Bruxism is a condition in which you clench and/or grind your teeth. This can occur during the day but quite often occurs at night. Sometimes patients aren’t even aware that they are doing this. A bed partner may be awakened by the noise. Some other signs of grinding and clenching that the patient may notice are headaches, earaches, facial pain, jaw popping, chipped, worn, or flattened teeth, teeth that are hypersensitive to cold and brushing, and loose teeth.

Some common causes of bruxism are stress and tension, malalignment of the teeth, types of foods eaten, and habits such as gum chewing.

There are several things that can help alleviate the discoforts of bruxism. Warm moist heat on the muscles in front of the ears, relaxation techniques, massage, eliminate stress if possible, avoid hard and chewy food such as bagels, and reduce gum chewing.

Make sure to visit your dentist. Chipped teeth need to be repaired. Sometimes a muscle relaxer can be prescribed. A splint can be fabricated, which is a plastic device that is worn over the teeth to protect them and to take the pressure off the jaw muscles. Sometimes orthodontia is needed to move the teeth into better alignment. If you suspect you are grinding or clenching be sure to see your dentist for advice.

Bad breath, or halitosis, is unpleasant, embarrassing, and fairly common.

There are many factors which can cause bad breath, but over 80% of the time the odors originate in the mouth. Poor oral hygiene – lack of proper flossing and brushing – can lead to a build up of food particles and debris around the teeth. As the food particles break down, bacteria are forming and giving off by products and the odor increases.

One main area where food particles and bacteria accumulate is on the surface of the tongue. As film forms over the tongue it traps the anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that thrive in an oxygen free environment). These anaerobic bacteria give off a sulfur compound which can smell like rotten eggs.

Cleaning the film and bacteria off of the tongue twice a day can help eliminate most mouth odors. This cleaning can be done with the edge of a teaspoon or a plastic tongue scraper.

Other factors that can cause mouth odors are the type of foods eaten (garlic, onions, fish, cheese, etc.) smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption.

Some medications can cause dry mouth. Reduced saliva flow allows more food particles and bacteria to accumulate thus leading to mouth odors. Reduced saliva flow at night is why people will experience “morning bad breath.”

A few other things that can cause breath odors are some cancers and other metabolic disorders. Diabetes and kidney or liver failure can cause a fishy odor and uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a fruity smell. GERD (reflux disease) can cause a strong vomit-like odor.

Sinus problems, post nasal drip, etc. can lead to bad breath. Also tonsil stones, which are an accumulation of food and bacteria in hard knots on the tonsils will stink.

It’s very difficult to self-test for bad breath. Ask someone who is close to you to give you an honest answer about your breath. If you believe you have bad breath try first to improve your dental hygiene – floss, brush, and scrape your tongue at least twice per day. Use a mouth wash to kill bacteria. Chew sugarless gum with xylitol to increase saliva flow.

Make sure to visit your dentist on a regular basis to ensure your don’t have areas of decay or gum disease.

The contest for the month of January is a drawing to win the “Let it Snow” basket. You can enter your name into the drawing when you come in for a dental appointment in the month of January.

Sealants are a thin plastic or resin coating that is applied to the grooves of the chewing surfaces of teeth. The sealants keep food particles and bacteria from collecting in the grooves. Typically they are placed on adult molars soon after they erupt, around ages 6 – 12.

The process is easy and painless. First the tooth is cleaned thoroughly. A special gel is applied to the tooth for a few seconds, then rinsed and dried. Next the sealant material is applied to the tooth, and a light is shined on the tooth to harden the material. The sealants are usually clear or tooth colored. There is no discomfort, drilling, or anesthetic involved with sealants.

The average sealant lasts 5 – 10 years and can be reapplied when it starts to break down. They should be a part of every child’s preventative dental health program.

Our contest for December is a Colts party basket! We have a table cloth, cups, plates, napkins, etc. for you to use at your next Colts game day party. Just come in for an appointment during December to enter!

A dental dam is a square piece of latex (or latex-free) rubber. It is placed over a patient’s mouth and has holes punched in it to allow the teeth to stick out through the holes. A metal clamp secures the dam on the teeth.

The purpose of the dam is to isolate the tooth being worked on. It allows the area to remain dry and prevents contamination from bacteria in saliva and blood. The newer composite (tooth colored) fillings require that the bonding agent be applied in a dry environment for maximum bonding. The dam also protects the patient from swallowing or aspirating any foreign objects, pieces of filling, etc.

Fillings usually can be done in a shorter period of time with a dam in place because the tongue, lips, and cheeks are retracted. It is mandatory that rubber dams are used when any endodontic (root canal) procedure is done.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or give us a call!

We came across this great video of Whoopi Goldberg talking about her experience with gum disease. Watch through the whole video. Gum disease can happen to anyone, and as Whoopi says, dentistry has changed, and we now have great treatment and prevention options.

It’s almost time for Thanksgiving! Come in for an appointment this month to enter to win this Thanksgiving centerpiece.

This Saturday is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk downtown Indy. We dressed up to get ready for it!

There is still time to help out! Make a donation here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/cwd