Kissing Under the Mistletoe – Prepare to Pucker Up

‘Tis the season for festive festivities and reminiscing with family and friends. Whether you’re standing under the mistletoe or possibly planting a smooch on a loved one’s lips, my dental office in Columbia wants to help ensure your kiss is fresh and clean this holiday season.

Brushing and Flossing

Be sure to spread holiday cheer not jeers this season by making sure to not skip your regular, daily brushing and flossing routine. Food and treats are usually pretty plentiful this time of year, so it’s important to make sure your teeth are consistently clean. Proper care helps wash away food debris while attacking plaque build-up head on to maintain fresh breath. Don’t forget to brush twice and floss once daily to keep bad breath at bay. If you do this correctly, your breath will be fresh and ready to share a kiss or a conversation.

Tongue Tied

While brushing and flossing help keep breath smelling great, don’t forget about your tongue.  This magnificent muscle helps us eat the foods we love and communicate with those we care about, so don’t forget to show it some TLC during your daily brushing routine. We always remind patients to do a thorough tongue brushing or scraping. This helps to remove dead cells and unwanted food particles causing bad breath. It’s a quick step to improve your breath and overall oral health. Questions or concerns? Contact my Columbia dental team. We’re always happy to help and our tongues are never tied.

Stress Less

This time of year can wreak havoc on our calendars, our body and our oral health. Holiday parties, tons of travel, and an overall end-of-the-year burnout can lead to unwanted stress and bad breath. Remember to eat right, drink plenty of water, get adequate rest, and continue to exercise. A healthy body ensures your breath will be ready for every conversation and kiss that comes your way.

No matter what time of year – a healthy smile and fresh breath are always best. Give my Columbia dental office a call anytime to discuss your oral health. Together we can resolve any issues and discuss possible treatment options. Happy holidays from our family to yours! We look forward to seeing you and your healthy smile in 2016.

Welcoming patients from Columbia, Elgin, and Lugoff.

Fact or Fiction: Skip Brushing, Use Mouthwash Instead.

At my dental office in Columbia, we recommend brushing for at least two minutes, twice a day, every day. But we know there are times when brushing may not be an option. Perhaps you forgot your toothbrush or ran out of toothpaste. When these things happen, it’s common to turn to the mouthwash instead. But is mouthwash an acceptable replacement to proper brushing?

Masking the Problem

Let’s face it, the purpose of mouthwash is to freshen breath. But is it really doing its job? No. Mouthwash is only a quick fix for a fast burst of freshness, and using it repeatedly doesn’t fix source of the bad breath. Often the bad breath is a symptom, rather than the problem.

When breath is chronically a little sour, it could be a sign of something more serious like gum disease. Gum disease is a scary problem that could lead to whole-body problems including increased risk for stroke, heart attack, or diabetic complications. That is why it’s important not to mask all signs of bad breath, but to recognize it as a warning to make an appointment with us as soon as possible!.

Making it Worse

Using mouthwash as a substitute to brushing, or even more often than recommended, may actually cause additional damage. Many mouthwashes contain some level of alcohol. And too much alcohol is bad news for your mouth: It causes decreased saliva production which leads to a super-dry mouth, which means more bacteria. The more bacteria in the mouth, the worse the breath tends to smell. The only way to combat bad breath bacteria is by properly brushing and flossing at least twice a day and maintaining regular visits with your Columbia dentist.  

What to Do

It’s normal to experience periodic bad breath, especially after eating or drinking certain things like garlic, onion, alcohol, and coffee. If you find yourself in a lunch-induced bad breath situation, choose a sugarless gum instead of mouthwash. It’s better for your teeth and works just as well, if not better than, mouthwash. But if you or a loved one is suffering from chronic bad breath, call my Columbia dental office. We’re here to help work with you to identify the problem and get you on a path to resolve it.

Welcoming patients from Columbia, Elgin, and Lugoff.