The Vitamins and Minerals That Are The Best For Oral Health
Many types of minerals and nutrients are good for the entire body. However, there are some there are specifically good for the teeth, mouth and gums.

• Calcium. Milk does your body – and teeth — good. We’ve all heard this before. Your teeth and jaws are made mostly of calcium. Without enough calcium in your diet, you risk developing gum disease and tooth decay.
• Vitamins B12 and B2. Mouth sores are indicators of the lack of this vitamin. You can find this in red meat, chicken, liver, pork, fish, as well as dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vitamin C. If you lack Vitamin C, you will mostly likely get bleeding gums and loose teeth. Find this vitamin in oranges, red peppers and other red or orange fruits and vegetables.
• Vitamin D. It is very important to consume enough vitamin D because it helps your body absorb calcium. Burning mouth syndrome is a clear indicator of the lack of vitamin D. Symptoms of this condition include a burning mouth sensation, a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth, and dry mouth. Milk and eggs are good sources for this.
• Iron. Without iron, your tongue can become inflamed, and sores can form inside your mouth. Iron is found in many foods, including liver and red meat. Some cereals are fortified as well.
• Vitamin B3.A lack of vitamin B3 can cause bad breath and canker sores in the mouth. Chicken and fish carry this important vitamin.

Aside from a good diet, you need to go to the dentist for regular check-ups. Visit Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa for your cleanings and also your cosmetic dental needs.

If it is you with the bad breath, it can be embarrassing and may cause social anxiety. Store shelves are overflowing with all kinds of gum, mints and mouthwashes? Many of these products help but are usually temporary.

How do you get bad breath? You can get it from foods like garlic and onions but also from bad oral hygiene habits. Irregular teeth brushing of your teeth and tongue after eating, not using dental floss and avoiding drinking plenty of water will bring on the bad breath.

Here are some things to think about:

• Food particles remaining in your mouth. Your mouth collects bacteria that can emit chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide. If you don’t know what this is, it is the same chemical that gives rotten eggs that terrible odor.
• Dry mouth can cause bad breath too. Saliva is a natural mouth cleanser. Dry mouth is even more of a problem if you breathe through the mouth at night.
• Diseases can cause bad breath. There are certain health problems and disease such as metabolic disorders, diabetes, kidney or liver failure, chronic reflux that all cause bad breath. Certain medications also can cause a release of chemicals that result in bad breath.

Bad breath is a social problem but may also be a sign of a bigger medical problem. Contacting your family dentist, like Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa, is an important step in finding out whether you are having a health issue that may be life threatening.

Some top picks that are teeth friendly include:

1. Celery
Celery protects your teeth by extra chewing it requires produces plenty of saliva, which neutralizes the bacteria that causes cavities. Additionally, chomping on naturally abrasive foods massages gums and cleans between teeth.

2. Cheese
Cheese, with its low carbohydrate and high calcium and phosphate content, provides several benefits for your teeth. It helps balance your mouth’s pH and preserves and rebuilds tooth enamel. In addition, cheese produces saliva, which kills the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

3. Green Tea
Green tea has been found to be good for your brain and body. Now studies find that it contains substances called catechism that kill the bacteria in your mouth that turn sugar into plaque Catechins also wipe out the bacteria that cause bad breath. You can drink it cold or hot.

4. Kiwis
This odd-looking fruit is loaded with vitamin C. If you do not get enough vitamin C, research shows that the collagen network in your gums can break down, making your gums tender and more susceptible to the bacteria that cause gum disease.

5. Onions
Onions contain powerful antibacterial sulfur compounds and are most powerful when eaten freshly peeled and raw.

6. Parsley
Chewing parsley or mint leaves will help fight bad breath.

7. Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds, for example, are high in calcium, which helps preserve the bone around your teeth and gums.

8. Water
Drinking water keeps your gums hydrated and is the best way to stimulate saliva–your body’s greatest defense against the bacteria that cause plaque and cavities. Also, rinsing your mouth with water also helps wash away trapped food particles that decompose in the mouth and cause bad breath.

The best way to keep your teeth healthy is to brush and floss and maintain regular dental visits. Contact Wayzata Dental and SmileSpa. We are a Plymouth teeth whitening specialist as well as an office dedicated to making sure you are healthy!

Medications you take for preexisting health conditions can cause problems with dental health. As always, you should talk with a family dentist. Wayzata Dental and SmileSpa is a Minnetonka dentistry that not only specializes in cosmetic and restorative dentistry, but knows to watch for certain indicators or links between your mouth and your body’s health.

Here are some signs for you to spot and talk with your family dentist or doctor about:

• Bad breath can indicate a respiratory, gastrointestinal or other health problem.
• Fruity breath or a sweet smell from the body or mouth can be a sign of diabetes.
• Dry mouth can be caused by Parkinson’s disease.
• Burning mouth can be caused by taking medicines for high blood pressure but also can be the result of anxiety, depression, stress and hormonal changes.
• Canker sores can be caused by allergies, celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease of the small intestine. Canker sores can also be caused by Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.
• A white fungus that coats the tongue, called Thrush, can be caused by chronic diseases like HIV or diabetes.

Visiting your family dentist regularly will help pinpoint any problems with your teeth and maybe your physical problems as well.

If you are looking for a family dentist in Plymouth or Minnetonka, contact us at Wayzata Dental. We specialize in your dental health and needs as well and overall physical wellness.

Bad breath is something that no one wants, especially if you are trying to get into the social circle. Food is a big culprit. Once food is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is transferred to the lungs where it is expelled. Brushing, flossing and mouthwash will only mask the odor for a little whilte. Odors continue until the body eliminates the food.

Actually, dieters may notice bad breath because they will develop unpleasant breath from infrequent eating.

Dental care and hygiene is crucial if you don’t want to experience bad breath. If you don’t brush and floss daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, collecting bacteria, which can cause bad breath. Bad breath can also be the result of medication. You should consult with your family dentist to see if there is an underlying problem.

As surprising as it may seem, bad breath is also caused by dry mouth, which occurs when the flow of saliva decreases. Dry mouth may be caused by medications, salivary gland problems or continuously breathing through the mouth.

Tobacco products cause bad breath, stain teeth, and reduce one’s ability to taste foods and irritate gum tissues. Tobacco users are at a great risk for developing oral cancer.

As with any preventive dental care, you should brush twice daily and floss. You should also visit the dentist regularly. Bad breath could also be a sign of a serious medical problem or a side effect of medication.

If it is you with the bad breath, otherwise known as halitosis, it can be embarrassing and may cause social anxiety. Bad breath brings in big money. That is why the store shelves are overflowing with all kinds of gum, mints and mouthwashes. Or, why there are so many commercials about fresh breath and avoiding a “dirty mouth.” Many of these products help but are usually temporary measures. If you have a medical problem, there is bad news: the bad breath will return.

There are a variety of reasons why bad breath occurs. Certain foods like garlic and onions are obvious culprits of bad breath. But if you’ve been told you have bad breath or are aware that you do, review your oral hygiene habits. Try making changes to your habits such as brushing your teeth and tongue after eating, using dental floss and drinking plenty of water. If these changes don’t work, then it’s something more serious.

Here are some things to think about:

• Food particles remain in your mouth if you don’t brush or floss. Then, your mouth collects bacteria that can emit chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide (the same chemical that gives rotten eggs that awful odor!).
• Dry mouth can cause a problem too. Saliva is a natural mouth cleanser – actually removing particles that may cause bad odors. Dry mouth is even more of a problem if you are a mouth breather.
• Certain diseases can cause bad breath. For example, some types of cancers, metabolic disorders, diabetes, kidney or liver failure, chronic reflux have all been associated with bad breath. Certain medications also can cause a release of chemicals that result in bad breath.

Although you can improve bad breath with proper dental hygiene, if it’s chronic, you may want to seek the help of a family dentist. Your body is an amazing instrument. It will send you signals when there is something wrong – such as bad breath. Listen,or in this case smell your body, and then seek the advice of a family dentist. They can see if there is something serious causing your bad breath problem.

Yes, there is.

For the number one way to prevent tooth decay, proper brushing is absolutely important. Most people don’t realize that brushing should take at least two minutes. Most people feel a few seconds of quick brushing is good enough and won’t devote extra time. To get a good idea of how much time you spend taking care of your teeth, use a timer or a bathroom clock. Two minutes isn’t really that long.

How do you brush?
Do you know the actual technique to brushing your teeth? Most people don’t. Children should get into the habit of doing it correctly so they’ll develop the right techniques as adults. To properly brush your teeth, you need to use short and gentle strokes and pay extra attention to the gum line. Other areas that need attention are hard-to-reach teeth, areas around fillings, crowns or other areas with restoration.

Here are the basic steps to use:
• Start with the outer surfaces of your upper teeth, then move to the lower teeth
• Next, move to the inner surfaces of your upper teeth, then on to your lower teeth
• Then, move to cleaning the chewing surfaces
• Don’t forget about brushing your tongue for fresher breath.

When it comes to using toothbrushes, a soft-bristled brush is best for removing plaque. The tool that seems to make a difference for adults and children are powered toothbrushes — helping those who may have some problems with dexterity. Talk to you family dentist about other tools or ways to help maintain your teeth.

So, next time you pull your toothbrush out, remember that you should spend about 120 seconds on brushing. We all know that time goes by fast. Spending just a few minutes a day to take care of your own teeth may give you a lifetime of smiles.

Bad Breath – always a poor way to meet people, and if it’s a date, it could be your last with that person. Bad breath is not always an indication of poor dental practices, however, it does indicate you don’t always look after other areas. Bad breath can be caused by foods we eat. Most commonly, it’s caused by an excess of bacteria. Good oral hygiene will reduce this bacteria and reduce the strength of any bad breath.

Yellow Teeth – yellow teeth can be caused by many different factors. This includes illness and medications taken because of illness. The most common cause of yellow teeth is tobacco followed by poor dental practices. Brushing twice a day will help to prevent yellow staining, even in light smokers. You can buy special toothpastes that can sometimes reduce that yellow staining.

Decayed Teeth – one of the worst sites to see is a smile that displays rotten teeth. Seeing black holes in teeth, half broken teeth, or even black dead teeth is always a clear sign that you don’t look after your teeth. It also indicates you don’t visit your dentist.

Food on Teeth – sometimes you don’t know whether to laugh, say nothing, or point this out to friends. Food often gets caught in and around teeth, however, a quick rinse with water after eating often removes any food particles. Seeing food stuck on teeth two hours after eating can be a little too much – and it does indicate you don’t do the basics when it comes to oral hygiene. Those food particles quickly start to break down adding to bad breath and tooth decay.

Do you show the world you practice poor oral hygiene habits? Brush, rinse, floss and see your dentist – it couldn’t be any easier, yet so many of us don’t bother. Do You?

I know there are certain foods and medical conditions that cause bad breath, but in many cases, it’s simply poor dental hygiene. A simple routing like brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing each night before bed, and regularly rinsing your mouth out with water can do wonders for bad breath.

What causes bad breath? Bacteria. If you provide the right conditions for bacteria, then they will thrive and the end result is bad breath. Change those conditions and the bacteria will not thrive, and with fewer bacteria, you don’t have bad breath.

Mouthwashes do not always kill bacteria. In fact, many mouthwashes fail to even change the environment of the mouth. This means the bacteria is still there, and it’s still causing your bad breath. All the mouthwash (and most other products) can do is to try to mask the problem. This makes many of these products a real waste of money, especially if the end result is gum disease, which is what may happen with excess bacteria in the mouth.

If you really want to get rid of bad breath, act proactively instead of re-actively. First, see your dentist to rule out any gum disease. Then commence a daily oral hygiene routine that designed to clean your teeth and change the environment of your mouth. You’ll feel better and, more importantly, you’ll smell better

• High blood pressure,
• Depression,
• Allergies, and/or
• Pain?

Some medications used to treat these problems can cause the mouth to dry up. Dry mouths are bad news for teeth since your teeth rely on the constant flow of saliva to keep them moist and to control acidity levels. There is a simple cure for this problem – take regular sips of water throughout the day. When you do take a sip, swish it around and make sure your mouth is well lubricated.

It is important to talk to your doctor when receiving a prescription. Ask them whether or not there are any side effects such as a dry mouth. You are then in a position to act proactively to ensure your mouth is always well hydrated. That was just a small list of medical problems that require medications. There are many others that can have a more direct effect on your dental health.

If you notice your gums are suddenly starting to bleed when you brush, see your dentist or doctor as soon as possible. Likewise, if you notice pain in your gums or teeth, teeth suddenly becoming loose, your teeth start to change color, or you notice a constant sour taste in your mouth (especially if loved ones say your breath now smells).

They could all be indications that a medication is having an effect on your oral health. Your doctor or dentist may be able to advise on how to further protect your teeth. Your doctor may decide that a change in medications is preferable.

One thing is certain, if you don’t point these issues out. They are only going to get worse.