Teeth Whitening & Oral Health Blog

We all know that feeling; tongue like cardboard, mouth dry, throat sore; usually the result of too much celebrating the night before. For some people, however, a dry mouth is an almost permanent state and can be very distressing. This article will look at what causes a dry mouth and possible treatments for it.

Causes of Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is also called xerostomia when it is recognized as a medical symptom of other illnesses. Sufferers of diabetes, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer patients can all experience an uncomfortable dry mouth as secondary symptoms of their illness. More severe conditions such as Parkinson’s, Sjogren’s syndrome and HIV can also result in patients having a dry mouth. Certain medications can produce a dry mouth as an unpleasant side effect. Ironically the very tablets a hay fever sufferer takes, or decongestants for a bunged up nose, can result in a dry mouth, as too, muscle relaxants and depression treatments. Some causes of dry mouth are peoples’ lifestyle choices, such as smoking or chewing tobacco which depletes the saliva glands. Snorers who sleep with their mouths open can also wake in the morning with a badly dehydrated mouth.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth

It is not always simply a dry mouth that is the result of these factors, although it is the primary symptom. Dry mouth is often accompanied by a raging thirst, a sore throat, difficulty swallowing and a tingling sensation in the mouth.  More serious symptoms include severe hoarseness, an inability to swallow, sores around the mouth and on the tongue, which in chronic cases can split and weep. All of this is extremely unpleasant for the sufferer, and when bad breath is also a symptom, it can leave the patient feeling very isolated and unable to socialize comfortably. Apart from the obvious painfulness of some of these symptoms if, untreated, dry mouth can cause severe gum problems, tooth decay and thrush. It is crucial, therefore, that someone experiencing dry mouth, sees an expert and identifies what is causing it.

Treatments for Dry Mouth

Talking the patient through their symptoms and according to the severity of the condition, a doctor can prescribe a number of alternative treatments. It may mean changing medication or lifestyle, but for a lot of people, it will only improve when the underlying cause is treated. However, this does not mean you cannot at least treat the bad taste and lack of saliva in the mouth. Dry mouth rinses can greatly benefit the sufferer by lubricating the mouth, rinsing bacteria on the gums away and defeating the bad breath a dry mouth causes. To avoid potential gum disease and to maintain oral health; antibacterial rinses are a good choice, such as the TheraBreath Extra Strength Oral Rinse. A range of these products and other useful products can be found at Whiter Smile . Here, specially formulated toothpastes, including TheraBreath Extra Strength Toothpaste can also be found. Regular brushing with dry mouth toothpaste can help to restore the saliva flow and thus reduce the dry mouth sensation. Whatever the cause of dry mouth, whether medical or lifestyle; it can be alleviated by good oral care and hygiene, and products designed to increase saliva flow, reduce and attack bacteria and protect gums and teeth from further deterioration.

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Bad breath is not just a condition that plagues those who just woke up or those who have poor oral hygiene practices. The truth is that there may be more truth in bad breath than you may realize. There are several health problems that are associated with bad breath and these are important to know. Like anywhere else in your body, one health problem in your mouth can lead to more that may not even be mouth related. It is important to nip bad breath-related health problems in the bud, and knowledge is power.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is the most common health problem that is associated with bad breath. The buildup of plaque on the teeth can lead to gum disease, in which case the gums may smell, build up bacteria, bleed, leak pus, and even rot away. Gum disease is very serious as it can lead to secondary illnesses. If you have bad breath even after brushing or rinsing, and it smells differently from what you have recently eaten or what it normally smells like, see your dentist to make sure you do not have gum disease. To help prevent gum disease, it is important to brush your teeth with a good quality toothpaste. There are also reminerlisation products to help reduce the risks.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that can be very serious if left untreated, especially in the very young and the elderly. If bacteria or viruses build up in your mouth (causing the bad breath) it can very easily spread to the lungs and form an infection in one or both of the lungs. This infection if left untreated and even sometimes if treated can cause death or other serious illnesses. Trouble breathing, a rattling cough, and bad breath are all signs of pneumonia and it should be taken quite seriously, especially in the very young and elderly age groups where infections can stay for much longer due to a low immune system.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce enough or any insulin, causing blood glucose to build up in the blood and reactions to occur to that. Reactions might include seizures, coma, and even death. With diabetes, early detection is important, so if you have chronic bad breath, a history of diabetes in your family, and bouts where you feel very ill for no apparent reason, it may be a good idea to see your doctor to be tested for diabetes. If diabetes goes untreated it can also lead to secondary illnesses.

Dry Mouth

With all of these serious illnesses, it may seem foolish to mention dry mouth as a health problem that is associated with bad breath. But the truth is, dry mouth can be caused by several different things, like as a side effect of certain illnesses or diseases. These illnesses may include rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, and Cystic Fibrosis. All of these illnesses are very serious and need treatment. The illness might cause dry mouth, which in turn because of a lack of saliva flow through the mouth may cause bad breath. If you feel you are having dry mouth problems, check with your doctor to make sure it is nothing more serious. There are also many products on the market which can help with dry mouth.

© Copyright Whiter Smile : Australia’s Largest Teeth Whitening Superstore! Stocking a huge range of the best teeth whitening, tooth bleaching, bad breath, and oral health products on the planet. Best Price Guarantee!
http://www.whitersmile.com.au

Bad breath, or halitosis as many professionals call it, is caused by a number of different things such as foods we eat, not cleaning our teeth well and even bacteria. There are ways to eliminate this offensive odor though and following a few recommendations can make all the difference in the world. Many of the problems we have with bad breath are of our own doing however there are some reasons for bad breath that are actually beyond our control such as medical problems, sinus problems and stomach problems. You may want to check out some of the cures listed here for bad breath and halitosis.

First it is important to understand how bad breath or halitosis develops. Many times it is caused by foods that we eat such as garlic and onions. Although they are delicious to eat they break down into components of molecules. Some of these present very unpleasant odors. These molecules are absorbed into our circulatory system allowing them to be distributed to the rest of our body as nourishment. When they travel through our lungs, some of them are released into our lungs and as a result of our natural breathing process the molecules we inhale and exhale contain some of these offensive smelling molecules. You can’t treat the lungs but you can treat the problem with the lungs by not eating these foods.

Other reasons for bad breath are dry mouth, gum disease, smoking, medical conditions, dental conditions and oral bacteria. We all have oral bacteria in our mouths that is necessary to help begin breaking down some of the foods we eat. Many of the bacteria our mouths contain are good bacteria while some can be bad. The bad bacteria is a result of an imbalance of the probiotics and the good bacteria. For this reason many probiotics are sold over-the-counter to help trigger the good bacteria in our bodies to increase.

There are a number of good probiotics kits available for bad breath. One of the better known kits is the Aktiv-K12 ProBiotics Kit. It contains everything you may need to eliminate bad breath including mouth rinse, tongue scraper, gum, toothpaste, breath fresheners, probiotics powder and oxygen serum. Another good treatment for halitosis is the BreathRx system. This is not a system that adds beneficial bacteria to your mouth but instead works to eliminate the bad bacteria in your mouth. It uses neutralizers to help neutralize bad breath instead of masking the odors of halitosis.

Unbeknownst to many people you can even get bad breath due to tonsil problems. One such problem is called tonsilloliths. This is what forms when mucus and bacteria get trapped in the crevasses of the tonsils that looks like pieces of “oatmeal”. They can be found in the tonsil crevasses, on the throat or on the roof of the mouth. TheraBreath has a system that helps prevent odor that is caused by tonsilloliths. It contains a nasal spray, breath spray, oxygenating tablets and a sinus spray that is designed to eliminate the tonsil stones or tonsilloliths thereby preventing bad breath.