great way to keep bacteria and bad breath at bay However, if your bad breath doesn’t go away, see your dentist as soon as you can as it may be a sign of something serious.

Give Your Tongue Some Love!

Every time you brush your teeth, make sure you gently brush your tongue too. With over 10,000 taste buds on the tongue, it creates a lot of space for gross stuff to hide. A quick brush with your toothbrush can help. If you have trouble brushing your tongue, which is pretty common, ask your dentist about a tongue scraper.

At our dental office in Asheboro, we want to make all of our patients aware of the importance of proper tongue care. Make sure to brush at least twice a day, including your tongue, and floss once a day. And as always, regular appointments with us can help catch any problems before they become serious.

Accepting patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

Your body endures a lot of changes during pregnancy. Your feet may swell, you may be sore in strange or new places, and your teeth may decay. It’s true, your teeth are not one of the more popular concerns during pregnancy but at our dental office in Asheboro, we’re here to tell you they should be.

Why is it so important to keep an eye on your teeth during pregnancy? One reason is morning sickness. Morning sickness causes stomach acids to enter the mouth and if left there, the acid may erode enamel and lead to decay.

What to do if Morning Sickness is Plaguing You

We wish we had a solution to end morning sickness for every pregnancy. But we do have some ways you can decrease the chance of it affecting your smile.

• Rinse with water. Swish some water around in your mouth following a bout of morning sickness to remove some of the acid from your teeth.
• Wait an hour. Wait at least an hour before brushing after you’re sick. Rinse with water in the meantime. Acid may weaken enamel. Brushing can scratch the enamel and lead to decay.
• Keep drinking water. The more water you drink, the lower the acidity level in your mouth will be.
• Smear on toothpaste. Putting a dollop of toothpaste on your finger and rubbing it on your teeth can further protect them against acid.
• Use a tongue scraper. After vomiting, if you take a tongue scraper across your tongue, you can successfully remove some of the acid that may stick around on the tongue and then transfer to the teeth.

If you’re pregnant, we’d love to see you at our dental office in Asheboro. Not only is it important to get a check up during pregnancy to ensure there are no scary problems lurking in your mouth, we will help minimize your risk of decay. Let’s keep your teeth healthy throughout your pregnancy and for years to come.

Accepting patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, and Randleman.

At our dental office in Asheboro, we’re pros at getting and keeping our neighbors’ smiles healthy and beautiful. But what we want to make sure all of our patients know is that dental care for their pets is just as important.

1. Choose the right tools

When you decide to start brushing your animal’s teeth, it’s important to choose the proper brush. There are canine-specific toothbrushes that you can buy, or a clean piece of gauze wrapped around a finger will work just fine. When it comes to the toothpaste, ask your vet what’s best. Never use human toothpaste on an animal as it could cause stomach problems.

2. Use the right technique

Brushing animals’ teeth is very similar to brushing your own. Make sure to hold the brush or your gauzed-wrapped finger at a 45 degree angle and gently rub in small circles. The cheek side of the teeth often accumulates the most tartar, so try to pay extra attention in that area. Brushing should occur two or three times a week.

3. Know the signs of disease

Some signs of an issue with your pet’s oral health could include:

• Bad breath
• Excessive drooling
• Swollen gums
• Loose teeth

If you notice any of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with your vet.

4. Select a healthy diet

Just like humans, your pet’s diet can go a long way toward keeping teeth healthy. There’s specially formulated food your vet can recommend that will help control plaque and tartar formation. When it comes to snacks, avoid table scraps and choose healthy dog treats instead.

Make sure to keep your pet’s smile in its best shape by following the tips above and visiting the vet regularly. To keep your smile healthy, maintain regular appointments at our Asheboro dental office and make sure to brush and floss daily.

Accepting patients from Asheboro, Randolph County, Randleman, and surrounding areas.