Flossing: what does your Puerto Vallarta dentist say?

Flossing is an important step in the process of cleaning our teeth. Flossing takes only a few minutes and is frequently, if not always, recommended by your dentist in Puerto Vallarta, for the improvement of the health of your teeth.

Tooth brushing involves the removal of dental plaque from the surface of the teeth. Dental plaque is a sticky mixture of bacteria and substances derived from saliva that can be found on the surface of every tooth and even on gums and the interior side of cheek and also on your tongue. However, the toothbrush cannot effectively clean between the teeth, because its bristles are soft and bend at the contact with the hard surface of the tooth. Here comes the flossing process. Floss can enter the spaces between the teeth and thoroughly clean those areas. Also it prevents the process of tarter formation and the acid attack of the enamel by bacteria.
Studies have shown that flossing daily can prevent gum disease. Gum disease is also a risk factor for other diseases like endocarditis. Endocarditis is an infection of the hearts valve and people with prior mitral surgeries are at risk if they do not floss. Ask your Puerto Vallarta dentist to tell you about the risk for endocarditis in patients with valve-replacement surgery.
Flossing is easily done and recommended to be done at night after brushing. The usual length of dental floss used is 30 to 40 centimeters. For people without fillings unwaxed floss is indicated, but if you have fillings, especially composite fillings waxed floss is recommended. Waxed floss glides easily and doesn’t harm you fillings. When you floss you should keep in mind to not use a lot of pressure, and be gentle, especially when most of the time, when you first floss your gums might bleed. Also you should try making a zig-zag movement with the floss between your teeth. Once you used that portion of floss, you should use another portion, because not doing that can spread bacteria around your mouth and might even aggravate some ailments.
It is recommended to floss and use a mouthwash one or two times a day.  If you have bleed or inflamed gums you should go consult your dentist in Puerto Vallarta.  He might recommend a cleaning plan. Also it is recommended that every 6 months you perform a professional cleaning session to maintain the health of your teeth.
Flossing is an ability that needs perfecting and practice can improve your skills. Have patience and repeat daily. Studies have shown tooth brushing only removes about 70% of dental plaque, the rest is removed by flossing. People greatly underestimate the advantages of flossing. By diminishing the amount of plaque you have, they also help you maintain a fresher breath. Also it is highly recommended for pregnant women. They are more prone to gingivitis during the pregnancy and a flossing added to the daily cleaning routine can help prevent that. Also another set of studies have shown that flossing can expand your life by 6 years because it keep you immune system in a good shape.

Bad breath: an issue to discuss with your dentist in Cancun

Everybody has suffered due to bad breath from time to time. Bad breath strikes especially in the morning, when you’re hungry, when you’re on a diet or when you have eaten strongly scented foods like garlic. There are many causes for halitosis (bad breath).

One major cause is the reduction of the quantity of saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps kill bacteria in the mouth, it helps wash the surfaces of teeth and so, when the saliva levels drop bacteria flourishes and causes bad breath. You can have bad breath in the morning because of low levels of saliva. Bad breath is more frequent in people that skip meals or people that diet. Chewing helps stimulate the saliva flow and not eating has the same effect like long periods of sleep, it lowers the saliva levels in your mouth and helps bacteria multiplies. The same thing happens whenever you are dehydrated, or when you suffer from diseases that affect the salivary glands like: Sjogren syndrome or scleroderma, or take medications that affect the salivary flow. The intake of alcoholic drinks has a dehydrating effect and can also cause bad breath. The same goes for smoking. Smoking affects the blood flow at a capillary levels in your mouth, reducing the quality of saliva and even the quantity. Also it makes you more prone to tarter and staining of the teeth. You should discuss with your Cancun dentist the side effects of smoking and its impact on your teeth.
Oral cavity and neck infections and disease can also determine your moth to smell badly. Strep throat or any infection of the throat can determine halitosis. Any gum disease like periodontitis can give your breath a metallic smell. The same goes for a lot of untreated caries. A proper cleaning plan must be discussed with your Cancun dentist. This will make your breath fresher and help you improve your overall dental health.
Be aware of bad breath because it can also be a sign of cancers in the mouth or in the neck. However bad breath associated with cancer usually comes at a later stage, when the lesions become apparent and usually they are infected. Still you must keep in mind that bad breath that has no other origin and does not go away after all apparent motives have been removed can be a sign of cancer.
Nose infections, like infectious sinusitis or nasal polyps can also cause bad breath. Diabetes has his own kind of bad breath, a smell like acetone that appears when your insulin levels drop. Sometimes bad breath can be caused by intestinal problems, Gastro-esophageal reflux disease or even stomach cancer. HIV infection can give bad breath through multiple infections in the mouth. Even lung cancer of lung infections can be the causes of bad breath, by contaminating the air you expire.
What can you do to have a fresher breath? You can start by tooth brushing twice a day, flossing at least twice a day and using mouth water. Having a balanced diet and eating less meat can also help. Avoid smoking, foods that cause bad breath and alcohol. Eat at regular intervals and chew sugarless gum. If you have any orthodontic appliances, removable dentures you must clean them thoroughly. Your dentist in Cancun must be seen at every 6 months for regular check-ups.