Dentistry | American Oral Cancer Foundation

Start Dental Care Young

For most, the proper dental hygiene and care needed to ensure a healthy routine begins at a young age. Often, we are taught in childhood learning centers or pre-school that taking care of our teeth is very important. However, we usually only pay attention to the giant set of teeth used at the front of the classroom as a model. The guest instructor or pre-school teacher will usually hand out a toothbrush for each child—another reason why we only pay a small amount of attention to the important information provided.

Explained, in a way a child can understand, they teach children how to brush. In a circular motion, all the way to the back of the mouth, along the gumline. Seems easy enough and from that point forward, brushing is part of the daily routine for many of us.

One thing, though: we, as children, only paid so much attention during those lessons about brushing our teeth. We spend a few moments with too much toothpaste standing over the sink and brushing ineffectively. This is hardly enough to ensure our breath stays fresh throughout the busy morning. In order to make sure we are getting the most out of the time we spend brushing our teeth, we must do it correctly, twice a day and sometimes more if we have just had onions!

There are tips when brushing and one of the most well – known tip for making sure you are brushing for a solid amount of time is to hum a tune while you brush. Don’t stop until a chosen tune is done. That should just be enough but make sure you aren’t simply running the brush along the front teeth. While a smile is important, it won’t be much of one without the proper health for all of your teeth.

Get the back teeth and back gums. Some folks will even brush their tongue to finish off the deal. While it seems like a lot of work, having the right pattern, routine and vigorous teeth brushing standard each time will ensure your Oral Health is in top form.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dentistry, Health, Oral hygiene, Toothbrush

Oral Examination In Prevention Of Oral Cancer

A person who wants to prevent oral cancer should try to get a regular examination of the mouth done by a dentist. This will help in the early identification of the disease. The need for the mouth examination is that if it is identified that the person is suffering from oral cancer, then early treatment can be initiated.

Early identification of a disease, treatment and also preventive aspects are the primary methods of overcoming this dangerous disease condition. The oral examination is the best method that can be used to identify the disease. The various methods and steps that are used in the oral examination are listed.

All the dental implants need to be removed first as they might hinder the examination process. The dentist may try to use a gloved hand to feel the various parts of the oral cavity for presence of mass lesions that could signify the presence of oral cancer. Other than the examination of the sides of the mouth, the dentist will also look on the areas like the face, lips, cheeks and the neck as these are the areas where oral cancer are commonly seen.

The tongue is another important part of the oral cavity that should be checked for abnormalities. The dentist will look to see if the tongue is discolored or has any sores or mass lesions. The floor of the mouth and the roof of the mouth also need to be examined as these are also areas where the oral cancer can commonly occur.

Any person who is at a high risk of having oral cancer should make it a point that they meet the dentist very often as this will help in preventing the occurrence of cancer. Even if cancer is diagnosed in these examinations, it can be treated early and completely cured, if it is identified as early as possible.

Filed Under: Oral Cancer, Oral Health Care, Rehab Tagged With: Cancer, Dentistry, Oral Cancer

History of Dental Care

It is true. Teeth, our smiles, our mouths, they are not simply for looks. We’ve needed them as tools and we still do, although not as desperately used to rip apart food as before, they are functioning items on our body. So how did we sharpen our tools and take care of our teeth before?

Well, history has shown us that before, many bushmen and people of dignitary positions did the same thing in order to cleanse their teeth. That was chewing on sticks. While, in an emergency, such as a date or something, any stick would have worked, most folks chose to use special twigs that had a light mint flavor. These twigs were scraped across the teeth to remove any food and later massaged the gumline. It seems primitive now, but at the time, this was the smartest thing going, especially when it came to oral health care.

To this day, the idea of keeping your teeth clean with a stick may seem so ancient, however, if you are on a camping trip or you are stuck without any way of cleaning your teeth, you are better off using a twig. You may have seen people use their finger to clean their teeth, but chewing on a twig and massaging your gumline with a twig is not primitive, it is simply fundamentals of cleaning your teeth. It won’t give you the minty fresh breath that most people associate with a clean mouth, but it will get the job done. Even our ancestors will tell you so.

If you have access to dental floss and a proper toothbrush, you should opt for that over a twig, though. Our ancestors would be proud of the eveolution of dental care.

What most people don’t realize is how old tooth care really is. Considering the fact that for as long as humans have been around, so have our teeth, you would think that before fancy colored toothbrushes and gum massaging bristles, we had other sources of ways to clean our teeth.
It is true. Teeth, our smiles, our mouths, they are not simply for looks. We’ve needed them as tools and we still do, although not as desperately used to rip apart food as before, they are functioning items on our body. So how did we sharpen our tools and take care of our teeth before?
Well, history has shown us that before, many bushmen and people of dignitary positions did the same thing in order to cleanse their teeth. That was chewing on sticks. While, in an emergency, such as a date or something, any stick would have worked, most folks chose to use special twigs that had a light mint flavor. These twigs were scraped across the teeth to remove any food and later massaged the gumline. It seems primitive now, but at the time, this was the smartest thing going, especially when it came to oral health care.
To this day, the idea of keeping your teeth clean with a stick may seem so ancient, however, if you are on a camping trip or you are stuck without any way of cleaning your teeth, you are better off using a twig. You may have seen people use their finger to clean their teeth, but chewing on a twig and massaging your gumline with a twig is not primitive, it is simply fundamentals of cleaning your teeth. It won’t give you the minty fresh breath that most people associate with a clean mouth, but it will get the job done. Even our ancestors will tell you so.
If you have access to dental floss and a proper toothbrush, you should opt for that over a twig, though. Our ancestors would be proud of the eveolution of dental care.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dental floss, Dentistry, Toothbrush

The Sweet Tooth Alert

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Cavaties will cause irrepreble damage to our teeth and once it sets in, it cannot be stopped.

This, of course, is all true to the extent that the adults would have us believe. They don’t say that "too much" candy is the real culprit. In reality, a spoonful of sugar isn’t the very worst thing we can do for our teeth. If we have a sweet tooth, it is best to satisfy our cravings in small doses once in a while. After all, it doesn’t help the situation at all if we are simply ignoring the craving only to binge on a crate of junk food later.

One thing that we learn as children growing up is that after meals or before bedtime is the right time to floss and brush our teeth. This way, overnight is when the cleaning is sort of "processed" if you will. However, if we are sleeping right after a major junk food binge, we may be very well looking at a mouth full of cavaties. As an adult getting cavaties purely from junk food, it may cause you to blush a little bit.

Proper dental care isn’t about white teeth that are shiny and bright and having the straightest teeth in the world. Proper dental care is being fully aware of the ways to care for your teeth and the elements that can actually harm your gums or teeth. Educating yourself on the ways to protect your teeth and watch over your teeth is paramount when it comes to your oral health. While it isn’t something we can do on auto-pilot, it isn’t hard either.

So, go on, have that piece of candy. Just don’t have soda with it. Go one, eat that chocolate bar, just don’t forget to brush. You’ll be happy you did. Your sweet tooth and your health will both be winners.

When we are young, adults try to curb our drive to fulfill the sweet tooth that many are born with. They tell us no soda, no candy, and especially none of the sugary sweet things before bedtime. The common threats are that too much sugar is bad and that it will rot our teeth.Cavaties will cause irrepreble damage to our teeth and once it sets in, it cannot be stopped.
This, of course, is all true to the extent that the adults would have us believe. They don’t say that "too much" candy is the real culprit. In reality, a spoonful of sugar isn’t the very worst thing we can do for our teeth. If we have a sweet tooth, it is best to satisfy our cravings in small doses once in a while. After all, it doesn’t help the situation at all if we are simply ignoring the craving only to binge on a crate of junk food later.
One thing that we learn as children growing up is that after meals or before bedtime is the right time to floss and brush our teeth. This way, overnight is when the cleaning is sort of "processed" if you will. However, if we are sleeping right after a major junk food binge, we may be very well looking at a mouth full of cavaties. As an adult getting cavaties purely from junk food, it may cause you to blush a little bit.
Proper dental care isn’t about white teeth that are shiny and bright and having the straightest teeth in the world. Proper dental care is being fully aware of the ways to care for your teeth and the elements that can actually harm your gums or teeth. Educating yourself on the ways to protect your teeth and watch over your teeth is paramount when it comes to your oral health. While it isn’t something we can do on auto-pilot, it isn’t hard either.
So, go on, have that piece of candy. Just don’t have soda with it. Go one, eat that chocolate bar, just don’t forget to brush. You’ll be happy you did. Your sweet tooth and your health will both be winners.

Filed Under: General, Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Candy, Dental floss, Dentistry

What Exactly is Plaque?

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Here is the easy way to understand it: Plaque and Tartar work together to destroy your pretty little smile.

Plaque is a thin layer of bacteria that develops on your teeth, tongue and gum. We all get it. Just brush your teeth on a regular basis and the build up of plaque won’t be so bad. By "regular" brushing, we do mean that you have to brush your teeth twice a day. The reason for this is that after you have brushed your teeth, your plaque begins to develop again after twelve hours. So, the only way to prevent this fast build up is to constantly combat it with regular brushing.

Now, what happens if you don’t brush regularly? Well, something called Tartar comes along to work double time on ruining your teeth. This is basically the build up of the Plaque that you should have removed earlier but didn’t. Now it isn’t plaque anymore but Tartar which is thicker and stronger. No mere toothbrush can remove this. Now you have to see a dentist or oral hygienist who will give you the proper, deep down cleaning that your teeth need. Tartar is tough. Knowing this, it is essential to have the oral hygienist and that scraping tool in order to really get the tartar buildup off.

As much as you don’t want to hear this, the truth is that it all must be done. You can’t have tartar or plaque build up on your teeth becuase if you do choose to ignore it, the bacteria will eat into your teeth and cause you tooth decay.

With tooth decay, your teeth fall out, you smile is gone. The only option is to have dental implants or dentures and you don’t want that just yet, do you? Also, having these issues now will result in a battle for years to come when it comes to your tartar control. Remember that brushing regularly with tartar control toothpaste will help remove the stubborn build up.

Here is the easy way to understand it: Plaque and Tartar work together to destroy your pretty little smile. Plaque is a thin layer of bacteria that develops on your teeth, tongue and gum. We all get it. Just brush your teeth on a regular basis and the build up of plaque won’t be so bad. By "regular" brushing, we do mean that you have to brush your teeth twice a day. The reason for this is that after you have brushed your teeth, your plaque begins to develop again after twelve hours. So, the only way to prevent this fast build up is to constantly combat it with regular brushing. Now, what happens if you don’t brush regularly? Well, something called Tartar comes along to work double time on ruining your teeth. This is basically the build up of the Plaque that you should have removed earlier but didn’t. Now it isn’t plaque anymore but Tartar which is thicker and stronger. No mere toothbrush can remove this. Now you have to see a dentist or oral hygienist who will give you the proper, deep down cleaning that your teeth need. Tartar is tough. Knowing this, it is essential to have the oral hygienist and that scraping tool in order to really get the tartar buildup off. As much as you don’t want to hear this, the truth is that it all must be done. You can’t have tartar or plaque build up on your teeth becuase if you do choose to ignore it, the bacteria will eat into your teeth and cause you tooth decay. With tooth decay, your teeth fall out, you smile is gone. The only option is to have dental implants or dentures and you don’t want that just yet, do you? Also, having these issues now will result in a battle for years to come when it comes to your tartar control. Remember that brushing regularly with tartar control toothpaste will help remove the stubborn build up.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dental caries, Dental plaque, Dentistry

If You Have a Tooth to Grind

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The worst case scenario is to actually grind your teeth so hard that you break a tooth or that you hurt your jaw in a way that is both painfull and costly. Having to get your jaw realigned due to a nervous habit during your sleep will feel terrible in addition to the cost.

If you do suffer from Bruxism, a doctor will help you to reduce certain key factors in while you have the habit to begin with.

One of the biggest things about it is stress. Stress relief and reduction of anxiety will help you. Also, if you grind your teeth at night be sure to look into a night guard or mouth piece to prevent your teeth from grinding away without you knowing it.

There are many options out there to help you with your teeth grinding. Without even realizing it, you may just stop completely. If you can’t, however, there is help. You are own best friend when it comes to initiating treatment for your oral health.

It is more common than we realize but grinding your teeth in your sleep or while waiting in traffic is all to familiar to most. Teeth grinding or bruxism is an annoying habit that most people don’t even realize they are doing. If you suffer from bruxism, the best bet if to get to the dentist. The thing is, you never know if you are a teeth grinder until someone tells you that you are. And, by the time someone tells you that you are, this means that you grind your teeth so badly that you have become an audio teeth grinder, meaning that you have now gone past the point of quietly clenching your teeth. This is a bad habit especially if you grind your teeth while you sleep. You typically will notice that you wake up with a terrible headache or that you have a pain in your teeth. This is because you have been grinding them all night long! The worst case scenario is to actually grind your teeth so hard that you break a tooth or that you hurt your jaw in a way that is both painfull and costly. Having to get your jaw realigned due to a nervous habit during your sleep will feel terrible in addition to the cost. If you do suffer from Bruxism, a doctor will help you to reduce certain key factors in while you have the habit to begin with. One of the biggest things about it is stress. Stress relief and reduction of anxiety will help you. Also, if you grind your teeth at night be sure to look into a night guard or mouth piece to prevent your teeth from grinding away without you knowing it. There are many options out there to help you with your teeth grinding. Without even realizing it, you may just stop completely. If you can’t, however, there is help. You are own best friend when it comes to initiating treatment for your oral health.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Bruxism, Dentistry, Tooth (human)

Choose a Dentist

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Choose a dentist that shows a genuine interest in your health. If the dentist asks questions and tries to calm your fears during the examination, you will be able to get the necessary treatment if you feel at ease.

Make sure the dentist gives you a thorough examination. This includes the teeth, gums, mouth, tongue and even the outside of the jaw and mouth area to fully realize the health of your mouth both internal and external.

Make sure the dentist makes accurate and detailed statements regarding your health in your health chart. The dentist should also convey his or her findings to you in a thorough manner and give you feedback as to what you can do at home.

Giving options is not always available to the dentist. However, if he or she can offer any options that will suit your needs better, he or she should always offer them, not worrying about how much money they can make off of an expensive procedure.

Speaking of procedures, many good dentists will do work that can last a lifetime or close to it. If a procedure is low-quality and must be re-done in a matter of a couple of years, chances are the dentist is not giving you the best possible dentistry out there. This is especially true in the world of cosmetic surgeries like dental implants.

Finally, when you seek a dentist, make sure that he or she is providing you with direct answers to your very valid questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question especially when it deals with your health.

When you are looking for a dentist, it is easy to fall into a fear driven mode and choose one that seems "nice" and that’s it. However, you want to find a dentist who will give you quality care and a thorough examination every single time you go in for visit. Here are some ways to know that you are getting a good dentist:
Choose a dentist that shows a genuine interest in your health. If the dentist asks questions and tries to calm your fears during the examination, you will be able to get the necessary treatment if you feel at ease.
Make sure the dentist gives you a thorough examination. This includes the teeth, gums, mouth, tongue and even the outside of the jaw and mouth area to fully realize the health of your mouth both internal and external.
Make sure the dentist makes accurate and detailed statements regarding your health in your health chart. The dentist should also convey his or her findings to you in a thorough manner and give you feedback as to what you can do at home.
Giving options is not always available to the dentist. However, if he or she can offer any options that will suit your needs better, he or she should always offer them, not worrying about how much money they can make off of an expensive procedure.
Speaking of procedures, many good dentists will do work that can last a lifetime or close to it. If a procedure is low-quality and must be re-done in a matter of a couple of years, chances are the dentist is not giving you the best possible dentistry out there. This is especially true in the world of cosmetic surgeries like dental implants.
Finally, when you seek a dentist, make sure that he or she is providing you with direct answers to your very valid questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question especially when it deals with your health.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dental implant, Dentistry, Surgery

The Reality of Gum Disease

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If you have a family history of gum disease, then you are already in a state of awareness when it comes to your oral health. This is a good thing, however, you shouldn’t raise your chances of getting gum disease by smoking or chewing tobacco as these are leading causes of the disease. Hormones are another big cause of gum disease. If you are a woman who is pregnant, going through menopause, or you are a younger person who has just gone through the stage of puberty, you may find yourself with swollen gums or gums that bleed when you brush. This is due to your body’s changes and susceptibility to get infections that the mouth can’t quickly fight off. Along with any other disease that doesn’t help fight off infections like leukemia or AIDS, you may find that your body simply can’t fight off bacteria fast enough, resulting in gum disease as well.

One of the other causes of gum disease is stress. Everyone’s body deals with stress differently. If you find that you’ve just suffered a traumatic situation or that you are under plenty of stress, you may see that your gums bleed or swell easily when you brush. Speak to your dentist about this. Also, remember that there are other medications out there that can leave your gums open to infection and weak bacteria fighting abilities. If you take medications like siezure or birth control medicines, you may be more open to gum disease than if you weren’t taking them. Be aware that the list for medications that may cause your body to be open to gum disease is lengthy so you should always speak to your doctor.

Anyone can get gum disease so if you are concerned about it take the precautions and you should be fine.

Gum disease is something that can affect anyone. If you brush and floss regularly or enough to actually remove plaque and tartar, you should be okay. However, there are always other elements which can make you susceptible to the harms of gum disease. If you have a family history of gum disease, then you are already in a state of awareness when it comes to your oral health. This is a good thing, however, you shouldn’t raise your chances of getting gum disease by smoking or chewing tobacco as these are leading causes of the disease. Hormones are another big cause of gum disease. If you are a woman who is pregnant, going through menopause, or you are a younger person who has just gone through the stage of puberty, you may find yourself with swollen gums or gums that bleed when you brush. This is due to your body’s changes and susceptibility to get infections that the mouth can’t quickly fight off. Along with any other disease that doesn’t help fight off infections like leukemia or AIDS, you may find that your body simply can’t fight off bacteria fast enough, resulting in gum disease as well. One of the other causes of gum disease is stress. Everyone’s body deals with stress differently. If you find that you’ve just suffered a traumatic situation or that you are under plenty of stress, you may see that your gums bleed or swell easily when you brush. Speak to your dentist about this. Also, remember that there are other medications out there that can leave your gums open to infection and weak bacteria fighting abilities. If you take medications like siezure or birth control medicines, you may be more open to gum disease than if you weren’t taking them. Be aware that the list for medications that may cause your body to be open to gum disease is lengthy so you should always speak to your doctor. Anyone can get gum disease so if you are concerned about it take the precautions and you should be fine.

Filed Under: Oral Cancer, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dentistry, Gingivitis, Mouth

Man Made Teeth

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The title of this entry might startle you a bit as you are thinking this is an entry about dentures. Actually, it is not.

This is about how we tend to forget that we can manipulate the shape of our teeth and mouth without knowing it. While we may know that braces and mouth guards can create a "perfect" smile if we want, we forget that until we have inherited a smile from someone, one that is "flawed" in some way, for example a gap, we must stop to ask ourselves how we did in fact get this crooked tooth or gap.

All signs for any smile with a gap in a youngster point to thumbsucking.

If a child is still growing out of breast feeding or is struggling with sleeping on their own, a parent might allow them to suck their thumb as it is harmless, most would agree. However, if you are looking at it from a dentist’s point of view, you must let yourself see the truth behind it. Eventually, after around five years of age, you must try to get your child to quit sucking their thumb as it can lead to dental deformities and eventually speech issues if it is prolongued.

The roof of the mouth could be pushed upwards while the teeth become misaligned. While this is not a terribly huge problem at the young age of 5, the permanent teeth come in at around 6 or so. When these teeth come in, a child who sucks their thumb may be creating damage to their teeth while racking up a major cosmetic dentistry bill for the future.

NOt to mention that the constant sucking of their thumb can later lead to possible infections and an opening to oral bacterias.

While it may seem harmless when they are young, be aware that once the adult teeth come in, the damage is not something that you simply put under a pillow and give a little bit of money for. Enjoy the childlike smile but don’t let them rearrange it.

The title of this entry might startle you a bit as you are thinking this is an entry about dentures. Actually, it is not. This is about how we tend to forget that we can manipulate the shape of our teeth and mouth without knowing it. While we may know that braces and mouth guards can create a "perfect" smile if we want, we forget that until we have inherited a smile from someone, one that is "flawed" in some way, for example a gap, we must stop to ask ourselves how we did in fact get this crooked tooth or gap. All signs for any smile with a gap in a youngster point to thumbsucking. If a child is still growing out of breast feeding or is struggling with sleeping on their own, a parent might allow them to suck their thumb as it is harmless, most would agree. However, if you are looking at it from a dentist’s point of view, you must let yourself see the truth behind it. Eventually, after around five years of age, you must try to get your child to quit sucking their thumb as it can lead to dental deformities and eventually speech issues if it is prolongued. The roof of the mouth could be pushed upwards while the teeth become misaligned. While this is not a terribly huge problem at the young age of 5, the permanent teeth come in at around 6 or so. When these teeth come in, a child who sucks their thumb may be creating damage to their teeth while racking up a major cosmetic dentistry bill for the future. NOt to mention that the constant sucking of their thumb can later lead to possible infections and an opening to oral bacterias. While it may seem harmless when they are young, be aware that once the adult teeth come in, the damage is not something that you simply put under a pillow and give a little bit of money for. Enjoy the childlike smile but don’t let them rearrange it.

Filed Under: Oral Health Care Tagged With: Cosmetic dentistry, Dental braces, Dentistry

Do You Have Bad Breath?

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The easy but painful way to find out is to ask someone. Careful, you may be more sensitive than you think.

Bad breath can be something as simple as a temporary issue from a garlic filled meal to something more serious and chronic like halitosis.

One of the main causes of bad breath is tooth decay and gum disease. The smell that eminates from the decaying or rotting tooth is what causes the bad breath. Another reason that some people experience chronic bad breath is through the diet they have.

Often times, too little food can cause the body to go into starvation mode. Once this happens, your body can begin to suffer and internally, you intestines will emit an odor and the only way out is through your mouth. If this is you, then you need to speak to someone about a healthy alternative to losing weight. Being thin won’t look so good when you have terrible breath.

A common factor when someone has bad breath is to know that if they smoke, they will just develop bad breath. While it can be masked with breath mints and gum, it is more important to have the right internal health. If you believe that your bad breath is caused by smoking, you may want to re-think lighting up. Also, if you have any diseases which run in your family, you could very well have a need to look into the history of kidney, respiratory, or other health concerns. These malfunctioning in any way could lead to bad breath.

Initially, there is no real need to become too concerned. If you have a mild case of bad breath, there are things that you can do to take care of it internally without simply masking it. Often, home remedies include simply sucking on a lemon. If this works for you, go for it. If you need a bit more, speak to your oral health care professional.

The easy but painful way to find out is to ask someone. Careful, you may be more sensitive than you think. Bad breath can be something as simple as a temporary issue from a garlic filled meal to something more serious and chronic like halitosis. One of the main causes of bad breath is tooth decay and gum disease. The smell that eminates from the decaying or rotting tooth is what causes the bad breath. Another reason that some people experience chronic bad breath is through the diet they have. Often times, too little food can cause the body to go into starvation mode. Once this happens, your body can begin to suffer and internally, you intestines will emit an odor and the only way out is through your mouth. If this is you, then you need to speak to someone about a healthy alternative to losing weight. Being thin won’t look so good when you have terrible breath. A common factor when someone has bad breath is to know that if they smoke, they will just develop bad breath. While it can be masked with breath mints and gum, it is more important to have the right internal health. If you believe that your bad breath is caused by smoking, you may want to re-think lighting up. Also, if you have any diseases which run in your family, you could very well have a need to look into the history of kidney, respiratory, or other health concerns. These malfunctioning in any way could lead to bad breath. Initially, there is no real need to become too concerned. If you have a mild case of bad breath, there are things that you can do to take care of it internally without simply masking it. Often, home remedies include simply sucking on a lemon. If this works for you, go for it. If you need a bit more, speak to your oral health care professional.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dental caries, Dentistry, Halitosis