Are you drinking enough H20 for your health?

When a new season starts up, I like to really get my life in order.  It is a quarterly check on myself.  The vast majority of Americans take Summer as the time to start drinking and eating more sugary drinks.  In excess, this is not a great thing. But as a matter of fact, I love the Summer and all the nice warm drinks and sweet treats that come with it.  Many holidays happen and a ton of get-togethers are on my own personal calendar and I know that lots of treats are on the way.  The big thing to me though is that I protect my body and use the easiest ways available to do it.  It really is incredible how hydration and dental health are linked.

All the acid and bad things that we consume over the holidays is an issue and taking care of your teeth is key.  The unfortunate side effect of yummy treats is that acid and sugar can help speed up tooth decay.  This is when you tooth enamel starts to soften due to all the acid breaking it down.  The bacteria and plaque also created by sugar stay on your teeth and slowly create holes and cavities.  It really is a sad thing to see, and we all know there are solutions available.

Now, drinking lots of water is the key to staying hydrated.  Water is a natural mouth cleanser and helps to rinse your teeth from the unwanted acid and sugar.  I really do like to indulge on Summer sweets and acidic drinks and to counter some of the bad that comes from those I always keep water nearby.  Water helps rinse those bad drinks off my teeth and it also hydrates my body.  The human body creates more saliva when hydrated.  The saliva in our mouths is a natural cleaner. This is a great reason to keep drinking water after your snack.  This is a great way to help your dental health and keep your mouth clean.

Now drinking water sounds easy, but it takes some habits to get it right.  I think that the best way to drink water is to simply have it nearby.  The water bottle idea is nothing new and it is something that has helped change my life.  I keep a work water bottle and a sports water bottle with me nearly all the time.  At work my stainless steel water bottle allows me to refill it and look classy at the office.  Instead of coffee, I am drinking water and no one knows the difference.

I like to use a nice Nalgine bottle when I am not at the office.  It fits my active lifestyle and allows me to not look super fancy when I am in the car or at the gym.  I love being able to also separate the bottles so my nasty sweat from working out never gets on my work water bottle.  It is the little things that mentally help me out. I hope these tips help you to better your life and keep your teeth safe during this Summer season. If not you can always spend some time researching or just trying out new things that work well for you. We are all different so do what is best for you. 

What is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Dry Mouth?

A person who is suffering from sleep apnea needs a continuous positive airway pressure machine to sleep well and have some rest in life. Therefore, you may get excited about the CPAP, but it causes some side effects. Well, obviously a sleep-deprived person wants some peaceful nights in life. Thus, the machine becomes necessary for them. But, it also welcomes some of the unavoidable circumstances like dry mouth and dental diseases. The purpose of the machine is to provide fresh and positive air to the upper respiratory system of the patient. It attaches to the nose and mouth of the person. Thus, it can fulfill the deficiency of air in the person. It allows a peaceful night and sleeps for the patient. But, due to a specific pressure of the air in the mouth, it creates dryness which is bad for dental health. The victim feels a dry cotton feeling in the mouth every morning. This common disease has solutions and treatments. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about having a dry mouth after the use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine. First, see how this appliance works and causes dry mouth in the patient. Therefore, it requires little adjustments and precautions that can cure your mouth and dental issues. 

What is the Purpose of CPAP Machine and How Does it Work?

According to the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, almost 3 to 9% of people are suffering from sleep apnea. The common type of this disease is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this condition, your airways become blocked. You feel this blockage during sleep; thus, you cannot breathe peacefully and properly. Therefore, you require a machine for proper breathing and sleep. The CPAP can treat your blocked airways. Also, it can cure obstructive sleep apnea problems by pushing the air through the nose. It works during your sleep and passes the air by pressing the air in a forwarding direction through the mouth and nose.

Why CPAP Causes Dry Mouth?

As I said earlier, machine and sleep apnea has various types. Thus, the treatment depends on it. It matters, either the mask is covering your mouth, nose, or both parts of the face. In case the CPAP machine working through the nose only, then there are almost no to fewer chances of catching dry mouth. However, in the case of the mask on your mouth, the patient will definitely suffer from the dental issue, dry mouth. It can reduce the appropriate level of saliva in the mouth and cause different dental diseases. It can affect the health of gums and roots. Moreover, if the machine is pressuring the air through the nose only, but you are sleeping with the mouth open. Then, you will feel the mouth dryness in the morning.  Moreover, sometimes the mask’s size is bigger, it does not fit on your mouth, it allows the air to pass in, and then it causes dry mouth.

Prevent CPAP Dry Mouth

The first thing you can do is to have a machine that covers your mouth and nose. A mask that can only cover the nose or loose is not appropriate for dental health. Thus, the first thing is the type of CPAP machine’s mask. The second paramount element is its size. Choose the measurement of the mask according to the mouth’s size. It should not allow air to pass in. Thus, your mouth’s health will be good. 

However, if you want to use the mask that only covers the nose area, then add a chin strap to your daily appliance. It will close your mouth and you won’t catch dry mouth problems. Apart from these precautions, doctors sometimes suggest and recommend some medications as well. However, it depends on the patient’s case.

Signs, Symptoms, Preventions, and Treatments of Cracked Tooth

What is a Cracked Tooth?

When a person has a crack on a tooth, it is called a cracked tooth. Sometimes, the crack is too small to see. Thus, it is only visible in x-rays. Sometimes this crack appears under the gum. Also, it is a minor usual case. Moreover, it appears in the molars most often.

Signs and Symptoms of Cracked Tooth

The first and common sign of a cracked tooth is pain. Some patients feel intense pain and discomfort. But, a few people realize this pang only in chewing and eating. The cases caries due to the crack cause, location, and size. However, having pain is common and necessary. Some people also suffer from temperature and headache due to crack tooth. The pain of the crack is different from the symptoms of the cavity. When you have a cavity, it causes constant pain. However, in a cracked tooth, the pain comes and goes off. However, you have a fever and headache. Moreover, you feel a deep pang during eating your food.

Causes of Cracked Tooth

In some conditions, there are not so many reasons for a fractured or broken tooth. However, some common causes are:

• Many people suffer from teeth clenching disease. Thus, due to the grinding of teeth, they have to face cracks in the tooth.

• A person can have a cracked tooth during an accident or a fight.

• Some people have double and overgrown teeth. Thus, this condition can cause a cracked tooth.

• Chewing the morsel with pressure can cause a cracked tooth.

• If you break something hard with the teeth, it can cause a crack.

• Some people have a large filling in the teeth, it is one of the primary causes of a cracked tooth.

• When a person goes through root canal treatment, its after-effects usually come with a cracked tooth.

Diagnosis of Cracked Tooth

When the crack is minor, it does not give you intense pain. Thus, when a person feels constant fever and headache or pain in the tooth during chewing. Then, he/she must consult the dentist. After having the complete examination, dental history, x-ray, and radiology, a dentist can diagnose the crack in your tooth.

Prevention and Treatment of Cracked Tooth

The first thing you need to do is stop clenching your teeth. A healthy mouth and teeth habit can prevent the cracks in your teeth. You can use a mouth guard if you are suffering from teeth grinding issue.

Moreover, when it comes to the treatments of a cracked tooth, after the diagnosis, a dentist decides the appropriate treatment. The first and common method to treat the cracked tooth is tooth bonding. Well, the fracture is small or big, it needs bonding to fill it. 

Another way to treat the cracked tooth is by placing the crown. The dentist cements the crown amalgamation and pacifies the outer surface of the tooth. Moreover, the method of the treatment depends on the severity of the case. Moreover, a dentist will also have to see the location of the crack before deciding the treatment’s method. Medications are only beneficial for fever, pain, and headache. It cannot fill the crack in the tooth. It can only be filled by the cementing of the amalgamation. Moreover, it requires one sitting to treat the cracked tooth. But, the dentist decides the exact time after looking into your temperature and overall health condition.

Complications of Cracked Tooth

The minor crack is easy to treat and fill. However, if it is the bog in size, then it can break the half or entire tooth. Thus, the treatment would be different. Sometimes, it requires tooth extraction and the dentist replaces it with the new one. Moreover, due to the cracked tooth, some people have to bear pop up and bumps on gums. A bare eye can notice it. Then, it needs medications to get a cure.

What are the Effects of Chemotherapy on Your Mouth and Teeth?

After the diagnosis of cancer, the one common and effective treatment is chemotherapy. Almost every cancer patient has to go through this treatment to get rid of this fatal disease. The radiations and medicines a patient takes during the therapy kill the germs of cancer. However, it leaves a few serious side effects and weaknesses. The common side-effect is a threat to dental health. The chemo can cause dry mouth, loose teeth, swelling in gums, dysphagia, trismus, and changes in taste. When doctors use strong radiations and medications that can kill the strongest germs of cancer in your body, definitely the intensity will affect the fragile parts of the body. Well, in the case of mouth or throat cancer, dental health is more vulnerable to dental health issues. The chemotherapy reduces the saliva glands, the quantity of saliva in the mouth, the color of gums, the strength of gums and roots, and the original color of teeth. Thus, after going through the cancer treatment, a person will realize the pain in teeth, difficulty in chewing, loose teeth, swelling in gums, bleeding in gums, canker sores, lockjaw, and change in the taste.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Kids

Kids who are going through chemo treatment also face some serious side effects. Their baby teeth fall before time. They feel pain in gums while eating. Also, they have an abnormal growth of the permanent teeth. Moreover, the growth process becomes slower than usual. Parents do not realize that this is happening because of the chemotherapy. They start experimenting with things on the teeth of kids. However, you need to consult a dentist because the baby is facing this abnormality due to chemo radiations. Do not apply anything on the gums and teeth without the permission of the dentist.

How to Take Care of Your Teeth during Chemotherapy?

When you are under chemo treatment, the essential thing is to take care of your oral health. The first and primary step is looking after hygiene. Also, it becomes difficult while undergoing chemotherapy. But, you need to take care of two to three times teeth brushing. Proper use of a mouthwash that keeps your mouth hydrated. Also, do not use cosmetic mouthwashes, you need to consult the dentist before having it. Do not eat unhealthy or food items that are hard to chew and grind. Eat soft and healthy meals. Moreover, at this time strength of the teeth is necessary. Thus, use fluoride toothpaste and a mouthwash that can clear off the harmful bacteria in your mouth. Floss your teeth once a day or after having meat, fish, or chicken. Moreover, do not drink or eat items that have color in it or citric acid. Drink water and fresh juices regularly to stay hydrated and maintain the level of saliva.

In a few cases, a patient still feels pain and swelling in the gums. Then, you need to change the habit of eating. Eat mashed boil potatoes, scrambled eggs, bread, and fresh juices. Also, avoid sugary items that can generate pain and cavity in your teeth.

How to Manage Dry Socket Pain?

After having the chemotherapy, a person can also face a dry socket. Sometimes it becomes hard to manage it. Therefore, you need a dentist’s prescription to get rid of this pain. The first step to treat this pang is to recommend a painkiller. If your socket’s pain is in the initial stage, then the painkiller is enough. Moreover, an ice treatment can also be beneficial for dry socket pain. Sometimes dentists ask you to rinse your mouth with salt water to keep the socket hydrated and fresh. However, in case you feel bleeding, then give up on the above method. You only need a special treatment for dry socket then.