What’s That Gunk On Your Tongue?

A tongue is clean if it is a rosy pink color. A white film on the top of the tongue means there are millions of bacteria living there and excreting. Yep, that’s what I said, excreting. Yuck. By using a tongue scraper those nasty waste products are removed from the surface of the tongue. As a result the person has better function of of taste buds, fresher breath, and a cleaner environment for good dental hygiene. After brushing and flossing the bacteria on the tongue can travel over to the teeth and re-infect the gums if the tongue is not cleaned.

The Fresh Breath Clinic in Toronto did a study and found that most people with bad breath do not necessarily have gum disease. Instead, they found that there was bacteria living at the back of the tongue that produced smelly sulphur. Ordinary tooth bushing does not remove this bacteria, only brushing or scraping the tongue removes those nasty bugs. A drawback to brushing your tongue is that when you are done your moist toothbrush may continue to hold the bacteria, ready to infest your mouth the next time you brush. Unless you are willing to throw out your toothbrush on a continuous basis you might want to learn how to use a "tongue scraper".

Yogis have been scraping their tongues clean for hundreds of years and believe that tongue cleaning activates the salivary glands which aids digestion and revitalizes the throat.

When you have any kind of sinus infections it is even more beneficial to clean the tong. If your nose is blocked by mucous, preventing the passage of air so you need to breathe out your mouth, the bacteria thrive. By regularly scraping the tongue with a tongue cleaner the excess mucous and any minor infection is removed.

To use a tongue scraper stick out your tongue. Take the two ends of the tongue scraper in your hand, and reach the arch of it to the back of the tongue. Gently, scrape forward several times, rinsing the white mucous off the scraper between scrapings. Remember to do this gently or you will find you have a bruised tongue for days. Rinse out the mouth once you are done. Now your mouth should feel clean and your tongue should be rosy pink.

You can buy tongue scrapers at the drug store. A good one is called Oolit. Or you can stop by our office for a complimentary tongue scraper to help you on your way to a nice clean tongue!

Not All Dental Plans Are Created Equal

There are many dental plans available today and they are not all created equal.

There are certain things to know when choosing a dental insurance plan:

Do you have a dentist with whom you are comfortable.   If so it is important that your plan allows you to choose your dentist rather than have the plan choose for you.  Many plans have a network of dentists who are members of the plan.  Is your dentist in the network and if  not, can you use the insurance outside of the network?

Does the plan only permit the cheaper dental treatments. Does the plan allow you and your dentist to choose the best treatment for you regardless of the costs?

Does the plan allow for at least two cleanings and exams per year and at least one series of bitewings xrays?

Is there a waiting period before certain types of procedures are covered?

Are the benefit percentages based on the dentist’s actual fees or on an insurance company fee schedule? 

Are endodontics (root canal treatment), periodontics, (gum treatment) and prosthodontics (crowns, bridges, dentures) covered.  At what percentages are they covered? 

Does the plan cover orthodontic care?

What is the plan maximum payout per year?

What is the deductible per year.  Is the deductible waived for preventive services?

Is a predetermination required before dental treatment is rendered?

When choosing the perfect dental plan, don’t just consider premiums. A plan may be cheap but you may not get your money’s worth. It always pays to read your plan’s fine print – that’s where you will find the restrictions on your plan.

If you see a plan that seems to fit your needs, check out the company’s track record and see if they have a history of good customer service and timely payment.

You can always check with your dental office and see if they have information about any plan you are considering. 

How You Doin’?

  Many of us made New Year’s resolutions last month. Some of us remember what those resolutions were. And some of us are even keeping those resolutions. If you are one who made a resolution to keep yourself healthy or if you should have made a resolution to keep yourself healthy we hope that dentistry is a part of your overall plan.

Here are a few important things to know with regard to dental health:

Cleaning and checkup: Your regular checkup and cleaning will keep your teeth looking their best, find problems when they are more easily treated, and prevent many major dental issues.

Periodontal Disease: Gum disease can lead to a host of other health problems, including tooth loss, bone loss, heart problems, and diabetes. Periodontal disease is treatable so why put yourself at risk for these other problems.

Oral cancer screenings: Oral cancers are highly treatable and curable with EARLY detection. Your dentist is probably the most likely person to notice any unusual symptoms in your mouth or throat, probably long before they become a problem that you might notice yourself.

Problems don't go away or heal on their own: Dental problems are the kind of problems that just don't go away on their own. Rotting teeth with cavities are just going to keep getting worse. Get them taken care of! Some dental treatments sound worse than they are. So many people are afraid when they hear they need root canal therapy, but after the procedure they aren’t sure what they had been so worried about. The hardest part is keeping your mouth open.

Mirror, Mirror

 

When you look in the mirror and smile, what do you see?

Do you see a beautiful smile worthy of the red carpet? Are your teeth clean with no plaque or tartar? Are your gums healthy and pink? Are the teeth uniform, proportional and straight? Are they nice and white? Is your breath fresh and clean smelling? Do you like what you see when you smile? And do you like to smile?

Or are you one who hides their smile behind their hand or tries to keep their lips covering their teeth? Do you have obvious tartar on your teeth? Do you have missing or chipped teeth? Are your gums swollen and red? Are your teeth crowded or crooked? Do you have loose or missing teeth? Are they yellow or discolored? Do you keep your smile to yourself??

Or are you somewhere in between these two?

If you like what you see and are happy to smile, Congratulations!!

If you look in the mirror and wish it was a different smile looking back at you don’t worry. What you need to do now is figure out how you want your smile to look. And make a plan. Before going to your next dental appointment ask yourself this question, “If you could change anything about your smile, what would you change?” Once you have the answer to this you can change your world.

Talk to your dentist about what can be done to meet your smile goals.  A beautiful smile can be yours.

And remember, We Make Your Smile!