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Should I Use a Mouthwash? | Schnecksville Dentist

When we think of dental hygiene, we think of a few key pieces of equipment for a healthy clean mouth – a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash. Each of these things plays a certain role in doing the job, but are they all necessary?

For the most part, all of these dental tools are necessary, but mouthwash is the exception. We are told that it is helping with bacteria that causes bad breath, leaving us with a minty-fresh mouth. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.

Firstly, bad breath is caused by bacteria in our mouths. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, it is easy for plaque and harmful bacteria to collect and multiply inside of our mouths. We naturally produce saliva to help our mouth maintain a healthy pH balance, making it a natural defense against bad breath.

Now let’s look at mouthwash. We know that mouthwash is full of alcohol, some as much as 25 percent. We also know that alcohol dehydrates us. If mouthwash dehydrates us, we are not producing enough saliva. Not enough saliva, our pH balance is thrown off and bacteria is allowed to collect, doing the exact opposite of its goal.

The claims made by mouthwash ads to kill bacteria and bad breath chemically is true, but it cannot distinguish between the harmful bacteria and the bacteria it needs to leave alone because it is actually helping our mouth.

So, what do we do when we get a case of bad breath? Forget about mouthwash and use water. Brush and floss, and tongue scrape at least once daily. If you don’t have a dental kit around, an apple or a stick of gum will help produce saliva.

For more information about mouthwash, call Dr. Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Sandip Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.

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Bad Breath and What We Can Do About It | Schnecksville Dentist

If someone offers you a mint, chances are it’s a subtle hint that you may not have the freshest of breath. Halitosis is something that can be a temporary situation or something more serious. But with national days like Coffee with a Cop (October 5th), Moldy Cheese (October 9th), Sausage Pizza (October 11th), and American Beer (October 27th), it may be a good idea to talk about why we get bad breath and what we can do to avoid it.

Obviously, eating stinky foods will cause this issue, but there are times when bad breath is more than just some garlic breath. Physical conditions like issues with tonsils or your stomach, even some medications that can cause your breath to smell. If you find that your bad breath is becoming more common, check in with your doctor. Here are some other tips to preventing smelly breath:

  • Stay hydrated. If you can’t brush your teeth after a meal, drinking a lot of water can help speed up the process of cleaning harmful bacteria and debris from between your teeth.
  • Don’t drink too much coffee. It may be tasty, but coffee is a tough smell to get off the back of your tongue.
  • Avoid tobacco products. Cigarettes, pipes, and snuff can foul your breath.
  • Cut back on alcohol. Because of dry mouth, too much beer, wine, and hard liquor can make your breath reek for up to eight to 10 hours after you finish drinking.
  • Chew sugarless gum. 20 minutes after a meal can help with saliva flow, just make sure it’s 100% xylitol-sweetened to help reduce cavities.

For more information about bad breath, call Dr. Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Sandip Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.

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Celebrating the Holidays with Your Smile | Schnecksville Dentist

As we rapidly approach the holiday season, it is important to know that while we love to indulge in all of our favorite holiday treats, we need to make sure not to forgot about our smiles in the process. After all, we couldn’t enjoy these holidays without it. This may not be the holiday season we are used to, but we can’t let our dental hygiene fall to the wayside. Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin to celebrate this holiday season:

Avoid grazing. There are just so many delicious foods to overindulge in, but it is best to stay focused on the matter at hand – try to limit snacking throughout the day. Not only will it allow for bacteria to constantly cling to your teeth, but you will be too full to enjoy the meal itself.

Maintain a balance. We all know there are loads of foods that are bad for us available, but there are also lots of great foods. So, enjoy everything, just make sure to balance it out with foods that contain calcium and/or protein, and fruits and vegetables.

Stay hydrated. Tis the season for seasonal drinks, but it is important that you try to remain hydrated. Not only will you keep some type of composure from too much egg nog, but it will also increase saliva production, which helps to keep bad bacteria away from your teeth.

Practice proper dental hygiene. It’s a busy time of year for everyone, but that’s no excuse to let your dental hygiene slip. Brush twice a day, floss and rinse with fluoride mouthwash. And after the holidays are done, visit your dentist to make sure you’ve done a good job.

For more information about dental hygiene during the holidays, call Dr. Sandip Ladani in Schnecksville, PA at 610-799-0600 or visit www.extraordinarysmiles.net.

Dr. Ladani proudly serve patients from Schnecksville and all surrounding areas.