Roselle Park Dental & Implants Blog

Inhale … and exhale …. with confidence that your breath is fresh! 

Practicing good oral hygiene habits and having your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year is the best way to reduce odor causing plaque from building up in your mouth and on your teeth. 

In honor of National Fresh Breath Day on August 6^th, fight bad breath by keeping your mouth healthy with these simple strategies:

Brush, Floss, Rinse … Repeat! 

Removing leftover food particles is the most important weapon against fighting bad breath. Why? Because those remnants of your meals and snacks become sticky plaque on your teeth, which collect bacteria that creates bad smells in your mouth. The best way to prevent plaque from building up is to brush your teeth after every meal, floss once a day and use a mouth rinse that kills odor causing germs. When you brush, be sure to be thorough – brush all your teeth from all angles for two minutes. And don’t forget to give your tongue a good scrubbing too! Replacing your toothbrush every few months is important, since worn down bristles become less effective at scrubbing teeth. Flossing before bed ensures that anything stuck between your teeth or at the gum line gets removed, and rinsing with mouthwash rinses it all away leaving you with a clean mouth at the end of each day.  

Stay Hydrated

Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps prevent bad breath in two ways. First, it continually rinses away food particles between brushings. In fact, if you can’t brush your teeth after a meal or snack, swirling water around your mouth is the next best thing. The second way sipping helps is by encouraging your mouth to create more saliva. Too little saliva, or dry mouth, can cause tooth decay and bad breath. So keeping a moist environment in your mouth is key for fresh breath.

Chew Wisely 

Another way to help moisten your mouth and create more saliva is by chewing gum. But not all gum is created equal. Chewing gum that has sugar can do more harm than good since it can cause cavities. Chomping on a piece of sugar-free gum is a great way to increase the saliva in your mouth which will reduce odor causing bacteria. While preventing bad breath from happening in the first place is optimal, it can’t always be avoided. Eating and drinking certain foods can cause a bad odor in your mouths after you consume them. When that happens, the minty flavor from sugar free gum will cover up the bad scent with a more pleasant one.

Schedule Your Next Visit to Roselle Park Dental 

Even if you have tried all of these fresh breath strategies and are practicing great oral hygiene habits, you may still suffer from ongoing bad breath. Certain medications or medical conditions, including some cancers, metabolic disorders, and chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause your breath to have a foul odor, so it is important to see a medical professional to get an accurate diagnosis. Be sure to call today and schedule an appointment to come see one of our skilled dentists. 

Call us today at 908-998-4698 – or visit us online at www.roselleparkdental.com – to schedule your next dental cleaning, and ensure your smile stays fresh and clean this August!

_{Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.}

April is oral cancer awareness month. The number of people with oral cancers – which include all cancers in the mouth and throat – has recently been increasing, with men being more than half of those diagnosed. The good news is that the majority of cases are highly preventable by avoiding certain risky behaviors. Equally, early detection via an oral cancer screening and self-examination is key to decreasing the severity of the disease.

Avoiding use of all tobacco products – including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and cigars – dramatically reduces your risk of suffering from oral cancer. Other risk factors include:

Increased Risk

• Drinking alcohol in excess
• Being older than 55
• Spending a lot of time in the sun
• Having certain forms of human papillomavirus (HPV)

Prevention: Even if you are at a higher risk for oral cancer, there are certain steps that you can take to help decrease your chances of getting it:

• Limit alcohol consumption
• Incorporate a lot of fresh produce into your diet
• Avoid being exposed to excessive sunlight during the middle of the day
• Wear a minimum of SPF 30 or higher on your lips

Catching signs of oral cancel early is key to reducing the mortality rate. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your dentist right away:

Symptoms Not to Ignore

• Bleeding in the mouth
• Persistent mouth sores or earaches
• Numbness, pain or swelling in the mouth, throat or jaw
• Teeth loosening
• Changes in your voice
• A lump in the mouth or neck areas
• Red or white patches on the lips, gums, or tongue

Regular Screenings

At Roselle Park Dental, we perform oral cancer screenings as part of every routine dental checkup as a courtesy to all our patients. Our dentists and hygienists will thoroughly check your mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue for any signs of cancer or precancerous conditions. Also, making sure to check your mouth in the mirror once a month for any of the symptoms listed above is vital! If oral cancer is caught early, there is a greater chance that it can be cured.

Call us today at (908) 998-4698 or visit us online to schedule your next oral cancer screening today!

Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.