Tag Archives: Prevent Gum Disease

How To Kick Bad Breath!

rid-bad-breathHave you ever worried that you might have bad breath? Bad breath (also known as halitosis) is a condition that most of the time can be taken care of.  It can result from poor dental health habits and can be made worse by the certain types of foods you eat and possibly other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Poor oral health – If you skip brushing and flossing teeth daily, food particles can stay in your mouth, fostering bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This bacteria can cause major bad breath.

Alcohol – Our bodies consider alcohol as a toxin. Alcohol is converted into an acetic acid, which causes bad breath in addition to tooth decay.

Tobacco products – The strong smell of the smoke left behind from cigarettes or cigars can linger in your mouth causing halitosis.

Coffee – Not only can coffee stain your teeth, it can leave a stench in your mouth that is hard to get rid of.

Lack of H2O – When your mouth gets dry harmful bacteria can begin to grow. This can result in bad breath but also in tooth decay.

Garlic and onions – Garlic and onions both contain the compound allyl methyl sulfide. This compound is known to cause bad breath so try to reduce the consumption of foods that have these ingredients.

Medications – Some medications can cause bad breath, especially drugs that dry out your mouth.
So how can you fix bad breath?
-Brush your teeth and floss daily
-Avoid using tobacco products and limit alcohol consumption
-Avoid drinking coffee when possible
-Drink plenty of water
-Limit the consumption of foods that contain garlic and onion
-Replace your toothbrush
-Visit your dentist regularly

Hopefully, this helps! If you have any questions or concerns around your breath, always feel free to reach out and ask for our help!

Tips For A Healthy Smile This Halloween

dd608ba0b540fc42810fcc4e210ebe35Halloween is almost here and although it is a favorite holiday for most children, it can be a time when our teeth need extra attention.  Here are some tips on how to keep your teeth healthy during this candy-coated holiday.  

Avoid Certain Candies

Certain candies can stay in your mouth for long periods of time and this can increase the risk for tooth decay.  Avoid sticky candies that can stay stuck on your teeth for long periods of time.  

Hydrate!  

Drinking water with fluoride can help prevent tooth decay.  

Avoid Sugary Beverages

When teeth become in contact with sugary beverages such as soda and sports drinks, the risk of tooth decay increases.  Try to avoid these.  

Brush and Floss Daily

Brush twice a day and floss at least once a day.  Sugary candy can get stuck between the teeth so it is important that you take care of your teeth regularly.  

Limit The Amount of Treats

Don’t allow your children to have unlimited amounts of candy.  Limit the amount that they consume daily and this can help limit the contact of sugar with the teeth.  

Halloween can be a child’s dream, but can be a parents’ nightmare.  Instead of depriving them of Halloween treats, use this time as an opportunity to teach your kids about good oral habits.

Patients First

At Nicollet Station Dental, we are dedicated to convenience, complete comfort, and dental health for all of our patients.

We offer convenient hours in order to accommodate all schedules. We are open 6 days a week and offer early morning, lunch hour, evening and weekend appointments.

Our patient’s comfort is important to us and we want your experience at our office to be enjoyable. We offer bottled water, a variety of coffees and teas, a comfortable reception area, televisions in the ceilings of every treatment room, pillows, blankets, and hot towels for freshening up after dental treatment.

We feel our patients deserve the best in dental health and we are proud to offer our patients the latest technology that dentistry has to offer.
-Digital x-rays reduce radiation and give instant diagnostic radiographs.
-Intra-oral cameras allow you to see what your dentist sees on an overhead monitor.
-Diagnodent laser instruments help detect decay that is not visible on an x-ray or clinically.
-Televisions above each dental chair, nitrous oxide gas, and headphones are available to help your time in our office fly by.

For available appointment times, request an appointment online, call us at 612-338-5557, or send an email to info@nicolletstationdental.com and we’ll respond right away!Whole Team

Preventing Bad Breath

bad breathBad breath, also known as halitosis, is a common problem. In fact, an estimated 65% of Americans have bad breath. So what causes bad breath? Bad breath can be caused by food trapped in the mouth, poor dental hygiene, dry mouth, mouth infections or possible health problems.

So how can you combat bad breath?
1) Brush and floss daily. Plaque stuck on the teeth can trap bacteria left behind by food. Brushing and flossing daily can help remove this bacteria.
2) Use a mouth rinse. A mouthwash can be an extra step in helping remove bacteria, but make sure you use a rinse that kills germs stopping bad breath at its source.
3) Scrap your tongue. A tongue scraper can help remove residue that may be building up between the taste buds and folds into the tongue.
4) Avoid certain foods. Garlic and onions are big offenders. That’s because the sulfur compounds in garlic and onions linger in your mouth and are absorbed into the bloodstream and expelled when you exhale. Try to avoid these before social situations.
5) Avoid tobacco products. Tobacco tends to dry out your mouth and can leave an unpleasant smell that lingers even after brushing your teeth. Smoking can also damage your gums, stain your teeth and cause cancer.
6) Drink plenty of water. This can help avoid dry mouth and also wash away food particles and bacteria, the primary cause of bad breath. If you suffer from chronic dry mouth, make sure you talk with us at your next appointment. We can help discuss options to combat this disorder.
7) Keep your gums healthy. Bacteria gather in pockets at the base of teeth, which creates an odor.
8) Visit your dentist! The best way to make sure that you are maintaining good oral hygiene is to visit your dentist regularly.

If you suffer from chronic bad breath, let us know. We can help diagnose the situation and let you know if your bad breath might be a side effect from a medical condition.

Dental Fear & Anxiety

dental fearAre you apprehensive about going to the dentist?  Well, you’re not alone. A survey by the British Dental Health Foundation found that it is estimated 9-15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of fear and anxiety.

People who fear going to the dentist have a higher risk of gum disease and early tooth loss. This can cause damage or discolored teeth and in turn make people feel self-conscious and insecure.

Causes of Dental Anxiety and Phobia
-Past Painful Experiences
-Loss of Control
-Embarrassment

Symptoms
-Becoming tense or having trouble sleeping the night before a dental exam.
-Becoming increasingly nervous while you’re in the waiting room.
-Crying when you think of going to the dentist.
-Becoming physically ill at the thought of a dental visit.
-Panic or troubled breathing when objects are placed in your mouth during a dental appointment.

If you are someone that suffers from fear of the dentist please tell us about your feelings, concerns, and fears. At Nicollet Station Dental we have TV’s in the rooms to help distract patients and to make time fly by, we offer the use of nitrous gas to calm anxiety and for extreme cases the option to prescribe valium.

American Heart Health Month

heart-213747_1280-1024x947February is American Heart Health Month and is used to address the fact that heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States for both men and women.   Did you know that there is a direct correlation between heart health and gum disease?  Although, many factors can be taken into account such as getting older or having a family history of heart disease, gum disease should be evaluated because leaving it untreated can cause serious heart problems.  When gums are swollen and bleed this is a sign of gum disease and the bacteria from infected gums can dislodge, enter the bloodstream, attach to blood vessels and may also trigger clot formation.

Here at Nicollet Station Dental, we pay particular attention to the health of the gum tissues. Gum (periodontal) disease is generally a painless disease until its later stages, so many patients don’t know they have a problem until permanent damage has occurred. We will make sure your gums will be thoroughly examined at each cleaning and comprehensive exam appointment.

As a general rule, most patients should have a dental cleaning every six months. Regular cleanings make a huge difference in preventing gum disease and cavities.
Sometimes using an ultrasonic cleaner is a big help. For our patients who build up calculus  (tartar) more readily or who don’t care for the hand scaling, this instrument can be of great assistance. If a patient has gum disease, we can usually treat the condition right in our office!