Archive for July, 2009

Archive for July, 2009

Odors & Acids That Cause Bad Breath

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Odors and acids are produced in the film of plaque that resides between teeth, along the gum line and on the surface of the tongue. The plaque is produced by the bacteria. Poor oral hygiene can not keep the population of bacteria under control, resulting in bad breath. Cleaning teeth twice daily is the minimum requirement for reducing the population of bacteria. However, meticulous cleaning is difficult. Tooth brushing does not access in between teeth and often causes ridges and grooves along the gum line. Oral irrigating does not cut through the sticky greasy barrier the plaque produces.

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Dental Issue Definitions

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Some dental issue definitions are:

Bad breath – the odor produced by bacteria living off food particles, each other and dying tissue. Bad breath can also be caused by other more serious health issues. An example of this is diabetes that can cause acidosis which in turn causes bad breath.

Dental decay – caused by the acidic excrement from the bacteria. The tooth is literally being dissolved by chronically being bathed in this acid.

Gingivitis – the inflammation of the gums caused by your own body trying to fight off the invasion of the bacteria.

Periodontal disease – (perio = around, and dontal = tooth) the loss of bone and tissue attachment around the tooth. It is caused by a microbial invasion around the tooth by anaerobic bacteria.

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Silver Fillings

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Amalgams are silver fillings. They are very infrequently used today. In fact, I haven’t placed a silver filling in 22 years. There may be a few old timers who are still using these. Amalgams start out a 50/50 ratio of silver to mercury. The bond between the silver and mercury is very strong; hence that is why they lasted so long in the mouth – even under an acidic environment. The silver in the amalgam actually corroded and sealed the amalgam into the tooth, preventing bacteria from entering the tooth cavity.

Even with a half a dozen fillings in your mouth, your daily dose of mercury is 1 microgram of mercury. Your body absorbs about 6 micrograms a day from the food, water and air you are exposed to. Science daily reports that “A person would need between 265 and 310 amalgam fillings before even slight symptoms of mercury toxicity could be felt.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143746.htm

If you are part of the population that has old amalgam fillings and are worried about the mercury, that’s not the reason to replace them. However, if they are old and leaking (your dentist can detect this), then you need to replace them.

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