Epigenetics and Oral Health

Epigenetics is a study of how the environment and certain actions can cause changes to your genes, and thereby your oral health. The environment and various habits you pick up all play a focal role in the way you treat your health and wellness. 

By properly using the right techniques and habits to improve your oral health, you can naturally do so, without needing to get surgery or other lengthy dental procedures.

Oral health is expensive, so taking care of this now plays a big role in your overall health and wellness. Let's dive in and explore the ways in which epigenetics plays a role in the oral health you possess. 

Negative Environmental Factors and Epigenetics 

There are certain negative activities that do actually exacerbate your epigenetics. 

For example, stress. Stress causes issues with your oral health, and it can create problems down the line. For example,. If you’re stressed, it increases the immune cells, and it can cause growths and swelling.   Stress also puts you at risk for bruxism, which is teeth grinding, and that can wear down the teeth, while also causing them to look duller and more boring. 

Another is diet.   If you have a diet of healthy foods and various drinks, you’ll be able to keep bacteria at bay, and a healthier smile. But, if you’re constantly eating junk food, riddled with sugars and starches, you’re giving those bacteria free reign to eat at those sugars you’ve given them, and in turn, it also causes issues with your oral health, including tooth and gum breakdowns, and as well gum disease.

Finally, there’s other lifestyle choices and your oral health.   Smoking is one of the biggest, and it can cause many negative health consequences, including oral cancers.   If you smoke, you’re putting yourself at a huge risk, but by cessation, your epigenetics will improve and naturally, you’ll have a healthier lifestyle. 

Epigenetics and Periodontal Disease 

The various actions you take in life also open the door to periodontal disease, and oral cancers. 

If you don’t take care of your teeth, it’s putting you at risk for those, and in many cases, periodontal disease can result in tooth loss, and issues with the gum and bone.   But, if you do take care of your teeth, by brushing twice daily and flossing once, you can nip gingivitis, and periodontitis, in the bud as well.

Oral cancers are the same.   Again, while cancer can occur in anyone, those who engage in smoking and chewing tobacco end up putting themselves markedly at risk for this.   if you’re not careful, it can happen to you. oral cancer screening, and engaging in healthier habits and lifestyle choices allow you to have better dental health, and better oral results. 

More Research, More Opportunities 

There’s more and more research coming out as well on the various epigenetic changes you can make to improve your oral health. Switching to sugarless gum for instance, can help to naturally clean out the mouth, flushing out all of the bacteria before it becomes an issue.

With more research at the helm, it can change the game for so many in the field of dentistry, and patients too who struggle with different types of various issues.

Remember, while we do have genetics that play a role in the lifestyle that we offer, by making sure that you also take care of yourself, you’ll be able to practice epigenetics, and have better oral health. So make sure you do that, and try to make sure as well that your epigenetic changes offer marked results in the field of dentistry.

How to Eliminate Your Bad Breath

 Eww. Have you ever smelled your breath and recoiled in disgust? Bad breath happens from time to time. Whether you ate too many onions or garlic, or there’s a real issue there, bad breath is not good for anyone. It can mean bacteria in your mouth are also wreaking havoc, and tooth decay is rampant. 

Here, we’ll go over some of the different ways halitosis, or bad breath happens, and what you can do to prevent it. 

The cause for bad Breath 

Now some people may just have bad breath because they ate some garlic and it made their mouth smell foul. But others, this bad breath might be a symptom of something else. Oral bacteria, especially the gross bacteria that eat away at your enamel, create this foul smelling scent for your mouth, and it’s hard to get rid of.

Dry mouth is another. When your mouth is dry, it can sometimes create a smell, as it may be coming from the food stuck to your teeth. Finally, digestive health. If you have gut health or acid reflux, it might be a reason why your mouth just kind of smells a little bit.

In some cases, it might also be because of tooth decay, so keep that in mind when you’re trying to look into the root cause of bad breath.

The Best Practices for fresher Breath 

There are a few practices that help maintain fresher breath. These are, of course, brushing your teeth, tongue scraping, and mouthwash. 

Brushing your teeth is straightforward. If you brush your teeth, you get rid of the bad bacteria.   If that happens, then your breath will smell nice and fresh too.

The second one, tongue scraping, gets rid of those gross, white areas that are there. In a lot of cases, it can as well help you also get rid of the bad breath that plagues your mouth too. \

Finally, mouthwash. It’s a good solution if you’re worried about having bad breath and need to freshen up. It also will kill a lot of the bacteria. Try to make sure that you’re using a mouthwash without alcohol. It will not dry out your mouth then. If you do decide to use this, drink water. 

Daily tips for a Fresh Breath 

There are a few ways to keep your breath fresh every single day. 

The first is you want to try to brush your teeth after meals. Try to have it be thirty minutes after meals, and make sure to get all the areas. If you notice that you can’t or don’t have the means to, try to chew some gum in order to get rid of the foul particles. 

Then, look at your diet.   Eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables. Have foods that will clean the particles from your teeth. Avoid onions, garlic, and other smelly foods, especially if you’re already prone to bad breath. 

Finally, drink more water.   If you want to have fresh breath, hydration all day is the way to go. Try to go for eight glasses of eight ounces of water every single day, and make sure too that if you’re thirsty, drink some water. 

Consistency is the name of the game for improving your oral health. Taking care of it now prevents more issues in the future, so do so, and you’ll be thankful that you do. plaque and cavities are also done away with when you do this, so make sure to, when trying to be consistent with your habits, make sure you’ve got as many of these items as you can.

When Should I get Antibiotics for a Toothache

 If you’ve got a toothache or an infection in your mouth and are experiencing a ton of pain in your mouth, you may wonder if there is a way to get some relief. One way is an antibiotic. It might seem strange to take antibiotics, especially since it’s not a typical infection. But, all of these infections, especially within the mouth, have a lot in common. All of them have been caused by bacteria.  Not every dental infection however calls for antibiotics, and here, we’ll go over whether you should get antibiotics for the toothache that you have.

Tooth Decay and bacteria. 

In order to understand the reasons why a dentist might give you antibiotics, the first thing to note is that bacteria and toothaches work in a very intriguing manner. Without regular brushing and flossing that promotes the cleaning of those nasty bacteria, turning these foods into acid does happen. This results in the formation of cavities, tooth decay, and other problems. If you take in a ton of sugar, especially those that are overloaded and get stuck on your mouth, you’re going to especially give bacteria a reason to continue to fast on your mouth and structures. Bacteria that cause this are known in many cases are called Streptococcus mutans. 

The Causes of a Toothache 

The causes of this usually are from when the bacteria go and break down on the inner parts of the tooth, creating a vulnerability to this. This inner chamber is vital, as it contains different nerves that’ll supply you with different sensations. When some bacteria reach this, it’s painful, leading to worse dental problems that require an antibiotic treatment.

There are a lot of causes for a toothache, including cavities, where the chamber inside of the tooth is vulnerable, and abscesses happen with this. cavities don’t necessarily mean that it’s time for antibiotics. You can get cavities treated with crowns and fillings depending upon the infection. When it does reach the nerves however, you need a root canal and a cover to keep the bacteria out of there. if the tooth gets so broken down beyond repair as well, they might need to take it out. 

When to Prescribe Antibiotics 

Usually, when the infection is so severe that it impacts the gum and other areas of the tooth, you might need antibiotics. One example of this is pericoronitis, which is an infection that begins in the tissues of the gums, developing around the wisdom teeth. Some people who have this do get antibiotics as a treatment for this.

You may also get amoxicillin and penicillin for infections. Another one that a lot of people get is Clindamycin, which is prescribed for those who do have a penicillin allergy.  You want to make sure not to have too much of this, as this can lead to bacterial resistance. You should be mindful of this, especially when taking it.

You want to make sure that, if you do take antibiotics, you always follow what the doctor orders, as this offers the ideal outcome. You’ll want to follow through with the treatment till the end, especially if there are more prescriptions to take. 

If you have a toothache, there are a few ways to prevent and reduce the risk, including limiting the sugary drinks and foods you have, brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing your teeth once a day, and finally, getting a dental checkup. 

Doing this prevents cavities, and prevents the need to take antibiotics, leading to a happier, healthier life for yourself.

The Science Behind Saliva

Saliva is something that our mouth forms. Think of when you need to spit. That’s saliva. But, saliva isn’t just a nice thing to have in your mouth for when you need to spit out gunk. It’s actually important for your oral health. 

Here, we’ll go over why saliva is the defense against bad breath and plaque, and why without it, you’re going to be missing something invaluable. 

How it Neutralizes Acids 

Saliva is a natural acid neutralizer. This is because our mouths tend to have a baser pH to it with saliva. Acids will wash away when saliva is in contact with it. 

Think of saliva as like a broom that will sweep away some of this gross plaque and acids.   When it’s done early on, it neutralizes plaque formation, along with the acids, giving you long-term success and happiness when you’re building the ultimate protection against bad mouth bacteria. 

What causes our Mouths to Get Plaque-Infested 

The simple solution is bacteria, but it is more than that.

When we eat food, we give sugars to the bacteria in our mouths that feed on it. They release a chemical, which creates a biofilm on the mouth.  This is known as plaque. 

However, it’s more than just that.   saliva also prevents our mouths from crying. It may seem weird that our mouths can get dry without it, but dry mouth is a big problem for many people. With a dry mouth, it creates cavities, because there’s no saliva to wash this away. 

It also reduces tooth sensitivity as well, which in turn can cause pain and discomfort for many people. 

Finally, it causes halitosis, which is bad breath. While also being unsettling, it means that you have a mouth that’s a bacteria playground, which again, is gros.   You owe it to yourself to not have this, and the best ways to prevent this is to have some saliva-beneficial foods and habits. 

Foods and Habits that Stimulate Saliva Production 

Water is going to be one of those things that will naturally help to lubricate your mouth, and aid with making your mouth moist. 

But, what about food?   One of the most common is crunchy foods, such as fruits and veggies. So apples, carrots, pears, celery, broccoli, even cauliflower all trigger the production. 

If you don’t have any of these, consider chewing some sugar free gum, as this will increase saliva production. Just don't have too many if you’re consuming xylitol, because it can increase blood sugar.

Watermelon has a high water content, which naturally hydrates your mouth and is responsible for improving saliva. 

Dairy, including yogurt and milk, are also good, because they can contain probiotics, and also moisturize your mouth. 

Anything that hydrates you, and also improves the moisture in your mouth is considered a beneficial food. 

You should also get in the habit of brushing and flossing when you can, and drinking water instead of other drinks. 

When you take care of your oral health by also having the right foods and stimulating the saliva in the mouth, you’ll benefit. So start today, and improve your oral health now. 

Saliva is important to a healthy mouth. By harnessing its power, you’re naturally able to give your mouth a happier experience, and an environment that really shines. Start today, and leave your mouth not only nice and fresh, but also moistened, healthy, and also ready for the healthy teeth and fresh breath that you are always supposed to have, whenever you can get it, and whenever you’re able to get a moment to take care of yourself as well.