BAD BREATH ( Halitosis )

( Halitosis )
The condition is usually due to bacteria that act on food residues in the mouth. Bad breath is often more embarrassing than harmful, and can easily be prevented with good oral hygiene. However, there may be serious cause of bad breath, such as digestive, kidney, liver, respiratory disorder, sinusitis which may need medical attention. Liver failure gives the breath a mousy odor, kidney failure makes the breath smell like urine, and severe uncontrolled diabetes makes breath smell like nail polish remover.

Symptoms
* Bad breath observed when person exhales or speaks.

Common causes
* Poor oral hygiene. Improper flossing and brushing leave food particles on and in between teeth, under jacket crowns or bridges.
* Morning mouth.
* Gum disease.
* Tooth abscess or decay; build up of plaque.
* Sinusitis.
* Smoking.
* Certain types o food.
* Certain medications.

What you can do
* Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day.
Brush the tongue as well.
* Drink plenty of fluids to wash food particles from the mouth.
* Use a mouthwash or breath freshener.
* Stop smoking.
* Consult a dentist if recomended remedies do not remove unwanted smell.

What your dentist can do for you
* Check you mouth thoroughly or dental decay, gum disease and other oral problems and treat them.
* Refer to a doctor if necessary.

Prevention tips
* Practice good oral hygiene and have dental checkups twice a year. If you wear dentures, be sure to clean them after every meal. Remove the dentures and immerse them in water while sleeping at night.
* Blow a runny nose with the mouth open; otherwise, it may push the infected dischargeinto the sinuses and possibly infect them.
* Avoid smoking.

Baby - TEETHING Problems

Teething Problems
Teething can occur anywhere from 3 months to 3 years of age. The teething period is different from baby to baby. Some babies breeze through without worry, other babies may be clingy, uncomfortable, restless and cranky.

Symptoms
* Increase in drooling.
* An increase tendency to chew things.
* Thumb sucking may become more vigorous.
* Gum rubbing.
* Loss of appetite.

What can you do
* If you are able to try massage your child's gums either with or without piece of ice.
* Allow them to chew on a cold teething ring, ice lollie or a piece of ice wrapped in cloth.
* Use topical local anesthetics or teeth balm to reduce teething pain.
* Paracetamol may be given for a few days to help make them more comfortable but try not to use them long term.
* If your child refuses food to try to give him cold, smooth foods e.g as yoghurt, ice cream or jelly.
* Generally, teething children do not show symptoms f bronchitis, diarrhea, fever, diaper rash, seizures and vomiting. If your child shows any of this signs then you should take him to the doctor.

What your doctor can do for you
* Give you advice on how to cope with the symptoms of teething.
* Prescribe a mild painkiller, such as paracetamol.
* Rule out other causes of discomfort and irritability.

Abnormal Jaw Relationships

An abnormal jaw relationship exist when the upper and lower jaws are mismatched for a proper bite. This problem results in poor bite, strain on facial muscles, jaw joint problems and poor facial appearance.

Symptoms
* Difficulty in biting and chewing.
* Pain and stiffness in the jaw joints, causing difficulty in opening or closing the mouth.
* Speech defects.
* Arthritis in the jaw joints, in some cases.

Common causes
* Hereditary.
* Early loss of primary teeth.
* Jaw joint problems.

What you can do
* Consult an orthodontist.

What your dentist can do for you
* Splint therapy to reposition jaws
* Orthodontic treatment to improve relationship of the lower and upper teeth.
* Jaw surgery to correct skeletal discrepancy.

Bleeding Gums

Healthy gums do not bleed spontaneously or when you brush your teeth; so bleeding gums are abnormal and means that something is wrong.

Causes
* Bacteria / dental plaque buildup in the space between gum and teeth.
* Gum disease. ( Inflamed / infected gums bleed easily because there is more blood in the vicinity bringing defense cells to fight off the bacteria)
* Injury due to a toothbrush with hard/splayed bristles or careless toothbrushing/flossing.
* Vitamin C deficiency.
* Dengue hemorrhagic fever.
* Bleeding disorder.

What you can do
* Go to the Emergency Department of the nearest hospital if you have a fever, flu-like symptoms, abdominal pain, nose-bleeds, vomiting of blood, blood in stool or bleeding elsewhere.
* See your dentist if your gums are red, itchy, swollen, and spongy(i.e. symptoms of gum disease).
* See your doctor if your spontaneous bruising on other parts of the body.

What your doctor can do for you
* Determine any medical cause of bleeding gums and treat accordingly.
* Admit you into hospital for observation/ further investigation, if necessary.

What your dentist can do for you
* Deep cleaning of pockets of bacteria/ dental plaque.
* Scaling / polishing to remove tartar ( hardened dental plaque) at gum margins.
* Treat gum disease.
* Teach you how to brush / floss your teeth properly
* refer you to a medical doctor if bleeding is not due to a dental cause.

Prevention tips
* Use tooth brush with soft bristles, change to a new toothbrush as soon as the bristles splay.
* Brush / floss your teeth properly, taking care to clean the gum margins as well.
* Go to dental check-ups twice a year.
* Take adequate vitamin C in your diet. Foods with vitamin C includes papaya, guava, lemons, etc..