According to studies, almost 50% of bosses said they wouldn’t hire someone if the candidate had poor teeth or bad breath.  Many have admitted that they turned down people because of their appearance.

High importance is placed on appearance at a job interview.  It is said that if a person is too lazy to look good and take care of their hygiene, they may be lazy when it comes to doing their actual job. 

Some other things that made employers uninterested in hiring someone were tattoos, facial piercings, bad skin, and even excessive sweating.  Also found in the study, 15% of people seeking employment considered having cosmetic surgery to increase their chances of getting a job, and 3% have already gone through with the surgery.  The most popular types of cosmetic surgery were: cosmetic dentistry, breast implants, and facelifts.

Also, according to some cosmetic surgery specialists, 1/5 workers believe that their appearance has prevented them from going further in their careers.

Source:  Express.co.uk

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There are many things that people may not realize regarding oral care and its relationship to overall health.  Dental health is a very important thing and should not be neglected.  Here are certain things that you may not have known about dental care and dentists:

Pay More Attention

• Just because your mouth may not hurt, does not mean it is healthy. 
• Your oral health can affect the rest of your body
• People with HEALTHY gums should go to the dentist twice a year.  Most people do not.  If your gums are NOT healthy, you should go even more. 
• People tend to brush their front teeth more, and many people have periodontal disease in their back teeth because of this
• People tend to spend around 2-3 minutes total brushing per day, even though proper oral care requires at least ten minutes of brushing and flossing each day.  Kids tend to spend even less time than adults. 

Bad Breath

• Chewing gum or mints is not going to cover up the smell from smoking cigarettes.  This is because the smell is deeply ingrained in the mouth and gum tissues.
• Most dentists won’t tell you if you have halitosis unless you ask.
• People need to floss since brushing does not go deep into the gums.  If a person brushes and flosses properly, gets regular cleanings, and STILL has bad breath, then he or she should check into diet and health complications.

Children’s Teeth

• Dentists may secretly blame parents when their kids’ teeth go bad.
• Cavity-causing bacteria CAN be spread from person-to-person via saliva.  This includes parents to children– if a parent tastes a baby’s food, and puts the same spoon back into the baby’s mouth, the baby is at risk.
• Children with dental problems, like toothaches, tend to have more problems in school.
• There’s a significant risk of infection with any kind of mouth piercing if it is not performed in a sterile environment.  Also, tongue piercings tend to chip the front teeth.

Patient Concerns

• Having metal fillings removed can release more mercury than leaving them in.  Metal fillings are much more durable than tooth-colored fillings.
• People are exposed to more radiation standing outside for an hour than they are when they have dental X-rays taken.
• People are getting teeth pulled that don’t need to be just because they can’t afford to fix them.
• Very few insurance companies cover dental implants, even though they’re better than dentures
• Teeth that are not aligned correctly can ause migraines. 
• Bleeding gums is one of the first signs of diabetes. 
• Did you know that teeth get whiter when they dry out?  If you go to the dentist to get your teeth whitened, and your mouth is left open for an hour, the teeth could be two shades whiter from dehydration alone. 
• Cosmetic dentistry only works in a healthy mouth.  Always treat your gum disease first.
• When you go to the dentist, check to see if the magazines in the waiting area are up-to-date…this shows if they pay attention to detail.

Here is an interesting quote by dentist Damian Dachowski: “When someone meets you for the first time, the first thing they notice is eyes. Second is teeth, and third is hair. But people spend way more money on their hair than their teeth.”

Source: Reader’s Digest

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Babies are not born with caries-forming bacteria.  They only get it directly if someone blows on food before feeding it to the baby, or if someone kisses the baby and germs get in the mouth.

One of the main sweetening agents in toothpaste, Saccharine Sodium, is actually 500 times sweeter than sugar!  This is not in TheraBreath’s toothpaste.

If you have a cold, sore throat, or some type of infection, make sure to replace your toothbrush.  Bacteria can live on them and proliferate, possibly leading to reinfection.

Try to keep your toothbrush at least 6 feet away from where you brush.  Airborne bacteria from a flush can travel up to 6 feet. 

The year the most popular carbonated drink was launched, there was a massive surge of patients with tooth decay.

Children below 5 years of age should be given non-fluoridated toothpastes, because it can be harmful to swallow too much fluoride. 

Replacing the cap on a toothpaste tube after brushing your teeth allegedly helps bacteria proliferate.

Brushing your teeth too fast or hard can contribute to the problem of enamel erosion, which causes teeth sensitivity, tooth decay, and other oral health problems.

Source: dentalhealthsite.com

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We have another reason to not be like Hitler!  He allegedly had bad breath, according to a German dentist who studied Hitler’s medical record.  The dentist, Menevse Deprem-Hennen, said that Hitler “ate very badly and suffered from tooth decay,” according to the Sunday edition of Bild newspaper.

The dentist studied his dental records during the course of her doctorate and said that one could conclude from the research that the Nazi dictator was afraid of the dentist.  She said that it seemed that Hitler was very sensitive to pain: it took him eight times to get root canal treatment from his personal dentist, whereas the normal person would need one or two sessions. 

Hitler also had a molar removed after he had gum disease.  SS general Hugo Johannes Blaschke treated Hitler and other Nazi figures.

Source: earthtimes.org

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Gingivitis is a general term for different types of infections in the gingiva. Bad breath-causing bacteria cause gingivitis, so it is important to keep the oral cavity clean. By exercising proper oral hygiene, you can clean up any gingivitis that you have and prevent it from occuring.

You should brush at least 2-3 times a day, and it is also important that you use a decent toothpaste. PerioTherapy is excellent for those with periodontal infections. Flossing is very important because it gets rid of the plaque between the teeth. Generally, you should floss twice a day (at least once for sure) before you brush your teeth. Try using oral rinse every day (preferably twice at least), since this can reach areas that your dental floss and toothbrush do not reach. A tongue scraper will eradicate bacteria from the tongue. Also, after you use a tongue scraper and toothbrush, make sure to rinse them with hot water.

If left untreated, gingivitis can be really severe and turn into gum disease. Bleeding, swollen, and painful gums all can occur, as well as tooth loss that could allegedly lead to heart disease. If you are dedicated to curing your gingivitis and doing the right procedure, you can get rid of this oral health problem and potentially the bad breath that goes along with it. It not only depends on your dentist, but it also depends on your habits and the oral care products you use.

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Dr. Harold Katz, also known as the “Bad Breath Doctor or the “Bad Breath Guru“, toured the country testing people for halitosis.  When Dr. Katz tests people’s bad breath, he uses a device called the ‘halimeter’.  A score above 100 means that someone likely has halitosis.  A person who has a score under 100 means that their breath is fairly fresh.  Many people were relieved when they found out that they had low scores on the halimeter. 

Unfortunately, it’s hard for a person to smell his or her own breath.  Blowing in one’s own hand is not a way you can really test how bad your breath is.  According to Dr. Katz, he says “it’s a good way to smell your hand.”  So, how does one try to smell his or her own breath?  Dr. Katz says that if you lick the back of your hand, allow it to dry, you can smell if you have halitosis.   Allegedly, the halitosis-causing bacteria will remain on the back of your hand, thus letting you know that you might have bad breath. 

All in all, Phoenix passed the “Bad Breath Test“, since Dr. Katz couldn’t find anyone with dragon breath!   That means that the Phoenicians are “kissable”, just in the nick of time for Valentine’s Day. 

Source: Phoenix Metro News

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Happy new year everyone!  Since we all want a fresh start with the new year, why not also start with fresh breath? In order to combat bad breath, we need to know what causes it in the first place. Anaerobic bacteria exists in the biofilm that is formed on the tongue, and these bacteria break down proteins in food, resulting in the production of offensive smells due to gases like hydrogen sulphide and skatol.

Here are some tips to help avoid halitosis this new year:

1) Proper oral hygiene. One should gargle with lukewarm water after eating, even if it’s just a snack. Brushing should be done 2-3 times a day, and you should also use floss and a tongue scraper. Add TheraBreath to your daily regimen.
2) Proper brushing techniques. Avoid brushing too vigorously, as this does damage to the gums. Excessive brushing can damage tooth enamel. Try to brush the upper teeth in a downward direction, and the lower teeth in a upward direction.
3) Tooth picks
4) Food habits. Some foods that people eat are certainly smellier than others. Sometimes they say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a raw onion a day keeps everybody away.” Also, try to maintain regularity in food timing.
5) Water intake. Keep hydrated to maintain a stable level of saliva.
6) Natural fresheners. Try spices like clove, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cumin seed. Citrus fruits can help banish bad breath.

And if these bad breath cures do not work, try the following:
1) Remove the underlying cause. Get checked out for general and systemic diseases like gastric disorders, diabetes, fevers, liver diseases, etc. If you have an infection, antibiotics, antifungal and antiviral medicines can help. You may even want to try saliva-producing tablets.
2) Get regular dental checkups and cleanings. If you have caries, make sure they get filled.
3) Tonsillectomies can help if you have recurrent tonsilitis.
4) Homeopathy. In this case, medicines are selected based on the physical, mental, social, and emotional characteristics of a person.
5) Psychological counseling.  Sometimes chronic halitosis sufferers are very depressed and have the tendency to avoid the public. 

Good luck and happy 2010!

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In Palm Beach County, FL, the health department is giving local dentists a new tool to help others, called the “Sim Man“. It may not be an actual human, but dentists can use it to simulate real life scenarios and even help save lives.

People can use it to play different medical roles and have the “Sim” character function as if it was a real patient. The robot can mimic functions of a real patient with the breathing and blood pressure, so it can be monitored and cared for properly.   The exercise is believed to aid medical professionals in reacting properly in actual crises.  One thing the robot could be lacking from a real human, though, is bad breath.

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Aside from brushing and flossing, there are other things that your dentist could you tell so you can better care for your teeth.  There are secrets that dentists know that their patients do not.  These usually include the following:

1)  Your dentist can tell if you smoke.  Even if someone brushes their teeth or tries to cover it up with mints, gum, or mouthwash, the smell is actually embedded in the mouth, especially the gum tissue!

• Smokers are also 4X more likely to get periodontal disease than those who do not smoke.

2)  The oral bacteria that causes cavities can spread on food and cutlery.  For instance, mothers will share their utensils and food with their kids, but bad bacteria can be spread this way.  This also goes to say that one should take special care when kissing (especially their little ones) if he or she has gum disease or cavities, since these bacteria are contagious.

3)  When most people brush, they only clean less than 1/4 of their mouths!  Most people brush for 30 seconds or less, and good oral hygiene requires at least five minutes of brushing and flossing each day.  One should brush at least 2-3 minutes at a time, and floss for 1-2 minutes each time.  When people brush only 30 seconds, they are missing their back molars 90% of the time. 

4) Bleaching Teeth Too Much Can Make Them Translucent!  Teeth whitening can thin the enamel, so never bleach your teeth more than once every six months.  If the gel bothers your gums and teeth, try a fluoride rinse or gel before and after using the bleaching gel.  This will make your teeth less sensitive. 

5) Don’t get your mouth deep cleaned when you only need a regular cleaning.  Some dentists want to charge your insurance more, so they will tell you that you need a deep cleaning when you do not.  Those who need a deep cleaning are people who have a lot of tartar on their roots or other symptoms of disease. 

Source: ABC News

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Glenn Martin, DDS: Dental Adventure – Dentist Game from Shockwave.com

Check out this really cool interactive dental game that you can play online!   You also can learn a lot about dentistry while playing it.  It is a lot more fun than actually going to the dentist– you can take our word for it. 

Play Glenn Martin, DDS: Dental Adventure at Shockwave

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