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How Smoking Affects Your Oral Health

Posted on by JeremyHopper

Smoking of tobacco products can have a lasting effect on your health. Various health complications and fatal diseases can be caused by smoking. People nowadays know of the harm that can be caused by smoking tobacco products unlike 20 years ago.

Lots of studies have been conducted and evidence produced that show how smoking affects oral health. Smoking can be very harmful to your oral health. There are minor side effects as well as serious complications that can arise from smoking.

So, before you head out to grab a pack of cigarettes, here are some facts for you to consider:

1. Tooth Loss Risk

Smokers are more prone to gum disease. This means that they also have a higher likelihood of losing their teeth. Infections spread between the teeth and gums once your periodontal disease advances. You start to experience gum tissue irritation. Blood flow reduces in your gums. When this occurs, teeth get pulled away from the gum tissue.

Smoking restricts the flow of oxygen in your bloodstream. This makes it harder for gums to heal. Early treatment of this condition is important. If this isn’t done, the reversal of the gum recession won’t be possible. You may eventually end up losing your teeth.

Orthodontic treatment is required to help straighten your teeth. You need to seek professional help to deal with this condition. This can help salvage your teeth. Your dentist may prescribe braces for you.

2. Jaw Bone Loss

Advanced periodontal disease can be caused by smoking tobacco products. Your chances of jaw bone loss significantly increase when the bacterial infection that reaches the jaw bone. Losing your jaw bone limits your restorative options. If your jaw bone deterioration is high, there may be a slim chance for restorative options such as implants and dental bridges. It may be impossible for these procedures to be done if the loss of jaw bone is extensive.

3. Stained Teeth And Bad Breath

Tobacco contains both nicotine and tar. These substances turn your teeth yellow with a short period. Nicotine is absorbed thereby causing discoloration. Regular smoking can cause nicotine-stained teeth. Smoking also leads to foul breath.

4. Gum Disease Risks

Harmful bacteria within the mouth are responsible for gum disease. They turn into plaque that causes gum disease. When plaque builds up, it hardens to form tartar. The teeth and gums of smokers contain more plaque than those of non-smokers. Remember, gum disease can lead to other oral complications.

5. Loss Of Smell And Taste

You can experience dull senses due to smoking. Your ability to taste foods diminishes if you smoke regularly. You aren’t able to feel the food’s flavor as you used to before. Smoking also affects your sense of smell. You can’t fully appreciate the smell of what you consume if you are a smoker.

6. Weakened Immune System

Smokers generally have a weakened immune system. A weakened immune system gives your body a harder time when fighting infections. You may end up feeling the pinch of gum infection and disease since your immune system is severely weakened to fight the infection off.

7. Interferes The Mouth’s Healing Ability

The growth of blood vessels and the flow of blood is affected by smoking. Healing processes after injury or surgery can be affected by smoking habits. Inadequate oxygen is supplied to the mouth since blood is restricted.

8. Increased Risk Of Cancer

Almost all people with cancer of the mouth, throat, lips, and tongue are current or former smokers. The frequency and amount of tobacco use increase the risk of oral cancer development. Smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer as compared to non-smokers.

Don’t forget that other body organs can be affected by advanced oral cancer. It easily spreads and develops in other body organs. All forms of tobacco use including cigars, cigarettes, pipes, and bidis can cause cancer. Even smokeless tobacco such as snuff and chewing tobacco products are linked to cancer.

If you are worried about how smoking affects your oral health, you have every right to be. You need to schedule regular appointments with your dentist for professional teeth cleanings. Abrasive toothpaste can help you deal with your stains. Mouthwashes are a short-term solution for bad breath. You can decrease your risk of oral cancer, gum disease, and tooth loss by avoiding high-risk behaviors such as smoking tobacco products.

How To Find A Good Dentist In Your Area

Posted on by JeremyHopper

An anonymous once said, “You don’t have to brush your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.”  Sounds funny but it’s the truth we all have to be reminded about. Why is it easy for us to spend hefty amount of money on the usual vitamins and other products that promised to keep us healthy but tends to give less attention on our oral health that is just as important as the rest of our body?

Research studies that a human’s mouth has the same number of bacteria as the number of people on Earth. It is also a fact that many illnesses are linked to oral health including the number one cause in the world heart attacks.

Truly, it’s about time for us to give more attention to our oral health and find a professional that will help us take care of our oral health. Here’s a few guidelines on how to find a good dentist that suites best for you.

First is you must consider the location of the dental clinic. It is ideal to find a dentist that has a clinic near your place or accessible to you. As we live this busy life, we sometimes put our oral health at the bottom of our priority, until something bad happens. By having a dentist near your place, you will be reminded every time you pass by that you must squeeze in few hours for a dental check-up.

Another reason why the location matters is because most of the dental related appointments has follow-ups. In case you will be needing weekly adjustments or a dental emergency, it’ll be convenient for you and will save you time and money. Some dentist also does home service if it is near their area.

Another factor to consider is the specialization of the dentist. Upon checking with a general dentist, some patient will be advised to go to a certain dentist with specialization for them to be able to address their oral concern properly. These are the kinds of dentist we must take in to consideration when choosing what suits best for us: Oral surgeon, pediatric surgeon, endodontist, orthodontist, oral pathologist and more.

On finding the right specialized doctor for you, your over all health history and all the other important factors such as your age, life style, present oral health and preference will be reviewed. You may also go through number of tests on this process. Once your concern and your history has been assessed by a general dentist, you will be given a referral to a specialized doctor, it could be one or more depending on your needs.

After finding the right kind of dentist that suits best for your oral concerns, another factor to consider when finding a good dentist in your area is the expertise and experience of the dentist. If your assessment revealed for example that you need to have a surgery, you must then find a good oral surgeon that is reputable to have successful surgeries on the past. This way, you will be confident that your tooth is in good hands.

Last but not the least on our guidelines is, finding a dentist that will give you a good smile, but will not break your bank. Dental check-ups can be quite expensive nowadays, a simple dental check up can charge you $100 and can go up to more than $500 per appointment especially if you are visiting dentist with specialization. If you have an insurance or dental health coverage plan, it will be a huge help on paying your medical expenses.

The process on finding a dentist that suits your needs can be easy if you have an insurance as they have a list of accredited dentist who you can go to near or even far your area, but the downside is you have limited choices and it may not always be the one who will tick off your qualification list. But if you have the means to pay in cash, you have the freedom to find the tailored-made dentist that suits your needs.

As our list comes to an end, let as recap our guidelines on finding a good dentist in your area. First is you must consider the location of the dental clinic, then find the proper specialized doctor that would guide you properly on your oral concerns, next is expertise and experience of the dentist and lastly the insurance coverage and accreditation if applicable and the fee the dentist will charge you.

Finding a good dentist could be a hard work, but when the time comes you can still smile at the age where people couldn’t do it anymore because they either already lost their teeth or acquired a disease for not taking care of their oral health from the beginning, you will surely thank yourself for being aware, informed and for doing something to keep that smile alive and healthy.

What Is Bruxism And How To Effectively Protect Your Teeth From It?

Posted on by JeremyHopper

If you ever wake up and feel pain in your teeth and/or jaw, you might be dealing with the consequences of bruxism which is a oral condition in which your jaw clenches and causes the grinding of your teeth. This is typically something that occurs while you are sleeping. However, in severe cases, it can occur even when you are fully awake. Below, we will be going over some of the main causes of this type of condition and how to protect your teeth from it.

Causes:

1. Stress

One of the main things that are likely to cause you to grind your teeth excessively is the onset of stress. If you are dealing with a high amount of stress, you are likely going to be dealing with teeth grinding of some form.

2. Caffeine

Another major factor that could influence your condition would be the intake of caffeine. If you are a heavy caffeine user, you will likely be making your condition worse if you have bruxism and/or it could even be at the root cause of it in the first place.

3. Depression

Another common cause of this type of teeth grinding condition is depression. If you are suffering from some form of depression, the root cause might have to do with it.

Unfortunately, there is not much research that indicates why these are the causes of it. However, these causes are typically correlated with either the onset of the condition or a worsening of the condition. Now that we have gone over some of the major causes of the condition, we will be discussing some of the different treatment options that you have available.

Treatment Options:

1. Stopping The Cause

The biggest treatment option that you are going to have available would be to figure out what is causing you to grind your teeth in the first place. Obviously, if you are grinding your teeth primarily because you are a caffeine drinker, you are going to want to try to switch to caffeine alternatives that will not cause your teeth to clench. Along with this, if you are suffering from bruxism primarily because of heightened stress levels, you might want to work towards minimizing your stress either through medication or natural remedies. Same if you are experiencing this type of condition as a direct result of depression. If you are, you will want to discuss with your dentist the different options available to you.

2. Devices

Another option that you might have available would be a special device that is used to bring your bottom jaw forward. These are typically going to be used if you are suffering from the condition because you have some form of sleep disorder. Along with grinding, it can help those that suffer from sleep apnea as well.

Ways To Protect Your Teeth:

Custom Mouthguard

The best way to protect your teeth if you are someone that experiences this condition would be to invest in a custom mouth guard. By investing in a custom mouth guard, you are going to make it much easier to protect your teeth from the consequences of teeth grinding.

Unfortunately, this is not something that will stop the act altogether. Instead, it is something that can lessen the impact that it has on your teeth. Because these custom mouth guards are meant to be tailored to your mouth, they are going to make it much easier for your teeth to glide against one another which can help to relieve some of the stress off of your jaw. Therefore, you should experience less jaw pain moving forward. Along with this, the custom mouthguard is also going to help protect your teeth from having the enamel worn out as a result of the grinding.

Overall, there are a lot of different ways you will want to go about stopping the condition. Unfortunately, the root cause is not necessarily certain. The best way to stop the condition is to figure out what is triggering it and what is likely causing it. By doing this, you can make lifestyle changes that are needed to lessen the severity of the condition itself and you should be able to figure out the best ways to protect your teeth from getting damaged from it moving forward.

What You Need To Know When You Feel Your Wisdom Teeth Coming In

Posted on by JeremyHopper

According to scientists that study ancient humans, we developed our wisdom teeth so that we could eat a diet of more grains, roots, nuts, and other foods that needed a lot of chewing.

Actually, the way evolution works is that at some time in the far distant past, nearly all of the humans that didn’t have the extra row of molars had to have died out. Most likely from starvation, it would seem, and therefore all of their offspring had that extra molar that we call wisdom teeth.

There must have also been other humans that didn’t go through the same famine so they didn’t ever die off from the lack of the extra tooth.

The two ancient humans from different areas mixed together and us modern humans now struggle with wisdom teeth that come in without enough space in our jawbones to be effective.

A huge percentage of people then end up having to have their wisdom teeth extracted because of crowding and other problems.

How Do You Know You’re Going To Have Wisdom Teeth Problems

Most likely, when you were younger your family dentist will have taken an X-ray and examined your wisdom teeth as they grew. Then he would have shown you the photo and told you that in the future, you’re going to have to have them pulled because there isn’t enough room for them.

On our lower jawbone, there is a limit to how many teeth can fit because the jaw makes a quick curve up after the 12-year molar. Then, when your wisdom teeth emerge, they rise up and hit that part of the jaw only to recede back down. This blockage is called an impacted wisdom tooth. They do this over and over again causing pain, discomfort, and sometimes become infected.

On the upper jaw, the jawbone does just the opposite, it curves away and the wisdom teeth end up aimed towards the back of the throat. This can be less of a problem and sometimes a person will have to get the lower wisdom teeth extracted but can leave the uppers alone. However, at some later date, maybe when they’re 40 years old, those upper wisdom teeth might break through the gums and start causing problems. The actual statistic is that about 85% of all wisdom teeth will eventually have to be removed.

Why It’s Better To Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed At A Younger Age

When it comes to dental work, especially having dental surgery, people tend to like to put it off for as long as possible. Even your dentist might say it’s a good idea to wait to see what happens. However, up until about age 25, we can have dental surgery and recover rather quickly with no problems, fewer infections, less pain, it’s just better.

After 25, the roots of our wisdom teeth are more likely to have grown attached to the jawbone, which makes the surgery more difficult and infection more likely. It’s also possible to have a recovery time of several weeks to a month, instead of just a few days.

If you’re having trouble with your wisdom teeth, you should consult with a dentist right away. Infections of the gums can reach the jawbone and become very serious, causing more tooth loss than what you might expect. And, if you have the extraction surgery before problems arise, your recovery will be much shorter, with less pain, and a far better outcome.

What Is Oral Pulling And How Can It Help Your Oral Health

Posted on by JeremyHopper

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurveda technique that originated in India as part of oral hygiene practices that included the chewing of sticks, eating herbs, and swishing the mouth with natural plant oils.

Practitioners of this technique believe that toxins in the mouth can be drawn out by swishing the mouth with oils from natural plants like sesame seed, sunflower, and coconut.

Oil pulling is used to prevent tooth decay, strengthen the teeth and gums, prevent dryness of the mouth and throat, treat bleeding gums, and improve the overall health of the body.

Oil Pulling for Dental Health

Used mainly for dental and oral purposes, there are many claims that it can whiten the teeth, eliminate plaque, strengthen the teeth, gums, and jaw, and prevent tooth decay and bleeding gums.

A more extreme form of oil pulling is used to treat chronic and serious diseases such as cancer and the practice has been cited as a cure for more than 30 diseases.

Traditional oil pulling practices have different techniques.

  • Gandusha, for example, recommends filling the mouth with oil, holding it for about five minutes before spitting out.
  • Kavala Graha uses just enough oil to be comfortable, held in the mouth for 3 minutes and gargled before it is spat out.

Oil pulling enthusiasts claim that bacteria and other toxins that build up in the mouth and dissolved and absorbed by the oil and discarded by spitting it out.

Does Oil Pulling Work?

In a study published in the Indian Journal of Dental Research in 2009, it was found that oil pulling using sesame seed oil reduced plaque, lowered microorganisms in plaque from adolescents with plaque-induced gingivitis, and modified gingival scores in comparison with the use of normal mouthwash.

In a 2011 study, it was found that oil pulling was as effective in the treatment of bad breath as chlorhexidine and a further study in 2014 reported that swishing with sesame oil helped to reduce the microbes that cause oral malodor as much as treatment with chlorhexidine, an antimicrobial mouth rinse.

Risks and Side Effects of Oil Pulling

The biggest risk of oil pulling is people using it to replace traditional, professional dental care and time-tested oral treatments. Some oil pulling enthusiasts believe that it can take the place of daily tooth brushing which could result in the increased risk of cavities.

Oil pulling may not be enough to prevent cavities from forming or plaque from building up or to reduce bacteria enough, and some dentists say that bacteria are not affected by these oils.

These risks can be minimized by using oil pulling in addition to mechanically brushing the teeth on a daily basis.

Another serious risk is the use of non-food grade oils that have not been tested for purity by an independent source. These oils could be harmful for human consumption and contain toxic additives such as lead, arsenic, and mercury.

If ingested these oils may cause digestive upsets and diarrhea and if accidentally inhaled could cause lipoid pneumonia.

What Are The Different Types Of Dentistry

Posted on by JeremyHopper

Dentists Having a Conversation over Patient X-Rays

There are many different types of dentistry. There are different types of dentistry that can fulfill different needs. Below, we will be going over some of the different types that fulfill various needs and specialties.

Different Types Of Dentistry:

1. Pediatric Dentist.

This type of dentist is mainly there to specialize in treating and monitoring children’s teeth. They are specifically trained to deal with the oral health of children anywhere from infancy to their teenage years. They are educated in being able to help with both dental growth and development which is crucial to avoiding adult problems later on in life. They work closely with all kinds of children’s doctors and specialists to ensure that they are providing the most comprehensive care for those that are young.

2. Endodontist.

This type of dentist is specialized in helping those that might need significant dental repairs. Specifically, if you are in need of something like a root canal, you will want to visit one of these specialists because they are extensively trained in the physiology and morphology of the human dental pulp which helps them effectively treat various diseases of the inner workings of the teeth. They are also trained in prevention methods as well.

3. Periodontist.

A periodontist is someone that has been trained extensively in both the care and prevention of various gum related diseases. They are there specifically to help with any sort of gum problems or prevention. They are also there to help with guided bone regeneration and even to assist in dental implants. They treat basic and advanced gum disease.

4. Orthodontist.

An orthodontist is specially trained in helping deal with various issues related to the teeth and jaw. Not only do they specialize in fixing crooked teeth, but they can also be helpful in correcting bite issues, gaps, moving teeth, and more. They are there to help guide teeth to their best-suited position for proper jaw alignment. They can offer treatments including braces, retainers, Invisalign, and more. They are trained to help with the development, prevention, and correction of the irregularities of the jaw, teeth, and bite. They can deal with a variety of issues including TMJ.

5. Oral Surgeon.

An oral surgeon is specialized in a variety of dental problems that need to be corrected through surgery. This includes but is not limited to removal of teeth, reconstruction, and more.

Summary

Overall, there are plenty of different dental specialties that can ensure that you are getting the proper treatment and care from someone that knows what they are doing. Whether you are dealing with crooked teeth and need braces or you are dealing with much more complicated problems with your teeth or gums, you should be able to find the exact dental specialist that works in the field that you require assistance from.

A lot of these specialties will work together with your general or cosmetic dentist to try to assist you in correcting your dental issues. You should be able to get referrals from your general dentist to find the best option for you.

JHOP The One And Only

Posted on by JeremyHopper

JHOP is back and going to be better than ever.  We’re currently in the planning stages of what we’re going to be releasing.

If you’re looking for an awesome experience, unlike anything you’ve ever done before, than stay tuned!

We’re back from our hiatus and going stronger than ever!

Only thing left is to launch this site.

So take a deep breath and get ready to dive in with us!