Flossing removes bacteria

Flossing – besides removing food from between teeth – aids in gum health and good breath.  Flossing may even help protect against diabetes and preterm birth.

How To Floss- Brush first, floss and then rinse.  Flossing cleans out places where the brush can’t reach.  Rinsing removes the bacteria from your mouth the flossing removed. Be sure to find an unused length for the next tooth.

When to Floss – Your teeth are covered in microbial plaque, or biofilm.  This biofilm is linked to many inflammatory diseases like, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Floss and rinse well at night before going to bed.  This gives your mouth an eight hour rest without food.

Contact Kuhn Dental for more information: www.kuhndentist.com

Who should get screened?  Every adult.  Oral cancer can often be caught early, even as a pre-cancer.  We at Kuhn Dental Associates encourage you to be pro-active about your heath and get screened. 

Regular dental check ups, when they incorporate oral cancer examinations can reduce the dath rate of this disease. 

Free Oral Cancer screening

After eating, it is advised that your brush your teeth. Most dentists recommend brushing 2-3 times per day with a good toothpaste and a newer toothbrush.  Brushing does not get everything out of your mouth, however. A nice swig of mouth wash can go a long way to help kill bacteria in your gums. Getting rid of plaque with your toothbrush and bacteria with mouthwash will leave your gums nice and clean.

Flossing, although not so pleasant, is also advised. Getting rid of the excess plaque between your teeth will ensure a healthy mouth. Ultimately, make sure you visit your dentist on a regular basis to get checkups and teeth cleanings to keep your gums healthy. Our goal at Kuhn Dental Associates is to help you get healthy and stay healthy.

Brush for Healthy Gums

Floss Daily

A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. “I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits,” says Perls.

This is just one of the Habits you can use to live longer and better.

Content provided by US News and World Reports

If Your Teeth Could Talk

If Your Teeth Could Talk….The Mouth Offers Clues to Disorders and Disease.

Some of the earliest signs of diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, immune disorders, hormone imbalances and drug issues show up in the gums, teeth and tongue — sometimes long before a patient knows anything is wrong.

Don’t be fooled by very white teeth.  Many oral health problems may be lurking unseen. When the  tops of back molars are worn this may indicate stress-related clenching and grinding.

Your dentist can help you stay healthy by looking for the early warning signs.  Be sure to keep up your regular hygiene (cleaning) visits.

Source: Melinda Beck

 Periodontal disease is associated  with many inflammatory conditions be sure to see your dentist on a regular basis to keep this bacteria at bay.

A condition know as osteonecrosis of the jaw can result if a patient is on Biphosphonates and loses teeth to periodontal diseases.  Regular hygiene visits will help prevent or control periodontal diseases.  Visit this link for more information on gum disease http://www.kuhndentist.com/non-surgical-periodontal-treatment.html

STROKE :  If Blood Pressure increases due to plaque build-up and fatty bacterial particles are dislodged, thus plugging up a blood vessel, stroke can occur.  The blockage can affect any area of the brain that these vessels provide with blood, and subsequently stop blood flow (oxygen and nutrients). The result is an acute cerebrovascular ischemia or stroke.

Preventing and treating periodontal disease by regular visits to your dentist is one more way to stay healthy.  Call your dentist today and schedule your next hygiene visit!

HEART DISEASE: mouth bacteria enter the blood stream, attaching to the fatty plaques in the heart blood vessels.  This thickens the walls of the heart vessels, leading to a restriction of normal blood flow, thus reducing nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly.  This may lead to heart attacks.

Next week we’ll look at the effect of this bacteria on Strokes.