Category: Blog

It’s that awful moment when you wake up in the morning and something stinks – real bad. Then you realize, it’s your breath. Morning breath is not something new. Many people experience it, but a sip of water or brushing your teeth should solve that problem. However, for some people no matter what their breath DOES stink, even after brushing or taking a drink of water. For those few there are simple steps one can take to help lessen the stench.
If you are not regularly brushing your teeth doing so more often can help keep the stench at bay. Brush at least 2 times a day and floss once. If you are over concerned about stinky breath maybe brushing 3 times and flossing 2 times is OK, but do not go overboard. Overdoing it can make your teeth more prone to decay. When you are not brushing your teeth sip water frequently to keep hydrated and keep your mouth moist. Rinse out after meals or snacks to keep the food from settling in and making your breath smell even worse!
It may sound gross, but one big problem most people forget that is causing the stench to their bad breath is their tongue. Scraping your tongue to get rid of bacteria that may grow there can often help eliminate many sources of stinky breath. Comfortably brushing to the back of your tongue with your toothbrush works OK, but if that is not comfortably you can use a scraper as well to gently run across the tongue to pick up any excess bacteria.
It’s also best to avoid foods that sour your breath. Eating things heavy with onions or garlic will not help your breath smell any better either. Eat them sparingly or at least when you are going out in public. Try things that are more mild and neutral in flavor and odor. Also kick the after-dinner mints or candies as they can often leave sugars that decompose in the mouth making breath smell worse than it otherwise would. Opt just for a glass of water, or if you must have something with flavor a piece of sugarless chewing gum should work fine!
If you smoke or have a tobacco habit this is another reason to kick that habit! These habits can make your breath smell even worse than usual, and can also help infect the gums which can give breath and even more putrid odor. If you have at cigarette or tobacco habit see your doctor to help get on a non-smoking or a quitting plan. It can save your health and your breath.
One final step is to ensure that you have a humidifier in your home, and that the cold dry air of winter isn’t drying out your mouth. Moreover, ensure you are sipping water frequently to keep the mouth moistened and to avoid buildups of excessive bacteria in the mouth from occurring. If all steps fail despite these efforts see your doctor to see what may be the issue. It may be from some rare medical conditions where a diagnosis and treatment plan may be the need.

If you have questions regarding this article contact us or call us 909-465-1016

The Ramona Dentistry Team
“Where Family Comes First”

Tea is known to be a drink with many health benefits from helping people lose weight to helping others sleep better. Many people rely on tea as a calming, relaxing drink. Many others choose it as an alternative to coffees or sodas. The problem with teas is that they are not so healthy for your teeth. The basic black varieties of tea are the worst offenders. Black teas can actually cause more staining damage to the teeth than coffee. Herbal and white teas tend to wear away more enamel on your teeth, but can also cause stains even if they are lighter in colors.
Many people like sauces that go on their foods also known as condiments. Who doesn’t? But going easy on those sauces may do more than just saving you unwanted sugar and calories in your diet. Going easy on the sauces and condiments may also benefit your teeth by not staining them as deeply as those who go heavy-handed on the condiments. This is especially true of darker-colored sauces like soy, tomato, or curry-based sauces. To save the impact on the teeth, use lighter-colored sauces and brush when done eating.
Acidic foods and drinks can also affect your teeth. Some of the main offenders of this include energy and sports drinks often packed with extra sugars that can cause stains and also erode enamel. Water is the best choice for your teeth during workouts. Wine is also another issue, especially red wine which can stain teeth. White wine, however is also very acidic and can cause damage, too. Sodas are also another one that can damage teeth. The acids and dyes are usually darker-colored, which can stain teeth, and the sugars can ruin enamel as sodas are one of the drinks highest in sugars. If you were looking to give up soda to whittle your waistline, you can also do it to help save your teeth!
Fruit is another thing many people think is good for them, and it is! But it may not be as good for teeth. Especially darker-colored fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, pomegranates, etc. that can leave darker stains on teeth. Same can be said for juices, even whole 100% fruit juices, that are dark in color. Eating or drinking such foods can soften the enamel and wear it away over time.
Candy and sweets, besides being terrible for you, also can wreck some havoc on the teeth. The worst candies are the ones that change the color of your tongue. If they have that much dye in them they can also stain your teeth if they stain your tongue.
One way to lessen stains on your teeth is to cut back gradually on things with a lot of sugar. Cut down the amount the energy drinks, sports drinks, sodas, and other sugary beverages you consume. If you must consume such drinks use a straw to do so to ensure the liquid doesn’t sit in your mouth as long as it otherwise would. Sip more water. Eat more vegetables, and consume fruits more moderately since they do have health benefits as well. Eat and sweets sparingly, one or two times per week. Brush after you are through with the sugary foods at meals.
Once you are done with foods or drinks that cause stains then brush your teeth soon thereafter. Swish your mouth with water immediately when done eating, then soon as you can brush your teeth after that meal. Keep the sugars from settling in on your teeth too long to minimize stains as well as the enamel that can be worn away from those foods sitting there over time.

If you have any questions regarding this article please contact us or call us at 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team
“Where Family Comes First”

There are many conditions that can attack the gums, teeth, and tongue. These are serious problems that can in their most severe forms require surgery or other medical intervention. Medical care can prevent most of these conditions from ever even occurring. This is why preventative care is so vital to preventing future oral health problems.
Smoking as well as the use of other tobacco products can cause a host of oral health problems including tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth decay is one of the most common dental problems. Generally, the discovery of tooth decay comes when a patient realizes they have a cavity during a routine checkup, or when a patient visits a dentist with a toothache. When caught early minor tooth decay can be quite a treatable condition, however; more advanced tooth decay can present serious problems and complications.
Cavities are the first stage of tooth decay, which occurs when a buildup of plaque and tartar begin to chew away at the structure of the tooth, generally leaving a hallow in the tooth. Cavities chew through the tooth enamel and erode part of the physical tooth itself. This is generally caused by sugars and starches sitting on the teeth for too long after one has consumed foods such as breads, cereals, milks, sodas, fruits, cakes, or candies. Most cavities require that the opened cavity be thoroughly cleaned before its filled to help keep from further decay, and to help smooth the tooth out to restore its normal, proper functions of chewing to their full capacity.
Wisdom Teeth & Conditions:
Wisdom teeth are also another thing that often need to be removed as they grow in at odd angles, or impact the health of other teeth in the individual’s mouth. Some people are born with wisdom teeth, while others are not. It is vital, however, to have a dentist evaluate a patient to see if they have wisdom teeth, and if they do ensure the grow in appropriately or have them removed so the health of the individual’s other teeth is not impacted.
When wisdom teeth are pulled, it is vital to ensure that dental precautions are taken to avoid dry socket which is an exceptionally painful condition where the socket that the tooth was in can become infected. It’s also important to keep the gums around the tooth clean to avoid periodontitis, which is an infection of the gums around the area where the tooth was pulled.
Gum Problems:
Gum problems are manifested through red, swollen, or bleeding gum-lines. These are common problems for many people, especially when they fail to floss properly every day. These can result in further complications including gingivitis which is manifested through swollen, red, sensitive gums. If gingivitis is left untreated it can result in periodontal diseases which is where plaque has hardened on the gum-line to the point it requires surgical procedures to help loosen and remove the plaque. This can also result in corroding on the roots of the teeth if the plaque penetrates deep enough. Other issues can include receding gum-lines which can lead to lose teeth and exposed nerves, and in the worst cases may require tooth removal if too much of the tooth is exposed. Oftentimes, if receding gum-lines get bad enough teeth will fall out, especially in those who can’t afford to go to, or don’t bother with going to the dentist.
Good dental hygiene including regular flossing and brushing as well as rinsing with water after meals containing highly corrosive foods can help keep these problems at bay. Regular dental visits help catch problems as they may arise early before extreme measure need to be taken.
Tongue Problems:
The tongue can also have hygiene issues if not properly cared for. Tongue problems can include discoloration and soreness as well as Black Hairy Tongue, Fissure Tongue, or Geographic Tongue. Proper dental care, brushing, and flossing can help avoid these problems as well as most other oral conditions. Tongue conditions can be exceptionally annoying as the tongue is used to do everything from chewing or eating to speaking. If you experience any abnormalities concerning your tongue contact your healthcare professional immediately for preventative care before the condition worsens.

If you have any questions regarding this article please feel free to contact us and/or call us 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team
“Where Family Comes First”