Halitosis

Bad breath, medically termed as Halitosis is a condition that produces unpleasant feeling due to a foul smell coming from the mouth. The most common cause is poor oral hygiene which will lead to tooth decay and/or gum disease. Biologically speaking, the bad odor is a result of Volatile sulfur compounds released, which have a typical rotten-egg smell.

To fight bad breath one should maintain proper oral hygiene - Use fluoride toothpaste, and brush and floss your teeth twice daily. After every meal you have to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. Teeth should be cleaned professionally - Visit your dentist regularly, at least once every 6 months so that any decay and/or gum disease can be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Modify your diet - Sometimes changes in the diet timings and the food you eat, can improve things. Maintain a mixed diet of all foods, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats along with fruits and vegetables. Chewing certain herbs like coriander, spearmint, eucalyptus, and cardamom can also help. Try to quit habits like smoking, chewing tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption. Foods like berries, melons and any citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, and help in locking the growth of bacteria, thus gum disease and periodontal pocket formation are controlled. Use a tongue cleaner, to always keep the surface of the tongue clean.

Halitosis can sometimes be a sign for a medical condition. Most commonly, respiratory tract infection like infected throat, lung infections, sinus tract infections, and other systemic illnesses like diabetes, chronic bronchitis, liver or kidney disorders. If your dentist indicates your oral hygiene as good and no dental pathologies present, then you should visit a physician to determine the cause.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a decreased flow of saliva that may be associated with dehydration, radiation therapy of the salivary gland regions, anxiety, the use of drugs (such as atropine and antihistamines), vitamin deficiency, various forms of parotitis, or various syndromes (such as Plummer-Vinson syndrome). Dry mouth is a significant health problem because it can affect nutrition and psychological well-being, while also contributing to tooth decay and other mouth infections.
To minimize such risks one should brush teeth and use dental floss at least twice a day. Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Ask your dentist about using a topical fluoride. Avoid sticky, sugary foods or brush immediately after eating them. See your dentist at least three times a year for cleanings and early treatment of cavities. Ask your dentist if you should use a remineralizing solution or prescription-strength fluoride. Take frequent sips of water or drinks without sugar. Pause often while speaking to sip some liquid. Avoid coffee, tea and soft drinks. Drink frequently while eating. This will make chewing and swallowing easier and may increase the taste of foods. Keep a glass of water by your bed for dryness during the night or upon awakening. Chew sugarless gum - the chewing may produce more saliva. Eat sugarless mints or hard sugarless candy but let them dissolve in your mouth. Avoid tobacco and alcohol. Avoid spicy, salty and highly acidic foods that may irritate the mouth. Ask your dentist about using artificial salivas to help lubricate the mouth. Use a humidifier, particularly at night.

Occlusion

Occlusion is the relationship between top and bottom teeth or the 'bite'. This relationship is of the utmost importance in many aspects of dental treatment and often overlooked with less than optimal results. Everyone has a different type of occlusion which is quite specific to that individual and considered optimal for that person. However, regardless of the type, it is extremely important to always take this patient-specific pattern into consideration when planning and preforming dental treatments. Occlusion effects many different aspects of dental health and ignoring occlusal patterns will more often than not reduce the probability of success. Personally, my staff and I will always spend the extra time to evaluate and equillibrate our patients' occlusions at, as many different intervals as necessary, during a comprehensive treatment schedule to ensure the best end results in our approach.

Fluoride

Everyone knows that fluoride is good for your teeth, however few people realize that there are actually two different mechanisms by which Fluoride can be introduced to tooth structure. First is a systemic introduction through ingestion which occurs inside the jaw and before exposure to the oral cavity. Second is a topical application to teeth that have already erupted.
The actual mechanism of fluoride action is still a subject of debate. A dogma has existed for many decades, that fluoride has to be ingested and acts mainly pre-eruptively. However, recent studies concerning the systemic effect of fluoride supplementation concluded that the caries-preventive effect of fluoride is almost exclusively posteruptive. Moreover, epidemiologists have cast doubt on the validity of the 'old' studies dealing with fluoride use. The concept of the posteruptive fluoride effect is supported by in vitro and in situ investigations demonstrating that the mode of action of fluoride can be attributed mainly to its influence on de- and remineralization of dental hard tissues. Therefore, topical fluoride application in the form of fluoridated dentifrices(tooth paste or mouthwash) should be encouraged.

Bruxism/TMD

Bruxism put simply is the conscious or subconscious grinding and/or clenching of teeth. Most people have heard of the abbreviation; TMJ, this stands for Temporomandibular joint which are the jaw joints directly in front of the ears. TMD is any dysfunction that is associated with the TMJ.
There are various severities of TMD, ranging from slight pressure or discomfort to very severe pain and dysfunction. The etiology or cause of TMD is usually some form of occlusal discrepency or unbalanced bite. When the teeth don't line up and come together evenly, our bodies natural and often subconscious rection is to clench or grind in certain spots. This in turn will lead to problems with the jaw joints or some form of TMD. Bruxism is often cyclical( comes and goes) and progressive( tends to worsen with time). The good news is that for most people there is an easy fix in the form of an occlusal appliance or custom fitted hard night guard.

Prosthodontist.

As most of my patients and colleagues know, in addition to a family practitioner I am also a Prosthodontist. I received a DDS from Columbia University School of Dental Medicine, a General Practice Residency Certificate from Montefiore Medical Center and a Prosthodontics Certificate from New York University.
In this entry I will attempt to explain what a Prosthodontist is. The American Dental Association(ADA) recognizes a handful of specialties in the practice of dentistry. The ADA's definition is as follows; Prosthodontics is the dental specialty pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and/or oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes. In simpler terms a Prosthodontist has additional training in various techniques and procedures in restoring and/or replacing teeth.
It is a unique specialty in the sense that is relatively diverse as compared to other specialties. A Prosthodontist has a distinct advantage of not only being the primary restorative dentist, but also having a unique insight into all other specialties, allowing him/her to better coordinate a multi-disciplinary team of specialists.
Prosthodontics allows the capability and expertise to handle many different treatments from a simple procedure such as an onlay to a rather complex one such as a full mouth rehabilitation or cosmetic make over.

The true value of teeth.

Time and time again I see new patients who are dissatisfied with work that was done previously. More often than not, the condition is irreversible and more complex treatment is necessary to rectify the situation.
As adults we all have approximately 32 teeth and there are no spares. Once a tooth is damaged or lost it is not coming back. This is the reason why every single tooth is so valuable and irreplaceable.
In my opinion the key to better dental care is proper diagnosis and treatment in the first place. Too many people assume that a dentist is a dentist and that you get the same caliber of dentistry no matter where you go. Unfortunately this is far from the truth. Even more unfortunate is that by the time a patient realizes that previous treatments were faulty, it is often too late.
My staff and I have many years of training and experience and pride ourselves in providing the most conservative and clinically sound treatment bar none. There is absolutely no substitute to doing it right in the first place!