Category: Dental Hygiene

3 Reasons to See Your Dentist During Cancer Treatment

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Getting a cancer diagnosis can be understandably scary, and some cancer treatments can cause some unwanted and unpleasant side effects throughout your body. Your mouth is no exception. While we understand that seeing your dentist in Holland may not be at the top of your to-do list, especially if you’re preparing to begin cancer treatment, it’s important to know that these visits can be an important part of keeping your body healthy and strong through cancer treatment. In fact, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, dental checkups before and during cancer treatment can prevent problems that may be serious enough to stop cancer treatment, which is the last thing you want to do. 

Decreased White Blood Cells
Cancer treatment can be really effective at killing cancer cells, but they can also damage or kill good, healthy, normal cells including white blood cells. White blood cells are important to help fight off infection. Without enough of them, the immune system is weakened. Why is this a concern for your dentist in Holland? Well, if you have a gum infection, for example, and then your immune system is weakened, the infection can cause complications to both your oral health and additional problems to your overall health.  

Calcium Reduction
If your oncologist recommends radiation therapy to your head or neck, it may also affect your dental health. These treatments tend to reduce calcium levels in the body, and since our tooth enamel consists of mainly calcium, this reduction can cause teeth to weaken, putting them at increased risk of cavities. But that’s not all. Radiation therapy may also damage salivary glands, reducing their ability to produce saliva. This results in dry mouth, which also puts your oral health at risk for additional problems, including cavities and gum disease. Your dentist in Holland may recommend fluoride to help strengthen enamel or a special rinse to help keep the mouth properly hydrated. 

Mucositis
Many cancer treatments involve the use of chemotherapy, which can damage the mucosal tissues in the mouth. This may cause painful sores and a temporary condition called mucositis. Mucositis is the inflammation or ulceration of the mucus membranes anywhere along the digestive tract, from the mouth through the intestines, and can affect an estimated 40% of cancer patients. Your dentist in Holland may be able to help reduce discomfort caused by mucositis through laser dentistry or other treatments.  

Your dentist is always an important part of your healthcare team, especially if you’re undergoing cancer treatment. Make sure to see your dentist at least every six months, and perhaps more during treatment, to help protect your oral health and, in turn, the rest of your body.

3 Ways to Prevent Bad Breath

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We’ve all experienced the embarrassment of bad breath at some point in our lives. Maybe it was after a hearty dish of garlicky pasta or your morning cup of coffee. Or perhaps it’s something you deal with every day. Either way, we think it’s pretty fair to say that nobody wants to live with bad breath. That’s especially true for your dentist in Holland. In fact, for us, chronic bad breath goes beyond embarrassment and may actually be a sign of a serious oral health condition. 

What’s So Bad About Bad Breath?

To some, bad breath may seem like no big deal, and sometimes that’s true. Temporary bad breath that’s caused by something we ate or drank is usually nothing to concern yourself with. However, when bad breath doesn’t go away even after brushing your teeth, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist in Holland. Bad breath is one of the top signs of a serious oral health condition called gum disease. Untreated gum disease can lead to tooth loss, which brings on a whole other set of problems. But it doesn’t only put your oral health at risk. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease, respiratory problems, and increased risk for stroke among other serious whole-body concerns. 

Causes of Bad Breath

There are numerous things that can cause us to have less than fresh breath outside of the foods and drinks we consume. However, the common, underlying cause of bad breath is attributed to a buildup of bacteria in the mouth. If these bacteria are not removed by properly brushing and flossing daily, they will feed on plaque buildup and produce a stinky byproduct called hydrogen sulfide. This is what we smell when we get a whiff of bad breath. 

How to Avoid Bad Breath

The best way to treat bad breath is to prevent it in the first place. Here are a few things you can do that will help keep your breath kissably fresh.  

  1. Brush and Floss. You’re probably tired of hearing your dentist in Holland talk about how important it is to brush and floss regularly. But the truth is this is the best way to not only prevent bad breath but also protect your overall oral health. Brush your teeth every day for about two minutes, and make sure you gently brush your tongue, too. Floss at least once a day to remove food particles and bacteria that found their way deep in between teeth.
  1. Drink Plenty of Water. Many health experts will recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day to help our bodies function optimally, and we agree. Staying properly hydrated helps neutralize acid and wash away bacteria that could otherwise lead to bad breath. When a mouth is too dry, bacteria can take over and the chance of bad breath increases. 
  1. Maintain Dental Visits. Seeing your dentist at least every six months will do several things for your oral health. First, these visits give your dental hygienist the chance to perform a professional dental cleaning that can remove plaque and tartar that at-home brushing alone just won’t touch. If it’s not removed, plaque and tartar can cause bad breath as well as decay, cavities, and other concerns. Also, bi-annual dental visits make sure that your oral health is being monitored regularly so if any problem does pop up your dentist can treat it quickly, easily, and often prevent other problems. 

Chronic bad breath isn’t something that will go away on its own, and it can lead to more serious and costly dental treatment down the road. If you have bad breath that you can’t quite seem to fix, schedule an appointment with your dentist.

We’re Celebrating National Dental Hygiene Month (And So Should You)

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Having the pleasure of being a dentist in Holland means we get to help treat so many wonderful patients and their families. It also means we get to work alongside some fantastic folks! This month we’re pausing to appreciate everyone in our office and dental practices across the country, especially our outstanding dental hygienists. Without them, your experience at the dentist would never be the same.

Every year, October is named National Dental Hygiene Month, and we think it’s the perfect time to take a look at what your dental hygienist does. (We even got a few tricks or two that can help you help them take care of your smile so that it lasts a lifetime. Don’t thank us, thank them!)

Reason #1 Why We Celebrate – The Many Talents of a Dental Hygienist

Being a dental hygienist goes far beyond just coming to work every day and cleaning teeth for a living. There’s so much more skill and training that goes into taking care of smiles; you’d be exhausted just reading about it. Dental hygienists sometimes wear many hats around the office, depending on the size of a dental practice and the number of patients they see each day. At any given time might find a dental hygienist:

– Carefully examining teeth and the entire mouth for anything suspicious

– Taking a patient’s oral health history, blood pressure, and pulse

– Assessing your oral health needs and goals

– Taking precise x-rays and oral photos

– Educating patients about the best ways to care for their smile at home

– Clearing away harmful plaque and tartar from teeth to avoid decay

There’s a reason why the American Dental Association will tell you that dental hygiene takes time and effort to perfect. They’re responsible for taking care of you and your smile using some of dentistry’s most advanced treatments, techniques, and tools. That’s a lot to know and learn!

Reason #2 Why We Celebrate – Dental Hygiene Has Some History in Healthcare

It’s not like dental hygienists are some new trend in dentistry. They’ve been around for well over a century. Your Holland dentist did a little digging online and found out that Registered Dental Hygienist Magazine says a new type of dental “nurse” began to help with teeth cleanings to prevent decay and disease dating back to the 1880s. 

Dr. Albert C. Fones trained his assistant, Irene Newman, to act as an apprentice, scaling and polishing teeth. As more and more folks became interested in this new career category, Fones struggled with what to call it. He didn’t like the term “dental nurse,” so he started calling his students dental hygienists instead. 

National Dental Hygiene Month first started being recognized in October back in 2009 courtesy of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and Wrigley gum. Together, both organizations saw the need for more Americans to put a heavier emphasis on keeping their teeth healthy.

This year, there’s even more to celebrate as the ADHA is partnering with Walgreens and LISTERINE® to further promote the benefits of good oral health and the incredible, life-changing work done by dental hygienists across the nation. There’s even a new, #DoTheSwish campaign happening at participating stores where you can snap a selfie with specially-marked LISTERINE® mouthwash displays for a chance to win some sweet prizes!

Reason #3 Why We Celebrate – We Care Because of How Much They Care

Your dental hygienist is one of your most significant defenses your mouth has against decay and disease. They’re specially trained to spot issues that the normal eye can’t see. The great part about this is, the earlier we’re able to detect any problems or abnormalities in your oral health, the more likely it is we can fix it early and save your smile. 

We hope you’ll join our Holland dental office in offering huge cheers to every dental hygienist out there today. Without them, so many people would not get to experience the confidence and pure joy having a healthy smile can bring to your day. We thank you and salute all that you do!

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