Preventing Tooth Decay: 9 Oral Hygiene Tips For Kids

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

If you take care of your teeth right, they can last a lifetime, and it’s best to start caring as soon as they start appearing. If you want to keep your child’s teeth healthy forever, then it’s imperative to establish good oral health routines right from the beginning.

Do you know that tooth decay is the primary reason behind the dental problem, which ultimately leads to tooth loss? It’s an infectious disease that is caused by bacteria. If these bacteria take hold, then it will be able to make a cavity in the enamel (the outer coating of the tooth) and afterward grow deeper into the tooth by destroying dentin layer. Now it might result in the difficulty in speaking and eating, cause discomfort and your child probably need a filling or root canal treatment. Tooth decay is also called as caries, and the good news is that it is entirely preventable.

Primary Reasons Of Tooth Decay

The major reason behind tooth decay is the increased use of foods containing carbohydrates (starches and sugars), such as cereals, bread, soda, fruits, milk, candy, or cakes that remain attached to the teeth. These foods are digested by the bacteria that live in the mouth and turns them into amino acids. The acid, bacteria, saliva and the food debris coalesce to make a plaque that sticks to the teeth. Now the acid contained by plaque will start dissolving the enamel of the teeth and ultimately make holes in the teeth known as cavities.

So, if you want to keep your teeth healthy, remove the plaque first. Plaque is whitish, sticky film that makes up on teeth if you can’t maintain proper oral hygiene. The bacteria (decay-causing) flourishes in the plaque and keeps on breaking down any sugar that remains in the mouth – and producing acids that will corrode teeth. So, this is how your child starts developing cavities. Are you looking for the effective tips or routine habits that will help your child from plaque removal and tooth decay prevention? No worries! Let’s have a look at some of the useful oral hygiene tips for kids;

Oral Hygiene Tips for Kids

1. First of all, make it a habit of brushing your child’s teeth at least two times a day with fluoride-contained toothpaste. Or ask them to brush their teeth after every meal, particularly before bedtime.
2. You can ask your children to use inter-dental cleaners with Reach Stim-U-Dent, Oral-B Inter-dental Brush or Sulcabrush or do dental floss every day.
3. Let your child rinse mouth with a fluoride-contained mouthwash. These rinses contain antiseptic ingredients that help to kill bacteria that forms plaque.
4. Limit snacks within your child’s diet and gives them nutritious and balanced meals. Decrease the intake of carbohydrates such as chips, candies, pretzels as it clings to the teeth’s surface. If your child eats such foods, ask them to brush their teeth instantly.
5. Consult your dentist about the use of supplemental fluoride as it helps to strengthen your child’s teeth.
6. You can also ask your doctor about dental sealants. It’s a protective coating that can be added to the chewing surface of the back teeth also called molars. It protects your child’s teeth from decay.
7. Give your child fluoridated water to drink. As per the doctors, a pint of fluoridated water is a must, especially for the kids to prevent tooth decay.
8. Give your child sugarless chewing gum containing the Xylitol as a sweetener. It helps to retard the growth of bacteria that causes tooth decay temporarily.
9. Take your child to the dentist regularly for oral exams and professional cleaning.

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10 Health Conditions Linked To Poor Oral Hygiene

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

Trips to the dentist can be a traumatic experience for many of us.

Although dentistry has moved on leaps and bounds in the last decade, it still conjures up images of a Victorian dentist armed with a big drill and no anesthetic for plenty of people. Brits are often known for having bad teeth, and it looks like we really are living up to this stereotype.

In fact, for some people this fear is so strong, they abstain from visiting the dentist completely.  Some of their phobias are so bad “they haven’t seen a dentist for years. It’s common for us to hear from someone in their twenties or thirties who hasn’t been to the dentist since childhood”.

Conditions Associated with Dental Health

The fact you get fillings as a result of not brushing your teeth should not be news to anyone, but there are far more health problems linked to poor oral hygiene than you may think. A toothache left untreated could end up having some serious implications. Here are just some of the illnesses and ailments which are directly linked to bad oral health:

• Heart Disease – numerous dentists have argued that gum disease is often a precursor to heart disease.
• Stroke Risk – as above, plaque enters the bloodstream due to gum disease and can clog arteries in the brain, leading to stroke.
• Dementia – people with dementia forget about oral health, which leads to further deterioration of health in other areas.
• Respiratory Problems – bacteria and plaque can inflame breathing airways. And let’s not forget about bad breath.
• Diabetes – Oral infections such as gingivitis and gum disease can spread much more easily among diabetics.
• Erectile Dysfunction – men with chronic periodontal disease (CPD) have damaged endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels (where it matters).
• Premature Birth – tooth and gum disease has also been linked to early childbirth, due to an increase in the production of prostaglandin, a hormone which can induce labor.
• Female Fertility – a woman with gum disease take an average of 2 months longer to fall pregnant than those without.
• Pancreatic Cancer – significant associations between the antibodies of oral bacteria and pancreatic cancer were discovered in a study by the journal Gut.
• Kidney Disease – medical research has also documented a link between periodontal disease and kidney disease, suggesting there is a connection between the two.

This list is not intended to frighten you, but to illustrate just how serious the impact of untreated tooth problems can be. A toothache alone will affect productivity, cause headaches and can affect someone’s behavior at work. As an employer, it can end up affecting your company’s productivity as a whole, and as Nigel Carter from the BDHF says, it is “an important factor in a healthy workforce”.

Dental insurance can be built into a company’s benefits scheme, and can greatly improve retention, decrease absenteeism from a toothache and keep people smiling for long. Companies such as Elect Employee Benefits offer group dental insurance as part of their complete employee benefits solution.

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Home Remedies For Wisdom Tooth Pain

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

Wisdom teeth are the last tooth on the inside of the teeth. It usually lasts. The period of wisdom tooth growth often prolong, it is last for months or even several years. The wisdom tooth growth is often painful or difficult in eating and speaking.

Wisdom teeth appear to cause pain, infection, inflammation, gum problems and tooth decay. Especially deviated wisdom teeth may cause significant damage to adjacent teeth, nerves or jawbone. Here are some home remedies for wisdom tooth pain that you can apply.

Home remedies for wisdom tooth pain

1. Use ice
2. Using ice is one of the best wisdom tooth recovery remedies. If you want to get rid of the pain or discomfort from your teeth, you should use an ice pack. It is also a simple way that you can apply at any time when teething wisdom. Use absorbent cotton or gauze and put into the freezer of the refrigerator. Then, keep cotton pads, frozen gauze in the area of wisdom teeth for a few minutes. You can apply several times a day.
   2. Clove
   Clove is a plant, it is the most commonly used to treat a toothache. Clove has an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties which help relieve pain for several hours. You can put a clove in the mouth and hold about 5 to 10 minutes. Another way, you can also use a cotton swab for gums and teeth with antiseptic, limit toothache. It helps decrease the temperature of wisdom teeth for a few hours. So, after a while, you repeat several times or apply cloves on the teeth until the pain is gone.
   3. Saltwater
   Salt water is a common method at home to treat infections and other common diseases. This is also one of the best remedies for treating wisdom toothache, especially, it is very safe if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Saltwater can cure gums, anti-bacterial and infections. This way is quite simple, you only take a teaspoon of salt and mix with a glass of warm water. After that, you hold saline in your mouth to remove bacteria and pain. You should apply several times a day to restrict a toothache.

4. Onion

Onion is also an effective way to decrease wisdom tooth pain. You only put a small piece of onion on the infected tooth. Besides, you can also chew the onions for 3-4 minutes and then place it on the infected teeth. Like garlic, onions are also antibacterial properties, killing bacteria which cause infection or pain when you grow wisdom tooth.

5. Lemon

Using lemon juice is one of the effective ways to cure a toothache. It is a popular and easy to find ingredient. How to use lemon juice to treat wisdom tooth as the following:

You mix half lemon juice with half a teaspoon of salt together, then use cotton with this mixture and place to wisdom tooth pain. If using this method regularly, you will feel less painful and more comfortable.

6. Garlic
7. Garlic is a spice that also use to restrict wisdom tooth pain. You can crush garlic with cloves and add a little salt to place on the core tooth. Garlic also has antibacterial properties which can kill bacteria causing decay.
   7. Tea bag
   The tea bag is a safe and simple when you grow wisdom tooth. You can use this method each day because tea bag has tannic acid which can against inflammation when your pain. How to use a tea bag to relieve wisdom tooth pain as follows:
   Soak tea bag and put it in the refrigerator. After the tea bag is cold enough, take it out and place it to swollen gums. This is a very simple way to limit wisdom tooth.
   8. Mint leaf
   Mint leaf has many effects in supporting treatment of oral diseases. It can not only use to make mouthwashes but also cure a toothache.
   You take the dried mint leaves and place them in the affected area for 15-20 minutes. Repeat 10-12 times a day to restrict the pain and make the gums stronger.
   9. Cucumber
   You only need to place a small slice of cucumber around affected tooth for 25 to 30 minutes. This will help relieve the pain. Cucumber slices have vitamins and minerals that help the tissues absorb and relieve pain.
   10. Olive oil
   Olive oil not only makes beauty but also restrict wisdom tooth pain. This way is very easy, you only get a cotton swab with olive oil and place it on a wisdom tooth, gums, and adjacent tooth.
   11. Gently massage
   Massage gums gently to decrease a toothache. Massage leads to increase blood circulation to areas and have a healing effect. However, if your gums inflame, you do not massage.
   12. Laurel tree
   Take a half teaspoon of vinegar mix with two teaspoons of bark powder laurel together and then apply this mixture to the affected area to relieve the pain.
   The above article is some home remedies for wisdom tooth pain. You will find it effective when applying the above methods.

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Electric Tooth Brush yay or nay. – Pros and Cons of Electric Toothbrush

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

The major decision you make when purchasing a toothbrush will be either have hard bristles, medium or soft. There are various types of toothbrushes currently present at the market from pricier electric version to simple brushes.

Are electric toothbrushes really worth the extra cash?

The major problem with many of us is the failure to use them the recommended way, use for at least two minutes or else brush every tooth. This is when some little additional power comes in handy. An electric toothbrush is able to cover larger areas in your mouth for a short period of time which will enable you to clean more surfaces in the same amount of it.

When brushing with your hands, you are able to make only 300 strokes in one minute. You can then have a comparison of the thousand strokes made using the electric toothbrush and in some cases several thousand strokes per minutes the power made by use of the manual toothbrush.

Pros

Power toothbrushes are the best in the cleaning of your teeth compared to manual ones. A research recently conducted showed that peoples who use electric brushes have less gum disease and plaque. Electric brushes are highly recommended for certain people like who are physically handicapped. Other people who best suits in use of them include:

1. Children: They will tend to make fun using them and they easily can use them.
2. People with braces: The electric brushes can clean both around and in the metal braces.
3. Lazy brushers: If your doctor notes that you do not completely remove plaque using the manual toothbrush, they recommend the electric brushes.

Cons

1. They are expensive. Manual toothbrushes are cheaper than the electric ones.
2. The brush heads need regular replacement. They also may lead to some false sense of accomplishment.

Different types of electric brushes
There are a few categories available in the market. Their main difference is the movement of the brushes. They include:

1. Rotary: Its heads move in a circular motion at 3000 to 7,500 strokes in a minute. A brush whose heads alternates directions is referred as rotation-oscillation.
2. Sonic: It uses side to side motion at a speed ten times the speed of the rotary brushes.
3. Ultrasonic: It’s the fastest side brush and creates vibrations which dislodge plaque.
4. Ionic: The head of the brush does not move. It has a low electric current which is responsible for the attraction of plaque.

How much must you spend for the power brushes?

Some versions have an added advantage of some built-in timers and travel case which indicate when you are brushing hard. Others have timers which help you regulate time when brushing.

They beep after every 30 seconds per 2 minutes to indicate that you should change position to another part of the mouth. Some high technology brushes have Bluetooth connectivity which sends a message to your phone showing your brushing practices.

At the end of it all, the proper use of your toothbrush greatly matters. Secondly, just like a car, you pay some extra cash for whistles and bells. Therefore electric toothbrushes are good for your dental health.

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Early Treatment Of Gum Disease For A Healthy Lifestyle

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

When it comes to the treatment of gum disease, getting an early jump start on healing the problem areas is mission critical – any delay can cause massive setbacks that could jeopardize your oral and dental health for years to come.

When you have problems with the health of your gums you are far more likely to lose teeth and get nasty infections – debilitating and expensive problems to remedy. Definitely, one of the more overlooked and undervalued practices across the globe, making sure you keep your gums healthy should be a number one priority for you when it comes to dental hygiene.

There are several stages of this kind of disease, with the most common being gingivitis. It is estimated that many millions – potentially billions – of people around the world deal with some form of gingivitis or another when they are adults. This is due to a combination of factors and variables as well as specific lifestyles and choices, but the fact of the matter is that our dental health is under attack and needs swift action to get things back on track.

The most important thing you can do for your dental health is to have regular checkups performed by a dental health care professional that you trust and respect.

These people will be able to nip any problems in the bud before they even have the chance or opportunity to become full-blown catastrophes. These regular visits will play a big role in the treatment of gum disease, and in many cases can push back and reverse the damage that has been done.

Secondly, you should be using the highest quality dental health care products available – toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss, etc are all an important part of the complete dental health regimen that you need to take care of to ensure proper and continued wellness.

These tools will be invaluable in when it comes to treatment of gum disease, and while some of the best options on the market are a bit more expensive than others they are well worth the price you pay for peace of mind and an overall increase in health and wellness.

Should your problem already have progressed past the initial or early stages don’t worry – there are still several options that you can take advantage.

This treatment of gum disease procedures will vary in cost, effectiveness, and accessibility and the only way to know which is right for your particular needs is to leverage the experience of a respected dental health professional. In mild cases you’ll more than likely be prescribed a regiment of treatment options and antibiotics, progressing upwards to more in-depth and complicated treatment of gum disease methods.

In general, this is not something you should be terribly embarrassed about – millions and millions of people the world over are dealing with the same kind of problems each and every day. There are solutions available for the proactive and concerned people out there and many of them have fantastic result rates. Check with the top dental health professionals in your area for treatment of gum disease.

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What is type 2 diabetes and what are the treatment steps?

April 02, 2018

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DISEASES AND CONDITIONS

What is type 2 diabetes

Health is important as a human being. It is important for you to have an idea about diseases and adverse conditions that people could get as human beings. Well, Diabetes is a condition that is most common in the people living in the society. If this is the first time that you came across about the type 2 diabetes condition, you will have to learn facts about it. Therefore, you have here an article on the type 2 diabetes condition. You will get an insight into the above condition as well as its symptoms and other important facts through the article.

Defining type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes could be simply defined as a chronic condition. This chronic condition will affect your body’s use of glucose. Glucose is made in your body from the carbohydrates types of foods that you eat.  Glucose is necessary for your food to fuel your cells and also for energy. Insulin is also needed for your body. It is a kind of hormone that gets produced by the pancreas. This hormone will help the glucose that enters your cells to get converted to energy. The type 2 diabetes is also known as diabetes mellitus. What happens when one has this condition is that it will be difficult to store glucose in the body. When the glucose builds up in the bloodstream for a long period, it will, later on, lead to negative health complications. Therefore, people will have to take steps to manage this condition.

Other than type 2 diabetes there is also the Type 1 diabetes. While type 1 is an autoimmune disease where the body cannot produce insulin, in type 2 diabetes, the body does not use insulin well. Type 1 diabetes is frequent in children, teens, and young adults whereas type 2 are in middle-aged or older adults. If a proper diet is taken, exercises are practiced, and medication is followed it will be easy to control the type 2 condition.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Some factors play a major role in type 2 diabetes. For example, genes in the family will cause this condition. Genes are responsible for the insulin resistance.  The race also influences the condition.  Many of the Blacks are at the higher risks of getting this condition than the White people. You will also have to pay attention to your weight because the weight also influences this condition. For example, if you are overweight, you will have to pay attention to maintaining your overweight. Some factors for being overweight is smoking and drinking too much of alcohol. Sugary foods in too many quantities, high-fat foods and consuming foods in low-fiber also increase this condition. So make sure to avoid these food intakes and do exercises to maintain your weight.

Some of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are urination, thirst,  hunger, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. If you have any of these symptoms, please talk to a doctor and get the necessary medications. Prevention is better than cure!

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