Bad breath can be an indicator that something's going on in your mouth. Perhaps it's as simple as a few slices of pepperoni and onion pizza for lunch. Or maybe your oral care habits haven't been as consistent as they could be. Both are easily fixable. But what if your bad breath stems from something more complicated? If your breath smells like ammonia or you have an ammonia taste in your mouth, it may be a sign of a problem with your kidneys. Here's what you need to know about kidney functions and what having ammonia breath could indicate.
The Function of the Kidneys
To understand how kidney health relates to your oral health, it's best, to begin with a simple anatomy lesson. Humans have two kidneys. Both are about the size of a fist and located on either side of the spine just below the rib cage.
The kidneys are vital to your health as they remove waste products from your body. They filter the blood and help ensure any excess fluids leave the body through urination. They also perform other functions, such as controlling red blood cell production, releasing hormones to regulate blood pressure, and helping the body maintain healthy bones by producing vitamin D.
Kidney Disease and Oral Health
One of the products removed from the blood supply by kidneys is urea. When the kidneys fail to remove all of the urea, the urea breaks down into ammonia. Hence, the reason people with renal problems often have breath that smells like chemicals or ammonia breath. Additionally, the body is unable to absorb calcium properly as a result of kidney disease. Lack of calcium can lead to bone loss, impacting the jaws and the bone around the teeth.
Ammonia Breath Causes and Treatments
Often something else going on with the body, including some other illness, results in kidney disease. Some of the common causes of kidney disease are:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Autoimmune disorders like lupus
An injury to one of the kidneys
Certain medications
Ammonia breath will only subside once you treat the underlying condition. First and foremost, you need to seek the help of a medical professional. Until then, there are plenty of different ways to mask bad breath.
Carry a toothbrush and toothpaste with you for on-the-go brushing.
Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.
Avoid pungent foods like garlic and onions.
Clean your tongue with a soft-bristled toothbrush or tongue scraper.
Quit smoking and using tobacco products.
Chew sugar-free gum.
Monitoring your overall health is the most important way to recognize that there might be something wrong. Your body could be providing clues. So, when you book an annual physical with your primary care physician, go ahead and schedule regular dental checkups at least twice a year. Talk to your dentist about developing a good oral care routine that includes brushing at least twice a day. Follow that up with regular flossing or cleaning between your teeth to remove food particles from spots a brush might not be able to reach.
Bad breath can be unappealing, but it is also treatable, even if there is a deeper issue causing it. Talk to your primary care physician and dentist as soon as possible if you notice ammonia breath, and they will be able to help make a treatment plan that's right for you.
Good oral hygiene and regular dentist visits all contribute to a healthy mouth and fresh breath. Adding some simple home remedies to your dental routine can also help fight off bad breath and halitosis. Here are some easy remedies for bad breath.
How to stop bad breath?
Brush and Floss
Brushing and flossing is an important part of good oral care. When this is not done consistently, food particles remain in the mouth, causing bad breath. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss daily to help reduce plaque, bacteria, and odor-causing food particles. Flossing can also help stop periodontal disease, which may also cause bad breath.
Clean Your Tongue
Paying particular attention to your tongue while brushing your teeth can also help with bad breath. Halitosis-causing compounds form on your tongue and in your mouth when bacteria and amino acids combine, causing an unpleasant sulfur-like smell—effectively cleaning your tongue helps keep your breath fresh.
Use a Mouthwash
Often feel like hiding after having a meal with garlic or onion? Use a mouthwash to quickly freshen your breath and stop the smell caused by certain foods. Add an antibacterial mouthwash to your dental routine. This helps reduce plaque and gingivitis, giving your mouth a pleasant aroma.
Hydrate
Do you drink enough water? When your mouth doesn't have enough moisture to produce saliva, odor-causing bacteria can develop. A dry mouth can be caused by several things, including side effects of medications, medical conditions, and diseases. It can also occur while you're sleeping or after an intense workout. Drinking water is an easy way to curb dry mouth and bad breath. Remember to keep hydrated throughout the day, and start your mornings with a fresh glass of water to help eliminate overnight bacteria. Consider tracking how much water you drink in a day. This is an easy way to see if your water intake affects your breath.
Food
Certain foods like raw onions and garlic can affect how your breath smells. Cutting back or avoiding these food items can assist with improving mouth odor.
These quick and easy steps can help fight bad breath, so remember to brush your teeth twice a day, floss, tongue clean, and add an antibacterial mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine for that extra fresh breath. Drink more water; it's good for your entire body too, and try avoiding foods that cause bad breath.
Did you know that osteoporosis can be brought on by periodontitis? This article will discuss how gum disease can increase your risk of osteoporosis, and what Stonebrook Family Dental does to help prevent this condition. Periodontitis is an advanced form of gum disease, but it’s more likely to occur if you are also suffering from osteoporosis. If left untreated, bone loss in the jaw could become irreversible. Luckily, there are some things that everyone who suffers from osteoporosis or periodontitis should do to reduce their risk of developing further complications.
Gum Disease Can Increase Your Risk of Bone Loss
Periodontitis, also known as gum disease, is a common condition that affects the gums, bones of your jaw and other structures in your mouth. Gum disease occurs when a buildup of plaque and tartar from poor oral hygiene begins to affect your teeth and gums. If left untreated, it can lead to bone loss in the supporting structures of the mouth.
What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition where your body’s osteoblasts, or cells that create new bone tissue, cannot keep up with the osteoclasts, or cells that break down bone tissue. If osteoporosis is left undiagnosed and untreated for too long it can lead to osteoporotic bone fractures.
Osteoclasts are found in the jaw, and if osteoporosis is present, it can lead to osteoporotic bone fractures around the mouth.
Periodontitis and osteoporosis share a common risk factor: bone loss. If you suffer from periodontitis, your conditions are connected. If you treat periodontitis, osteoporosis is likely to decrease as well.
How Periodontitis Increases Bone Loss Risk
Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease that occurs when bacteria in the mouth cause inflammation and bone loss around the teeth. As osteoclasts break down osteoblasts, osteoclastic bone resorption occurs. The more severe the periodontitis is, the higher your risk of osteoporosis. If you suffer from osteoporosis, treating periodontitis can be a key factor in preventing osteoporotic jaw fractures.
Signs of Osteoporosis
While there are usually no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss, Mayo Clinic explains that once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include:
Back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra
Loss of height over time
A stooped posture
A bone that breaks much more easily than expected
depressed. If osteoporosis is left untreated, you may begin to find it difficult to eat because of the pain in your jaw and face.
Signs of Periodontitis
The symptoms you’ll feel due to gum disease depend on the stage of the disease you’re currently in. Gum disease can range from a mild form (gingivitis) and the most severe form (periodontitis). The symptoms vary, but can Healthline explains they can include include:
Bad breath
Changes in the position of your teeth or loose teeth
Receding gums
Red, tender, or swollen gums
Buildup of plaque or tartar on your teeth
Pain when chewing
Tooth loss
Foul taste in your mouth
Inflammatory response throughout your body
Healthline also explains it’s important to note that you may feel no symptoms during the early stages of gum disease. This is why attending your regular 6 month checkups are important.
Treating Gum Disease with Stonebrook Family Dental
Dr. Kevin Varley and the rest of our team will provide treatment options to keep your gums healthy, including:
Periodontal cleanings and deep cleaning that includes scaling and root planing
Tartar control treatments to prevent bacteria from worsening your gum disease or bone loss
Antibiotic therapy to fight off the dangerous bacteria in your mouth
Treatment of osteoporosis will also be recommended. The best way to avoid osteoporosis is early detection and treatment of periodontitis. Our team will work with you, so together we can create a plan that will keep your jaw healthy.
At Home Tips
To work on keeping your bones and mouth healthy at home, we want to recommend these tips:
Brush your teeth twice per day (two minutes each time).
Floss once per day.
Use a fluoride toothpaste to help fight cavities and plaque buildup.
Stay hydrated and drink enough water each day.
Eat a well-rounded, whole foods diet.
Add more calcium and vitamin D to your diet.
Exercise 4-5 times per week for at least 30 minutes.
Cavities have long been the most common concern for healthy, natural teeth, and most people recognize what they are. The good news is that preventing cavities from forming is a lot more successful than it used to be, thanks to advanced dental care and dental hygiene practices. However, they still remain common for many people, and treating them may be an important part of your dental care at some point. At our Grand Prairie, TX, dental office, we can help you improve your chances of avoiding cavities with regular preventive care, as well as treat any cavities that develop quickly and naturally with a tooth-colored filling.
THEY CAN DEVELOP NATURALLY
There are a lot of things that can raise your risks of developing a cavity, but the root cause of a cavity is a condition known as tooth decay. This is an infection that begins when oral bacteria infect your tooth structure, which is made possible when tooth enamel becomes weak and compromised. The fact that cavities develop naturally from oral bacteria is one of the most important reasons why they’re so common. The same bacteria that cause them also make up a significant part of the plaque that develops on your teeth every day. All it takes is to let plaque calcify into tartar and remain your teeth long enough, and a cavity will develop on its own.
THE EARLIEST SIGNS CAN GO UNNOTICED
As a hole in your tooth structure, a cavity is a more serious condition than you might realize at first. If allowed to grow severe, the cavity will affect a majority of your tooth structure, and the underlying tooth decay can infect the tissues and structures at the center of your tooth. However, before this occurs, the early stages of a cavity will exhibit a few warning signs. Slight tooth sensitivity, barely noticeable discoloration in your tooth, and more might be easy to miss on your own, which is why sticking to a schedule of checkups and cleanings is especially important to preventing cavities or treating them as early as possible.
THEY CAN DEVELOP MULTIPLE TIMES
Once you or your dentist notices the signs of a cavity, you can have it treated to stop it from becoming more severe and restore the healthy, natural tooth structure that remains. This can save your tooth and restore your smile with optimal results, but it doesn’t mean that smile is now safe from cavities forever. Oral bacteria will always be a part of your oral health, and so will the risks they pose. Even after treating your cavity, maintaining excellent hygiene and preventive dental practices will be important to ensuring your smile remains cavity-free in the future.
Cavities are the most common cause of tooth pain. But all tooth pains do not signify a cavity. Various types of dental pain denote various types of dental problems.
Let’s look at a few:
Sharp pains: Sharp pains when eating or drinking hot or cold foods might denote tooth sensitivity. (does not eliminate the possibility of a cavity). Sensitive teeth could have been developed due to receding gums or from thinning of the outer layer of the tooth.
Stabbing pain: Sharp and stabbing pain on chewing food could be due to a cavity or a cracked tooth. This tooth might need a filling or a root canal treatment depending upon the extent of damage.
Throbbing pain: Throbbing pain which lasts for more than 5 mins might denote an infection of the pulp and root canal of the tooth and might need a root canal treatment.
Sometimes the tooth pain might not be related to the tooth at all.
In cases like sinusitis, the upper teeth on both sides of your jaw pain. It is usually accompanied with nasal congestion. The area around sinuses pain on touch.
Pain near the ears radiating to the head and jaw may denote temporomandibular disorder. It can be caused due to excessive mouth opening especially during yawning, direct injury, or trauma to the jaw, by tooth grinding (bruxism), or by arthritis or cancer affecting the jaw.
Incomplete eruption of the wisdom tooth may also cause jaw pain.
Tooth pain might or might not be severe. But every kind of pain denotes some abnormality. Do not wait till the pain becomes worse and non-tolerable
Periodontitis is also known as gum disease, and is a gum infection that damages soft tissue. This disease can destroy the bone and eventually cause tooth loss if not treated promptly. Periodontitis slowly progresses, and can advance quickly before you may even notice you have an issue.
During this advancement process you typically don’t feel anything, and the process is painless. Attending your regular exams and cleanings in our office is extremely important to stay on top of your teeth and gum health. Our doctors can get in front of issues quickly before they become a problem.
Many feel because they are still in their 30’s that they do not have to worry about developing periodontitis. However, your 30’s is when you start to see damage that is caused by not taking care of your teeth and gums in your younger years. Gum disease is very common amongst people in their 30’s, and this age group is when it starts for those that have maybe neglected their teeth when they were younger, or are genetically susceptible to gum disease. If periodontitis is not addressed this can lead to losing your teeth prematurely.
What Can I Do To Prevent Periodontitis?
If you want to prevent issues with your gums or inflammation you should start by evaluating your oral hygiene routine at home. Make sure you are brushing and flossing daily to help minimize your risk for developing gum disease. At Orange County Center, your oral health is our priority, and when you visit our office, we perform a detailed evaluation of your gums and teeth to determine the condition of your gums. If we notice any issues, we will discuss them with you and may recommend changes to your oral care routine at home. Our staff can provide a personalized care program for you to follow, and this can help you stay on track with your oral hygiene at home.
Tips To Prevent Periodontitis
Attend regular cleanings and exams to remove plaque and tartar buildup, and to help detect signs of gum disease early.
Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride to help prevent cavities.
Brush for at least two to three minutes at least twice a day, and make sure to brush along the gum line.
Floss daily to remove the plaque in between your teeth.
Use a mouthwash to help rinse away plaque and bacteria, and keep your mouth feeling fresh.
Avoid tobacco products that can accelerate the deterioration process, and cause gum disease.
Exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet, avoiding foods with high levels of sugar.
Seek care right away to treat cavities or any other issues promptly.
Our job is to keep your teeth and mouth healthy, and we pride ourselves on quality dental care you can trust. Let our team at Orange County Center help you take charge of your oral health, and prevent serious issues such as periodontitis from developing.
Well, you finally did it. You went to the dentist for some in-office whitening, and your teeth have never looked better! Suddenly, all you want to do is show off those pearly whites – and everyone around you is loving the new, grinning you.
So… how can you make sure your smile STAYS bright?
Unfortunately, all teeth whitening procedures will eventually fade over time (though in-office treatments do last longer than at-home varieties). While you can’t guarantee your teeth will always be this white, there are some things you can do to prevent new stains from dulling your shine.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
Good oral hygiene is the number-one tool to keep your smile looking beautiful and bright. This means brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day. If these habits become part of your daily routine, stains won’t have a chance to settle on your smile!
But of course, good hygiene isn’t just about your habits. It’s also about the tools you use! Make sure you’re replacing your toothbrush (or brush head) every three months, as this will ensure the best possible clean. Also, consider swapping out your manual toothbrush for an electric one; studies show that they remove 21% more plaque!
Drink Plenty of Water
Firstly, this is just good advice – everyone should drink lots of water! Staying hydrated is great for your health, your skin, and your overall mood, but it has extra benefits for your oral health.
Water helps keep your mouth clean by washing away plaque, food particles, and other bacteria that could be settling along your gums. It also helps wash stains from your enamel, ensuring that your teeth stay nice and shiny even longer. So, drink up! Your mouth will thank you.
Avoid Stuff that Stains
Over time, the foods we eat and the beverages we drink will try to stain our teeth. That’s just the way it is! Stain-causing particles settle into the protein layer around our tooth enamel – and when that happens, we end up with dingy, discolored teeth. How can you avoid this fate? By avoiding the foods that cause the most trouble! These include:
Red wine
Coffee and Tea
Dark soda
Tomato sauces
Dark fruits (like blueberries, blackberries, and cherries)
If you want your teeth whitening to last longer, you might want to limit your intake of these tasty treats.
Use a Straw
Ok, that last tip might have seemed like a bit much. After all, who would want to give up wine, coffee, or blueberries!? Trust us, we get it – and there is a way to enjoy your favorite foods and drinks without staining your teeth. The solution is simple: use a straw!
When you drink through a straw, you send the liquid straight to the back of your throat, instead of letting it swish around in your mouth. This limits your teeth’s exposure to the liquid, which can help prevent stains.
Visit Your Dentist
Finally, one of the best ways to ensure that your teeth whitening lasts is to visit your dentist for your routine cleanings. Even if you’re practicing all our other tips, your dentist will be able to give your smile an extra-thorough polish. This will give you that gorgeous smile you’ve been searching for!
It’s said that ‘the early bird gets the worm.’ What about your tooth? Or, more specifically, your toothache? Some folks thought an actual “tooth worm” ate away at your tooth from the inside causing a toothache. While the dentin tubules within a diseased pulp may look eerily similar to a worm — no slimy, burrowing invertebrates cause toothaches.
What Are Dentin Tubules
If you view the diseased hollow tubes within the dentin of teeth using a microscope, they appear to be ‘worm-like,’ according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Dentin tubules’ job is actually pretty important — as they conduct sensitivity to heat or cold from the surface of the tooth to the nerve. However, there can be some pain and discomfort when the tubules are exposed. Sure, they look like worms when under a microscope. But again, they are not.
What’s The Real Cause of Dental Disease
If it’s not worms in your teeth and gums, then what’s causing your toothaches? Well, most often, it's the bacteria in plaque causing tooth decay to form play the role of the villain. Plaque forms when there’s a buildup of bacteria on the teeth. It can lead to cavities and gum disease like gingivitis. Gum disease, chronic periodontitis, affects nearly 50% of Americans over the age of 30, according to the ADA.
How Do You Treat Dental Caries
While there is no fictional worm causing your toothache or cavity — there are, however, some treatment options to help restore your tooth and/or teeth. Your dentist can:
Clean out and fill the tooth with a restoration
Prevent the dental pulp from dying after being exposed via a pulp capping
Perform a root canal if the nerve has been affected
If your tooth is severely decayed, your dentist will most likely extract and replace it with an implant or bridge. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that.
How Do You Maintain A Healthy Mouth
While you don’t need to worry about a worm — you do need to work at keeping your mouth healthy and clean. How? There are a few simple ways. You should:
Brush twice a day
Floss daily
Rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash
See your dentist every six months for a checkup
Have your damaged teeth examined and treated as soon as possible
We’ve come a long way with the help of science and modern dental medicine. So practice good oral hygiene and leave the worms for the birds.
A diagnosis of tooth decay may be daunting, but if your dentist tells you that you have incipient caries, you can breathe a sigh of relief. For many years, the first sign of a cavity meant drilling and filling. Today, simple non-invasive treatments and strategies may be the best way to manage areas of early decay, preventing small problems from becoming bigger.
What Is an Incipient Lesion?
Repeated exposure to bacterial acids in your mouth eventually causes tooth enamel to demineralize, and these areas of early decay are called incipient lesions or caries. They usually occur wherever plaque has been left to accumulate on your teeth, such as around your gums and in the grooves of the molar teeth or around existing fillings. Incipient caries can either progress into the soft dentin portion of the tooth or become inactive through remineralization.
The Ohio Department of Health explains that active areas of enamel decalcification appear chalky and feel rough when your dentist examines them with a dental instrument. If a lesion has begun to heal itself, it will look shiny and feel hard and smooth.
Management of Incipient Caries
Based on current best evidence, the American Association of Dental Consultants takes the position that remineralization techniques can stop or reverse the decay process in its initial stages. The organization emphasizes that nonsurgical methods are not only cost effective, but have the advantage of preserving tooth structure.
A study published by the Journal of the American Dental Association concludes that as long as incipient caries are non-cavitated – meaning free of bacteria – topical fluoride treatments and sealant applications are the best methods of remineralization. Here's how these non-invasive remedies and a couple of others work to repair your enamel.
Fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral that combines with the calcium phosphate in enamel to make your teeth stronger. Fluoride also replaces lost minerals, which can stop the decay process. It's found in many water supplies and toothpastes, which fights cavities. For an extra boost to heal incipient decay, your dentist may suggest topical treatments of acidulated phosphate fluoride gel or varnishes.
Sealants. Sealants are applied to the chewing surface of molars to keep food and bacteria out of the deep grooves, while also allowing remineralization to take place.
Amorphous Calcium Phosphate. ACP, when applied to tooth enamel, stimulates enamel re-calcification. In addition, ACP increases the enamel's uptake of fluoride, enhancing fluoride's repair and strengthening abilities, according to Dental Hygiene Theory and Practice. ACP is also incorporated into gum, dental materials, cleaning pastes, whitening systems and varnishes.
Cheese. This dairy snack may seem like an unlikely remedy, but the University of Rochester Medical Center says that the calcium and phosphorous found in cheese, milk, yogurt and other dairy products aid remineralization, especially if eaten alone or at the end of a meal.
Saliva. Saliva washes away food and decay-causing bacteria from your teeth. As a bonus, it contains elements of fluoride, calcium and phosphorus that repair enamel. If you want to keep the saliva flowing, chew sugarless gum or lozenges throughout the day.
What You Can Do
Luckily, there are several things you can do in the comfort of your own home to give yourself the best chance of never having to face a drill, even when diagnosed with the beginning stages of a cavity.
First off, great oral hygiene habits are a must: brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, floss once per day and swish with an antimicrobial mouthwash. Visit your dentist every six months for regular cleanings. Frequent checkups will help identify cavities before they advance to a stage that requires drilling and a filling.
Another tip is to limit between-meal snacks and avoid sugary foods and drinks. The sugars and carbohydrates from foods and beverages kick off acid attacks that are harmful to your teeth.
It's never a good day when you're told you have a cavity, but if it's incipient caries, your day just got brighter. By keeping up with your home care and following your dentist's and dental hygienist's recommendations, your little cavity may just go away.
Gum irritation is one of the most common dental frustrations of our time. Even the healthiest of mouths sometimes experience sore gums. While this may seem like a minor discomfort, when gums feel sore, it’s often because the gums are slowly detaching from the tooth.
When this happens, food, bacteria, and plaque can all begin to gather in the loose pockets between the gum and tooth. When too much bacteria gets into these pockets, a person can experience painful swelling and occasional bleeding. Even though sore gums can happen to anyone, there are times when the issue gets serious, and an individual should seek medical attention in order to receive sore gums treatment.
First an individual should do a little bit of self-examination. How long have you been experiencing your soreness? If it’s temporary, or only occurs after you’ve eaten certain types of food, you may be able to take your own precautions by avoiding those types of foods. It also might be a mouth ulcer or a canker sore, in which case you can typically buy specialized rinses or creams to help heal the soreness.
In serious cases of ulcers and canker sores, you can see a medical professional and he or she can help you find the right antibiotic to combat the soreness. Some women experience gum pain when they are pregnant, going through puberty or menopause, or taking new forms hormonal birth control. When there is a change of hormones in the body, more blood is brought to the gums and can lead to irritation and bleeding. If you are a smoker, or use chewing tobacco, you may also experience this irritation. In these cases, it is not completely necessary to see a dental professional for sore gums treatment, but recommended if the problem worsens.
Another common cause of gum soreness is an individual’s lack of personal dental care. Poor flossing and brushing habits can lead to damaged gums, and even gingivitis. In these cases, when the soreness cannot be remedied by a change in diet or medicine, an individual will want to seek medical attention. They should be able to help aid you in getting the proper treatment for your sore gums.
How do you know if you may be a candidate for gingivitis? This common gum disease comes in many forms, and often occurs to many individuals at some point during his or her life. If you notice bleeding, or experience pain, when brushing or flossing, you may have a minor form of gingivitis. You may also experience pain when eating or chewing. While many cases of gingivitis are minor, and treatable with increased personal dental care, it is better to be safe and gather the opinion of a medical professional.
Sore and bleeding gums may be common problem among many individuals, but it is still an issue that should not be taken lightly. Even if you think you know the cause of your bleeding gums, it’s not a bad idea to further investigate the problem. Any potential gum problems can be treat with a dentist.
With proper care and attention, you can start to remedy your gum irritation.
