If you’re feeling down in the dumps….rumor has it it that you may not only have a bad attitude, but you you might have bad breath as well!  Pessimists are more likely to have dental problems, like halitosis, cavities, or missing and decayed teeth.  They are more likely to have a negative attitude about going to the dentist as well. 

This research was done on the attitudes and dental records of 1,037 people in the 30s.  These people also filled out questionnaires, one about their feelings towards dentists, and the other one rating character traits.   Some of these pessimists admitted being afraid of dental visits, avoiding checkups, and only going to the dentist when having an issue.  These people tended to be more easily stressed and less sociable.  Because of this, these people tended to have more tooth decay than those not afraid of going to the dentist, and had twice as many rotten/missing teeth and fillings by the age of 32.  These people generally had more anxiety problems and were more able to deal with life’s issues in a positive fashion.

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Most of us know that the offensive odor coming out of someone’s mouth can be associated with poor oral hygiene, gingivitis, caries, tonsilitis, tonsillar plaques, various foods, tobacco, dehydration, and various diseases in the body.  Homeopathy can be an effective cure for chronic bad breath because it treats the individual as a whore rather than targeting certain parts/organs.  Sometimes for a permanent bad breath cure, it can work if the physical, emotional, mental and social spheres of a person are targeted.  If these spheres are not in equilibrium, that’s when things tend to go awry. 

When using homeopathy to treat halitosis, it is important to note the other symptoms that a person is having.  Sometimes excess stress can attribute to bad breath.   In order to figure out the best remedy, one should take these precautions beforehand:

• Correct oral hygiene in the morning/bedtime
• Clearing saliva and nasal secretions often as well as clearing the throat
• Regular dental checkups for filling pockets or erosions, and avoidance of gum/dental problems
• Keep hydrated to prevent dry mouth and wash away food particles
• Use tongue scraper

Also, you should avoid:

• Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other stimulants
• Dairy products
• Garlic, onions
• Chocolates and other sweets

Also, underlying health conditions should be ruled out by doing the following:

• Endoscopy (sinuses)
• CT scan (nasal obstruction, lung issues, etc)
• Blood tests (diabetes, infections, allergies, metabolic diseases)
• Urine tests (diabetes, ketone bodies, metabolic diseases)

Temporary treatments:

• Cleansers, pastes, mouthwash, mouth deodorants, tongue scrapers/wipers
• Chewing gum increases salivary gland production
• Cloves, camphor, cardamom, green pudhina leaves, guava leaves, betel leaves can mask the foul stench

Permanent treatment can only be successful if the root cause of the halitosis is diagnosed.  These treatments should be given for issues like recurring colds, sinusitis, dental issues, gingivitis, stomatitis, indigestion, and so on. 

Homeopathic remedies for bad breath most commonly are: Asafoetida, Baptisia, Baryta mur, Benzoic acid, Bromium, Calc carb, carbolic acid, Carbo animalis, Carbo veg, Crot – hor, Graphites, Hepa sulf, Kali sulp, Merc sol, Nat sulp, Nit acid, Opium, Plantago, Psorinum, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, Sepia, Silicea, Staphysagria, Sulphur, Tarentula, Tellurium, Thuja, and Tuberculinum.

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From the Desk of Dr. Harold Katz:

Halloween is here! This is one of my favorite holidays. It’s the start of a lot of family fun that turns into a whirlwind of activity. Next thing you know, it’s mid-january…As your on-line dentist, I wanted to give you a couple of health tips to keep in mind as you run headlong into this busy season.

Pack a toothbrush

You tend to have a lot more snacking opportunities during the holidays than normal. You’ll go to dinners, get-togethers, happy hours where you will lightly snack to be polite. But all that snacking creates more frequent feedings for germs that live in your mouth. If you eat more often, you should brush more often. Otherwise you give food time to nourish bacteria and biofilm. Stick a toothbrush in your bag or purse. When you have a minute or two throughout the day, give your teeth a quick once over. As a bonus, it’s extremely refreshing.

Give someone you love a toothbrush

Do you need a good gift suggestion? Sonic automatic toothbrushes are light years ahead of traditional mechanical brushes that were sold even as recently as 5 years ago. They clean faster and better – in clinical trials, some have been shown to clean FIVE TIMES more effectively than traditional brushing. Plus, they are less prone to causing damage from brushing too hard. If you really want someone’s beautiful smile to last, give them a sonic toothbrush (we sell an excellent quality WaterPik professional sonic toothbrush on our web site, but there are many other excellent products on the market as well)

Replace your toothbrush!

I won’t try to gross you out with just what kind of things live on your toothbrush. Let’s just say that as a bacteriologist, I have seen them up close and that used to keep me up at night. Regardless if you use an automatic or regular brush, the brush bristles need to be replaced often. If you don’t remember the last time you replaced your toothbrush, it’s probably a good bet you should replace it now. Automatic brushes have replacement heads you can purchase and replace. If you have never changed the head on your automatic brush, do it today.

And here’s a parting Halloween tip:

What is the most important thing to do right after eating Halloween Candy? Unless you want to invest money in your dentist’s office, the most important thing to do is to thoroughly brush and floss. Don’t put it off until bedtime.

After eating a handful of Kandy Korn there is enough residual sugar on your teeth and inside your cheeks to feed an army of bacteria. Get rid of it before it can do rapid, lasting damage to teeth. Sugary snacks are particularly hard on areas below the gum line, so flossing is also encouraged.

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A recent survey about hygiene was done by a dental hygienist.  She asked questions dealing with teeth and other aspects of keeping clean.

Teeth Survey Results

Experts say that ideally you should brush three times a day and floss at least once a day.  Two brushings a day is usually the bare minimum recommended for maintaining good oral hygiene.  Biofilm, also known as plaque, is one of the main reasons it is necessary to brush.  The least amount of damage it can do is cause cavities, and it can even cause periodontal disease (gum disease) and bone loss.

Biofilm has even more serious threats than tooth loss!  Scientists have also seen the same bacteria found in cavities in clogged blood vessels. Since biofilm can threaten the teeth and the ability to eat, it can even affect the immune system negatively. Gum disease, as we have read before in articles about pregnancy gingivitis, can affect pre-term babies in a negative manner as well. Bad breath is also an obvious consequence of biofilm.

People must acknowledge that poor oral hygiene and maintenance can have devastating long-term consequences, since the mouth and the rest of the body are all inter-related.

According to the survey results, only 12% of people said they brushed more than twice a day; 41% said twice a day, 42% only once a day, and 5% said they went a full day without brushing sometimes.  Roughly half of people brush as much as they should!

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From the Desk of Dr. Harold Katz

Most of the time I write about bad breath. However there are other oral care issues which have to be addressed on a daily basis to make sure your mouth stays in tip top shape. As your ‘virtual dentist’ I want to cover some of these other topics in upcoming emails to make sure you are well informed about staying your healthiest.

The topic I’d like to touch on today is gum care. Do you see occasional gum bleeding when you brush?  The dreaded ‘Pink in the Sink’? Did you stop flossing because it caused extreme bleeding and irritation? Have you observed gum recession that has continued to get worse over time?  These are signs of gingivitis, and they need to be addressed quickly before becoming a serious problem.

Over time, food particles and other proteins collect in pockets between your teeth and gums. This dark, moist, food laden area becomes a great place for bacteria to live and feast. As their colonies grow and thrive, they irritate your gums and force them to recede down the tooth root. As you floss or brush the irritated gum tissue will bleed and even potentially ooze, becoming inflamed and painful. This irritated tissue will recede, causing root exposure, giving bacteria access to the root for lasting and permanent damage. Bleeding gums can even create opportunity for bacteria to get into the bloodstream leading to far more serious issues like heart disease.

Gum disease is a remarkably common condition, afflicting over forty percent of the adult population. While advanced cases do require the attention of a specialist and dental visits to properly treat, most common cases are relatively mild and can be treated easily with an over the counter medicated oral hygiene regimen. Treating gum disease before it becomes advanced is crucial, as dental treatment for neglected gums is unpleasant and extremely expensive.

I created my PerioTherapy formulas for this very reason : to treat gingivitis and gum disease before it gets out of hand and requires injections or surgery to fix. PerioTherapy uses the power of CoQ10, Tea Tree Oil, and my own proprietary and patented formulas to combat germs at the gumline and strengthen gum tissue, effectively eliminating “pink in the sink.” I perfected PerioTherapy for over a decade in my own practice before making it available to the public. Since then I have sold millions of bottles and tubes in Europe and the US to patients suffering from gum bleeding and irritation. Their reviews have been remarkable, with many patients saying not only have their gums become healthier and stronger but that their dentists have been incredibly pleased with the strides they have made since using PerioTherapy on a daily basis.

If you do suffer from gum issues such as pain, swelling, bleeding, or recession I would recommend you try PerioTherapy for yourself for 30 days. See if this patented process works as well for you as it has for the tens of thousands who are now loyal users. If you don’t see an improvement in your gums in that short time send the products back to me for a full refund.

Yours in good health,
Harold Katz, DDS

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Note from Dr. Katz’ desk:

As a dentist specializing in the treatment of halitosis, I have treated over ten thousand patients through the California Breath Clinics. I typically start each first consultation with a brief overview I thought would be helpful to share with you. It goes a little something like this…

Everyone has the germs responsible for bad breath living on their tongue and in the back of their throat. Under the right circumstances, those germs will cause bad breath. The trick to always having fresh breath is stopping those bad breath germs from gobbling up protein, digesting it, and excreting sulfur all over your mouth… Sorry about painting that picture, but it’s a very accurate description of what takes place in your mouth every day.

Luckily, it’s not complicated to keep bad breath bacteria in check. Here are five simple and common sense tips you can use every day to minimize opportunities for halitosis to strike:

1. Drink plenty of water

It’s good for you. It keeps you strong, thin, healthy, and young looking. It also keeps your breath fresh. A well hydrated mouth is one rich with saliva. Saliva is your body’s own and most effective germ fighter. Drink more water, have more saliva, control mouth germs, have fresher breath. Simple, right?

2. Check your prescriptions

Medication that may improve your overall health may also improve the environment for bad breath germs. Many prescriptions have dry mouth as a side effect. Dry mouth means a lack of saliva and rampant bacterial growth. If you experience Dry Mouth from prescriptions, using a regimen such a TheraBreath Toothpaste and Oral Rinse will help restore a healthy amount of moisture and encourage saliva production. A healthy level of saliva is necessary to maintain fresh breath.

3. Rinse after every meal (even if it’s only with water)

Most people brush only once a day. As a dentist, it’s disappointing to say the least. That means that food you have at breakfast after your morning brushing has a chance to feed bacteria in your mouth for 23 or so hours. That’s more than enough time to not only feed bad breath bacteria but to encourage plaque and decay. If I can’t get you to brush after every meal, at least rinse with drinking water. Swish it around vigorously to remove traces of sugars and proteins and dislodge any food that may stick in between teeth and gums. Then spit or swallow, as the occasion dictates.

Remember however that water will simply remove pollutants that will feed bacteria that cause bad breath. To effectively control this bacteria you will need to use a toothpaste and mouthwash with an active ingredient such as TheraBreath. And don’t be like most people… remember to brush every morning AND every night. Your dentist will thank you.

4. Protein supplements feed germs too

Many nutritional supplements like whey and creatine are a germs perfect snack. It makes sense. Those supplements are designed to rapidly and efficiently feed your body. On the way to your stomach they feed hungry germs in your oral cavity as well. If you are taking protein supplements make sure you carefully and thoroughly brush and rinse after every dose. Don’t give bad breath germs a free meal.

5. A white or yellow tongue means germs are having a party

The colored coating on your tongue is actually a layer of bacteria waste. There, I said it. If your tongue has a thick coating that is white or yellow, it typically means bacteria are running wild. You will usually see such a coating if you forgot to brush the night before, after drinking alcohol which both feeds bacteria and dries your mouth, or if you are having a minor sore throat or other bacterial infection.

To help the problem, clean your tongue as well as the inside of your cheeks with either a tongue scraper or toothbrush covered with TheraBreath Toothpaste. This will quickly remove the coating and begin to control the bacteria producing it. Left unchecked, this bacteria can lead to much worse oral care problems than simple halitosis.

My patients have always found these tips helpful, and I hope you will too.

Yours in good health,

Dr. Harold Katz

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Many people are beginning to understand with probiotics that not all bacteria are bad.  In fact, probiotics have been contributing to good health for years. With an increasing demand of probiotics, people are requesting that they be available in forms other than yogurt and oral dietary supplements.  Consumers want more choices, since some people are sensitive to certain kinds of processing (i.e. temperature).  However, with constantly-improving technology, probiotics are being used in a broader market of goods.

The thought of beneficial bacteria has become more popular with the public, since studies have shown that probiotics can aid the immune system in the fight against the “bad guys”.  More and more yogurt brands are boasting probiotics on their labels, and companies are continuing to find ways to implement good bacteria strains into other foods that are not cultured by tradition.  This doesn’t necessarily mean a consumer will purchase this product, since a company tried adding probiotics to cheese, and this product didn’t sell too well.  This is because a consumer is not generally looking for cheese to add health benefits to a meal; instead, he or she usually uses cheese to add taste to what is being eaten.

People tend to be the most comfortable with probiotics being added to oral health care products, since strains of bad bacteria reside in the mouth, gums and teeth, and these bacteria can cause tooth enamel and gum disease.  Two of the most popular products that have received a high increase in growth are gums and mints, since functional gum has jumped 10% between 2007-2008.  A current trend in consumer education is people learning about the role that good strains of bacteria have in staying healthy and recovering one’s health. 

Streptococcus mutans is one of the Lactobacillus strains that work against enamel-eroding bacteria, and people can expect this strain to appear in gums and mints.  A sugar-free gum that came out recently contains the strain Lactobacillus reuteri, and there are mints that contain a mixture of strains L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosis and L. acidophilus, which target bad breath-causing bacteria.  Another company has developed a breath mint that features Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus uberis, and Streptococcus rattus, all targeted at preventing and fighting dental decay and halitosis.  Surprisingly, there is even a strain of bacteria called Streptococcus oralis that actually has a whitening effect on the teeth, since it crowds out bad bacteria on the teeth’s surface. 

Pharmaceutical companies are creating different probiotic breath mints that will be designed for improving oral health, and lasting much longer than current probiotics without being stored in cold temperatures.  An important thing for manufacturers to remember is that the new oral care products being made need to use bacteria that exist naturally in the oral cavity, otherwise they will not last long in the mouth. 

 There are over 400 different species of bacteria in the digestive, and all of these strains are competing for space to inhabit.  In general, the good bacteria can crowd out the bad bacteria, which is why consuming probiotics can be helpful for those who have diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, lactose indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, H. pylori (ulcer-causing bacteria) problems, and colon cancer.  It is also worth pointing out that these bacteria exist all over the body, including the mouth, skin, reproductive organs and other membranes.  Ingesting probiotics can even be beneficial for those with allergies, autism, arthritis, and liver and kidney problems.  

One of the major areas for probiotic’s growth in the market may be in immune defense, since probiotics can benefit the immune system’s response.  Immunity is related to gut health, and research has shown that probiotics improve cold and flu symptoms, allergic rhinitis and pollen allergies.  Asia and Europe have already been linking probiotics with immune health for many years, but the U.S. only recently caught on.  Probiotics also are known to prevent certain infections, so it may be useful with epidemics like the swine flu.  Various strains of bacteria have relieved fever symptoms, viral respiratory infections, and pneumonia. 

Probiotics, especially Lactobacilli, are effective in aiding the immune response and increasing the resistance to pathogens.  Newer territories that researchers are exploring are the effects of probiotics on inflammatory disease, cholesterol reduction and even anti-aging properties, post-myocardial infarction depression and stress management.  Even more surprising, there is groundbreaking research that probiotics can be beneficial in infant formulas, vaginal microbiota, and satiety (for weight management).

 A major challenge in administering probiotics is getting the right dosage, and making sure the correct strains go to the correct places in the body.  It is far from simple, and one of the major challenges that face manufacturers is heat, since it destroys the beneficial flora.  The ingredients in the probiotic supplements must be able to tolerate the handling, storage, processing, shelf-life issues, and the tempestuous environment of the acid in the stomach.  The limited amount of conditions that probiotics can handle seldom allow for applications outside of refrigerated supplements; however, more and more companies are improving the probiotics’ survival, so they are more protected- with longer shelf lives and slower releases.  With new technology constantly being released, some companies have even created a probiotic chocolate, and up and coming probiotic applications in cereal bars, cereals, ice creams, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, meal replacements, and biscuits.  Probiotics in hot tea and soup have even been made possible with these new advances in technology.  Last but not least, topical and personal care applications are now possible with probiotics, since antifungal and antiviral properties can be brought out during a process of fermentation.

 Currently, one of the main trends is pairing probiotics with other probiotics, since this enhances the probiotics’ ability to survive.  With the ever-changing and improving research, technologies and education of probiotics, innovators will continue to deliver new and improved products geared at improving everyone’s health. 

Source: Natural Products Insider

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A condition called Zenker’s diverticulum is yet another cause of bad breath. A diverticulum is a small pouch, and with this condition, the pouch sticks out from the back of the throat and adjacent part of the esophagus. It usually forms later in life, and the affected people usually complain about food sticking in their throats. Usually, the food is stuck in the pouch, and is actually undergoing digestion there. Sometimes, the partially digested food is regurgitated back into the mouth, thus causing halitosis. Furthermore, the sufferers of this condition may have coughing and choking as symptoms.

Surgery can be performed in order to fix this problem, and this can be done by making small incisions, and the pouch can be removed with special instruments and a scope. Sometimes the pouch can be removed without any incision, and the scope being sent down the throat.

Keep in mind, though, Zenker’s diverticulum is rare, and halitosis is common.

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Candy and pop, as we all know, are not good for our teeth, especially children’s teeth because they’re not as aware of proper oral hygiene as adults should be.  But, did you know that milk and juice sipping throughout the day can cause just as many problems with kid’s teeth as good old candy and pop? 

Sometimes children sip all day long on fruit candies or juice.  Also, some people need to beware of giving a child a bottle at bedtime.  Even if a baby only has a few teeth in the mouth, the teeth are swimming in bacteria, and tooth decay can quickly start.  The same rules go for adults: try to brush/floss after snacks, and do not eat and go to bed without brushing.   

There are some helpful dental care tips that you can follow, like:

1) Brush a baby’s teeth with a tiny bit of flouride toothpaste as soon as the baby gets its first tooth (usually betweeen 3-9 months).  This is to prevent tooth decay by removing bacteria from the teeth. 

2) Start taking your kid to a health care provider knowledgeable and skilled in oral health at age 1. 

3)  Monitor snacks, especially those loaded in sugar.  One child I know recently had 17+ cavities because he sipped on fruit juices all day long.  The sugar feeds the bad bacteria in the mouth.

4) Take good care if your own teeth, regardless of whether or not you have kids.  If you do have children, keep in mind that the bacteria in your mouth is contagious, and it’s possible to spread chronic gum disesase, cavities, and tartar buildup to your children.

Dental disease is a huge problem in society, and not only causes pain in adults and their children, but also causes people to miss a lot of school and work days.

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 Most of us know now that bad breath (halitosis) can be caused by: cavities; dentures; smoking; alcohol; lung, tonsils, adenoid, sinus or throat infections; certain foods (garlic, onions, high sugar products, spicy foods, dairy products); poor oral hygiene; and so on.  We’ve also discussed many different possible cures.  Here are some natural remedies you may not have suspected:

• Bee Propolis (a resinous mixture that is collected by bees from tree buds and other sources) helps gum infections, as well as other infections.  Obviously, if one is allergic to bees, he or she should not try this method of diffusing bad breath.  Propolis has been used as an antimicrobial, emollient, immunomodulator, dental anti-plaque agent,anti-tumor growth agent, and even in food and musical instruments.
• Drink water to moisten the mouth, which increases the strength of saliva in the mouth, that cleanses the bad breath bacteria
• Use a tongue scraper to help remove bacteria
• Use an odorless form of garlic, which is a natural antiobiotic
• Zinc also has an antibacterial effect
• Add half a lemon to a glass a water, and gargle with it
• When brushing the gums and tongue, use powdered cloves, an herbal remedy for bad breath.  One can keep cloves under the molars without chewing to help maintain fresh breath.
• Avoid foods like blue cheese, salami, curry, tuna, garlic, onions, anchovies, red meat, milk, coffee, cola, etc.
• Parsley is a natural deodorizer
• Cardamom is a breath sweetener
• Cranberries help fight off the bad breath-causing bacteria
• Eating a green/raw Guava will help stop bad breath
• Fruits that are high in Vitamin C, like citrus and oranges, will help control the bad bacteria
• Eucalyptus Oil is found in many toothpastes and other oral products because it has an active antiseptic ingredient, Eucalyptol
• Sometimes chewing on sugarless gum or eating sugarless candies will help keep the mouth moist and not contribute to the growth of bad oral bacteria
• Edible camphor helps against bad breath caused by tonsilitis, sinusitis, and head colds, since it is a very effective throat stimulant.  It helps get rid of clogged mucus, making it a natural and effective nasal decongestant. 

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