Bad breath (halitosis) is a common complaint but one that shouldn’t be ignored. Most of the time bad breath can be treated with a few simple adjustments to your oral care regime.

First of all, you need to identify what is causing your bad breath.

If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while then you should make this a priority. Bad breath can be a sign of tooth decay or gum disease and it is important that these causes are treated as soon as possible to stop them from progressing further.

Visiting the dentist will also provide you with an assessment of your overall oral health and your dentist will advise you on the most suitable home care regime for you.

There are three main causes of bad breath.

1) External causes

This is generally something that you do or consume. Certain foods such as garlic and onions are well known for causes bad breath. Also, things such as smoking can leave your mouth tasting and smelling foul.

2) Oral Health

Many people mistakenly give their teeth a quick twice a day and think that this will be enough to keep bad breath at bay. Whilst brushing your teeth may refresh the mouth by using minty toothpaste the main purpose of brushing is to rove all soft plaque deposits and food debris. If your mouth starts to feel foul later in the day after brushing this is a sign you could be missing out on cleaning vital areas. A good dental health regime combines effective toothbrushing and interdental cleaning. Over a third of your tooth surfaces are in between the teeth so if you’re not cleaning between your teeth using either floss or interdental brushes then you are leaving behind plaque and food which is going to breed bacteria and cause a pong.

3) Medical conditions

Bad breath can be caused by an underlying medical cause for that, such as throat, nose or lung infections and sinusitis, bronchitis or diabetes.

Here are our top tips for keeping your breath fresh:

• Brush your teeth and gums at least twice a day for 2 minutes
using a fluoride toothpaste
• Gently clean your tongue once a day ideally using a tongue scraper but if you don’t have one of these then your toothbrush will do fine for now.
• Clean between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes or at least once a day
• Get regular dental health checks
• Keep dentures clean and remove them at night
• Use sugar-free mints or chewing gum after consuming food and drinks
• Try using an antibacterial mouthwash at a different time to brushing to keep bacteria at bay

Find out more about how our Leicester dentists can help you to have fresh breath…

Around 1 in 5 people will suffer from mouth ulcers at some point in their life and 17% of the population suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers. But what causes mouth ulcers? It may surprise you to know that the exact cause of mouth ulcers is still not known.

Most mouth ulcers are caused by things you can try to avoid, such as:

• Biting the inside of your cheek
• Badly fitting dentures, braces, rough fillings or a sharp tooth
• Cuts or burns while eating or drinking – for example, hard food or hot drinks
• Food intolerance or allergy
• Spicy foods
• Damaging your gums with a toothbrush or irritating toothpaste
• Feeling tired, stressed or anxious

The odd mouth ulcer is usually harmless and heals up on its own with the help of treatment. You should seek medical advice from a dentist or GP if you have a mouth ulcer that lasts for 3 weeks or longer or it keeps on coming back.

Occasionally cases of recurrent or complex mouth ulcers can be caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional problems, such as vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron deficiency and gastrointestinal tract disease, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.

Sometimes medications can cause mouth ulcers, if you notice a correlation between your medication and mouth ulcers then it’s important you continue with the medication but get checked out by your GP as soon as possible.

Pain from a mouth ulcer doesn’t usually require treatment however you can use over the counter remedies such as Bonjela which may help to relieve some of the discomfort temporarily. Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.

If sores are large, painful or persistent, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a prescription or non-prescription solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

1) Eat more fruit and vegetables

Having a healthy mouth has a lot to do with your diet. Even with the best oral hygiene routine (brushing twice a day, flossing once a day), it can still be hard to keep your teeth healthy over the long term if your diet isn’t right.

Eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups helps to promote healthy teeth and gums. This means to maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein foods, calcium-rich foods and whole grains for a healthy smile as well as a healthy body.

2) Stop smoking

We all know that smoking is bad for your health but you might be surprised to see the different ways in which it can affect your oral health:

These include:
• stained teeth
• bad breath (halitosis)
• tooth loss
• gum disease
• loss of taste and smell
• reduced blood supply to the mouth
• an increased build-up of plaque and tartar on your teeth
• delayed healing following dental extractions and other oral surgery
• increased risk of oral cancer

You can get further reading and advice on the by clicking here…

3) Change your toothbrush

A study looking at peoples oral health habits discovered that people were actually changing their toothbrush every 9 months. That’s 6 months longer than recommended. Your toothbrush is home to more than 100 million bacteria including E. coli and staphylococci (Staph) bacteria, according to researchers at the University of Manchester in England.

4) Reduce Stress

Stress can seriously affect your oral health if you are clenching or grinding your jaw/teeth. Teeth grinding is medically known as a condition called bruxism. Many people are often unaware they have this problem, however, if you wake up with a headache or jaw ache there’s a high chance you are grinding.

Your dentist will be able to tell you if you are likely to have bruxism. If you frequently suffer from bruxism it can lead to severely worn teeth and even jaw problems. You can get further information on this here… 

5) Ditch the sugar

Sugar has been hitting the headlines a lot recently. There has never been a better time to ditch or seriously reduce the amount of sugar we consume. Having an occasional treat is okay as long as it occasional and not every day or all day. Many people aren’t aware that it’s actually the frequency of sugary drinks and foods that do the damage not necessarily the quantity. So cut out any unnecessary sugar that you consume frequently such as juice and sugar in hot drinks.

It’s a sad fact that in the UK last year more than 8.300 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer and globally there are in excess of 300,000 new cases every year.

Mouth cancer cases are increasing and people diagnosed with mouth cancer has grown by around a third in the last decade. Mouth cancer is one of the few cancers which are predicted to continue to increase in future years.

Although risk factors such as smoking and alcohol are responsible for many mouth cancers, it is a disease that can affect anyone.

Here are 6 things you everyone should know about mouth cancer:

1) Regular visits to your dental team are so important. Attending appointments as often as they recommend makes it more likely that any problems will be caught as early as possible, including mouth cancer.

2) Mouth cancer cases are on the rise, but awareness is dangerously low. It is so important that we are more aware of the changes in our mouths and act on anything unusual by getting checked out by a dentist or doctor.

3) The earlier a problem is caught, the easier it tends to be to tackle. Mouth cancer is no exception. The smaller the affected area, the better the chances are of a full recovery. So, if in doubt, get checked out!

4) Long lasting ulcers, red/white patches and unusual lumps and bumps are three common warning signs of mouth cancer. It may be nothing but it’s always better to be safe and get checked than be sorry.

5) The everyday choices we make can affect our chances of developing mouth cancer. Smoking cigarettes significantly increases your risk of developing the disease.

6) Drinking alcohol over the recommended weekly limit will increase your chances of getting mouth cancer. Please stick within the recommended guidelines and maintain regular visits to the dentist just in case.

If you are concerned at all then please arrange an appointment with your dental team as soon as possible. Get in touch…

Halloween is just around the corner, and many people will be heading out this weekend for Haloween fun, parties and sweets! Halloween is likely to be the one time of year we let our children have easier access to all kinds of sweets than we wouldn’t at any other time of year. But have no fear Smile Essential is here with 5 handy tips to help your little monsters happy and mouth healthy this Halloween.

1) Have dinner before you go trick or treating or to a party. Ensuring the kids are full will hopefully limit how many sweet treats they munch!

2) Ensure good brushing in the build-up to Halloween. They should know that they can only have treats if they have brushed well enough. On the day that they eat sweet treats ensure they have cleaned 2-3 times, thoroughly for 2 minutes especially before bed.

3) Get rid of the loot as quickly as you can! However, you can manage it try and get rid of those sweets as quickly as possible! The more often your child snacks on these the more chance they stand of causing tooth decay. You don’t want your kids to be snacking on sweets and candy for the next week! If you can try and avoid any particularly bad treats – chewy and sticky sweets really stick to the teeth and in between gaps. This can cause a lot to teeth.

4) Drink water. Just because they are having sweets doesn’t mean this has to include sweet or fizzy drinks. In fact, this should be a rule that if they have sweets they will only be drinking water. This will help to minimise any damage. Encourage them to sip frequently and always have a good drink of water once they’ve finished eating.

5) Throw in some kinder to teeth treats. If your kids are old enough then maybe have some sugar free gum. This is great for helping to minimise damage. It also works well to add this in at the end of them scoffing as the last thing they eat from their collection.

Have fun stay safe and clean well! Check out how you can help keep your children’s teeth healthy…

1) Toothache
Okay, this one is pretty obvious yet it’s surprising just how many people do try to ignore a toothache. Unfortunately, teeth cannot repair themselves so if you are experiencing toothache even if it then goes away you should get it checked out by a dentist immediately.

2) Sensitive Teeth
Tooth sensitivity can be caused by many things. Commonly people suffer from cold sensitivity but you can also have sensitivity from hot and sweet things. The cause of sensitivity needs to be investigated by a dental professional. Common causes of tooth sensitivity are tooth decay, fractured teeth, worn fillings, gum disease, worn tooth enamel or gum recession. Knowing the cause of your tooth sensitivity will help to either address the problem or prevent the sensitivity from worsening.

3) Bleeding or Sore Gums
Bleeding or sore gums can be a sign of gingivitis, an early and reversible stage of gum disease. Left untreated gum disease will cause inflammation of the gums and eventually lead to teeth becoming loose which is not treatable and the tooth will have to be removed. If your gums bleed regularly you should make a dental appointment.

4) Mouth Ulcers
Some people suffer from frequent mouth ulcers and if this is you should seek an appointment with your dentist or GP to check there isn’t an underlying cause. If you have a mouth ulcer that lasts two weeks or longer it’s very important to seek dental advice urgently.

5) Jaw Ache
Jaw ache is mainly caused by teeth grinding known as Bruxism. Almost 65% of people who grind their teeth is due to stress and anxiety, so treating the underlying cause is crucial. Feeling stressed or anxious tends to make us clench our teeth, which results in unnecessary tooth grinding.
Continually grinding your teeth can cause your teeth to wear down and jaw joint problems. There are treatments available to help with the symptoms of teeth grinding your dentist can help to discuss the options available to you.

6) Bad breath
Bad breath not only makes you self-conscious when speaking it could also be a sign that something isn’t right. Persistent bad breath can be one of the warning signs of gum disease or tooth decay. Other causes of bad breath could be caused by what you have eaten, not cleaning your mouth, dry mouth, smoking or other medical conditions. Your dentist can determine the cause of your bad breath and treatment.

7) Broken Teeth
Broken teeth if left untreated can start to cause incredible pain and create bigger problems if left. Teeth can break for a number of reasons from tooth decay to biting something too hard on a heavily restored or weak tooth.

One of the best ways to prevent dental problems from occurring is by brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily. In addition to this regular dental health checks will ensure any problems are spotted early. Our Leicester dentists are focused on preventative care and when potential problems are spotted early then we can avoid more extensive dental work and help you to keep your mouth healthy and teeth for life.

Find out more about joining our Leicester dental practice…