Bad breath can sink almost any social situation, be it a date, a business meeting, or party. For some of us, bad breath is a chronic issue, and surprisingly difficult to treat. That’s why our Saint Louis dentists are here to help! We’ve put together 3 suggestions for you on how to beat bad breath for good. 

Schedule Water Breaks

The first thing you can do is to schedule specific times in your day for water breaks. One of the primary causes of chronic bad breath is dry mouth. Bacteria are able to thrive in a mouth that lacks saliva. When you drink water, you flush away any dental debris and bacterial film, and you prompt saliva production—double win!

Pick the Right Breath Freshening Products

Here’s the deal: oral bacteria go into a feeding frenzy whenever you introduce sugars into your mouth. So, if you’re using gums, mints, or rinses that include sugar, you’re may actually be making the underlying cause of your bad breath worse. Look for sugar-free formulations for a bad breath quick fix.

Develop Post-Meal Habits

Oral bacteria are most active and feeding for about 20 to 30 minutes after you eat or drink anything other than water. During this critical period, make it a habit to rinse your mouth vigorously with water. It will also help to eat or drink during specific, time-limited period of the day, rather than snacking or sipping continuously. We really want to limit the amount of time that oral bacteria are active on your teeth and gums.

One of the best things that you can do to conquer bad breath is to seek treatment for underlying dental issues like cavities and gum disease. Once you give your smile a clean slate, you’ll find it is much easier to kiss bad breath goodbye. Our Saint Louis dentists are here to help, so just give us a call to schedule a consultation!

No one knows your smile better than you do. After all, you live with it 24/7, and care for it twice a day.

Our Saint Louis dentists encourage all of our patients to stay alert for any changes with their smiles. The sooner that you are able to reach out to a dentist for an assessment and treatment, the better your long-term dental prognosis.

With that in mind, here are a few issues to look out for. If you notice any of these changes to your smile, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our dental team for an assessment: 

Spots on your teeth

Dark spots may indicate areas of infection on the dental enamel. Cavities are most easily, comfortably, and inexpensively treated in their earliest stages; you want to remove the infection before it reaches the dentin or dental pulp.

Hard-to-treat bad breath

If you feel like you just can’t freshen your breath no matter how well you clean your smile, you may have an underlying infection that needs to be treated. The same bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease release unpleasant odors as they grow and multiply.

Red or swollen gums

Infected gum tissue often swells, appears inflamed, and bleeds when the patient flosses or eats something abrasive. All of these symptoms are indicators of periodontal disease. Prompt treatment will help you save gum tissue, and minimize your risk of gum-disease related tooth loss.

Bite changes

If it feels like your teeth are fitting together differently, it is time to talk to your dentist. Your teeth may be shifting due to bruxism or periodontal disease. Bite changes can also occur due to enamel damage or erosion.

No matter what the current state of your smile, our Saint Louis dentists are here to help you achieve and maintain optimal oral health. You can always reach our team by using the Contact Us page our website, or by giving our office a call to schedule a personal consultation. 

Cold sores, by their very nature, are pretty inconvenient and annoying. But that doesn't mean that we’re powerless when they pop up. There are things that we can do to stay comfortable during an outbreak, and minimize the risk of spreading infection. Keep reading to learn more from our dentists at Saint Louis County Dental.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are the result of HSV-1 infection. There is no cure for HSV-1, but there are medications that can minimize its virility.

Some people with HSV-1 never experience an outbreak; they may not even know they have it. Most people, however, will notice some symptoms shortly have HSV-1 exposure. They may have individual sore or blisters, sensitive oral tissues, and swollen lymph nodes. For some patients, this is it; they’ll never see symptomology beyond the primary outbreak. 

However, many people deal with recurrent sores; these lesions pop up periodically, especially when triggered by… 

• Stress
• Illness—like a cold or the flu
• Sun exposure/sunburn
• Hormonal shifts

Minimizing these triggers in your own life will help to keep cold sores at bay. 

When you do have an active outbreak, you should take special precautions to minimize the spread of HSV-1.

• Don’t share utensils or drinks
• Don’t share beauty products or lip balm
• Refrain from kissing

The best thing that you can do in these situations is to allow the cold sore to run its course with as little disruption as possible. You can use topical creams and gels to nourish the skin, aid in healing, and desensitize the area. You can also ice lesions to bring down swelling while numbing your lip. While you are treating your cold sore, make sure that you are not picking at the skin or otherwise disrupting the healing process. Allow the cold sore to scab over naturally—this is a good sign!

Our Saint Louis dentists are here to help you manage HSV-1, so give us a call to schedule a personal consultation!