Did you know that taking an over the counter pain medication may not help with pain during or after professional dental bleachings?
"According to a new systematic review published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, patients who took the drugs before having their teeth bleached experienced similar levels of sensitivity as those who did not take them."
I wish I had known this before but I learned the hard way! The first time I ever had my teeth whitened, I didn't think anything about it, it never crossed my mind that I would experience major tooth sensitivity afterward. This was probably the most pain I have ever experienced in my life, I swore that I would never do it again. Anyway a few years later, I was told that they (my dental office) had a new bleaching product that was made for people with sensitive teeth. I gave it another chance but this time I took Ibuprofen beforehand. Well, my experience was the same, I actually didn't complete the bleaching process and still had major tooth sensitivity.
In my opinion, dental bleachings are not worth the pain associated with it!
Have you ever experienced major tooth sensitivity after dental bleachings?
An interesting and informative site that covers dental related issues and questions. Please enjoy these blogs and feel free to leave your comments. For more information on Savon Dental Plan, please visit our website at www.SavonDentalPlan.com
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Altitude and Ear Pain
Not really dental related, but worth the read If you're one of those people who has a problem clearing your ears on an airplane or at high altitudes!
Here is a small list of things you can do to relieve those pesky symptoms:
Keep Smiling!
Oh, and....Here's a little hump-day humor to brighten your day!
Here is a small list of things you can do to relieve those pesky symptoms:
- Yawning - the most effective way to clear the ears.
- Swallowing
- Chewing Gum
- Valsalva Maneuver (aka, Plug your nose and blow!)
- Nasal Sprays (relief for allergy sufferers)
- Decongestants
- Breastfeeding
- Bottlefeeding
- Pacifiers
Keep Smiling!
Oh, and....Here's a little hump-day humor to brighten your day!
Monday, October 7, 2019
The Best Products For Dogs With Halitosis
Dogs show a lot of affection with their mouths. After all, we all know that when a dog licks you, it probably means she likes you. But dog mouths are kind of…gross. Even if you work to give your dog dental bones and brush her teeth regularly, she still might end up with halitosis—really bad breath—so stinky it makes you push her away when she wants to lick you. Dogs with halitosis need an extra oomph of help from their human companions. It’s likely that their bad breath is caused by a particularly stubborn set of “bacteria, infection and inflammation,” according to Dr. William Craig, formerly of the Texas Academy of Veterinary Practice.
Take Eira, for example. When she was a puppy, I brushed Eira’s teeth regularly. My toddler even brushed her tiny puppy teeth. Just as humans can get that nasty combination of inflammation and bacteria, dogs can, too (albeit different bacteria, specific to the canine species).
I’d purchased somewhat of a cheap toothbrush and generic puppy toothpaste, and I regret it. I left the tiniest trace of toothpaste on the brush and when I went to grab it a week later, the whole head of the toothbrush was covered in mold. Disgusting! I’ll spare you a photo of that.
I halfheartedly used the rubber finger brush after that, but it didn’t do much. Before long, Eira’s breath began to stink. We started wrinkling our noses at the thought of receiving doggy kisses from her, which was sad. She loves giving us doggy kisses. That’s when we started researching different products that could help relieve her (and us) of the halitosis that threatened to come between our affection for each other.
The Best Water Additives:
Consider water additives the mouthwash for dogs, but without the need to swish and spit. The best water additives should do three things: freshen breath, remove plaque, and halt tartar buildup. Throughout the day as your dog eats, plays, and gets into icky things in the yard, those things deposit bacteria into her mouth. You need to brush that bacteria away before it hardens into tartar, which is more difficult to remove and can lead to rotten teeth and gum disease.
Here are our favorite water additives for dogs.
TropiClean Fresh Breath Plaque Remover Pet Water
Add this to your pet’s water for a month and see what happens. It’s almost guaranteed that the plaque and tartar buildup on his teeth will fade—and best of all, the light peppermint scent just about eliminates nasty dog breath. While the bottle says you don’t need to brush your dog’s teeth if you use this pet water, it’s always a good idea to brush your dog’s teeth. The bristles of a special dog toothbrush (which I’ll show you in a little bit!) directly rub against a dog’s tooth, scraping away the nasties. Combine this head-on action with additive water, and you’re likely to notice a big difference in your dog’s breath and overall mouth health.
Nylabone Advanced Oral Liquid Tartar Remover for Dogs
Remember Nylabone? That company with all the fantastic dog chews? They make a water additive, too, that modifies the chemical composition of your dog’s saliva. This helps your pup fight plaque and tartar buildup while also freshening that stinky doggy breath.
Paws & Pals Natural Water Additive for Dogs
This water additive does the same thing as the other two, but with two differences: first, it uses all-natural ingredients like purified water, aloe, and peppermint to fight plaque and improve breath health. Second, this water additive makes it clear that it’s to be used in addition to regular brushing.
The Most Effective Toothbrushes:
Dogs, like humans, benefit from daily tooth-brushing. I confess that I haven’t always lived by this rule, but since Eira’s breath really started stinking, I’ve made it a point to brush her teeth daily. The typical human-like toothbrush “for dogs” doesn’t work so well for us. Neither do finger toothbrushes because Eira ends up chewing on my finger—she thinks it’s a toy.
Instead, we use a special toothbrush with a round head.
VTurboWay 360-Degree Puppy and Small Dog Toothbrush
The rounded toothbrush works wonders because every part of its surface is working for every moment that it’s in your dog’s mouth. Dogs don’t generally love having their teeth brushed, and eliminating the job of lining up bristles with dog teeth makes the job easier to do. If the job is easier, you’re more likely to do it, and your dog’s halitosis will become less pungent.
This toothbrush features soft bristles for a small dog or puppy’s little teeth.
Petrodex 360-Degree Adult Dog Toothbrush
For a dog with bigger teeth (full-grown adult teeth), try this 360-Degree toothbrush from Petrodex.
The Tastiest Toothpastes:
First and most importantly: never give your dog human toothpaste, even if you think human toothpaste will knock out that terrible halitosis. Fluoride, an essential ingredient in most human toothpastes (even child-friendly toothpaste) can be harmful to dogs. Thankfully, there are tons of dog-specific toothpastes out there.
Pura Naturals Pet Puppy Toothpaste
Puppies need a gentler toothpaste than older dogs do, so this organic puppy toothpaste is a perfect choice. Your puppy’s halitosis problems should never start if you brush his teeth daily with this toothpaste (and add that Paws & Pals Water Additive to his dish!).
Petradex Enzymatic Dog Toothpaste, Poultry Flavored
Like enzymatic spray for potty training, an enzymatic toothpaste is essential to eliminating foul odors in your dog’s mouth. This is the toothpaste Eira currently uses, and she adores the chicken flavor. It might sound gross to us to have a meat-flavored toothpaste, but for dogs? That’s heaven.
Because of the enzymatic nature of the toothpaste, your dog’s breath doesn’t smell like chicken, thankfully. Eira’s breath smells much better since we started using this toothpaste (along with several of the other products on this page)—basically, it smells like nothing. And for humans, that’s heaven.
Breath Sprays for Dogs: Do They Really Work?
One final trick to treat your dog’s halitosis is breath spray. Or rather, a stream of smell-destroying liquid that you pump into your dog’s mouth.
We love this spray by Arm & Hammer:
You simply pump a couple squirts onto your dog’s teeth and gums and then try to keep them from drinking or eating for an hour afterward. (So don’t do this when your pet is hungry or thirsty!) Like a water additive, this spray neutralizes odors and helps fight plaque buildup.
If None of These Solutions Work…
There might be something more serious than halitosis going on with your dog. Remember, dental health is vital to your dog’s health, so if you haven’t been brushing your dog’s teeth regularly, start now. Fight that halitosis, plaque, tartar, tooth rot, and gum disease with the products in this review and you’ll hopefully never need to visit the vet on account of your dog’s teeth.
This is a direct copy from:
Melchor, L.O. (2019, June). The Best Products for Dogs With Halitosis. Retrived from https://yourdogadvisor.com/dogs-with-halitosis/
Take Eira, for example. When she was a puppy, I brushed Eira’s teeth regularly. My toddler even brushed her tiny puppy teeth. Just as humans can get that nasty combination of inflammation and bacteria, dogs can, too (albeit different bacteria, specific to the canine species).
I’d purchased somewhat of a cheap toothbrush and generic puppy toothpaste, and I regret it. I left the tiniest trace of toothpaste on the brush and when I went to grab it a week later, the whole head of the toothbrush was covered in mold. Disgusting! I’ll spare you a photo of that.
I halfheartedly used the rubber finger brush after that, but it didn’t do much. Before long, Eira’s breath began to stink. We started wrinkling our noses at the thought of receiving doggy kisses from her, which was sad. She loves giving us doggy kisses. That’s when we started researching different products that could help relieve her (and us) of the halitosis that threatened to come between our affection for each other.
The Best Water Additives:
Consider water additives the mouthwash for dogs, but without the need to swish and spit. The best water additives should do three things: freshen breath, remove plaque, and halt tartar buildup. Throughout the day as your dog eats, plays, and gets into icky things in the yard, those things deposit bacteria into her mouth. You need to brush that bacteria away before it hardens into tartar, which is more difficult to remove and can lead to rotten teeth and gum disease.
Here are our favorite water additives for dogs.
TropiClean Fresh Breath Plaque Remover Pet Water
Add this to your pet’s water for a month and see what happens. It’s almost guaranteed that the plaque and tartar buildup on his teeth will fade—and best of all, the light peppermint scent just about eliminates nasty dog breath. While the bottle says you don’t need to brush your dog’s teeth if you use this pet water, it’s always a good idea to brush your dog’s teeth. The bristles of a special dog toothbrush (which I’ll show you in a little bit!) directly rub against a dog’s tooth, scraping away the nasties. Combine this head-on action with additive water, and you’re likely to notice a big difference in your dog’s breath and overall mouth health.
Nylabone Advanced Oral Liquid Tartar Remover for Dogs
Remember Nylabone? That company with all the fantastic dog chews? They make a water additive, too, that modifies the chemical composition of your dog’s saliva. This helps your pup fight plaque and tartar buildup while also freshening that stinky doggy breath.
Paws & Pals Natural Water Additive for Dogs
This water additive does the same thing as the other two, but with two differences: first, it uses all-natural ingredients like purified water, aloe, and peppermint to fight plaque and improve breath health. Second, this water additive makes it clear that it’s to be used in addition to regular brushing.
The Most Effective Toothbrushes:
Dogs, like humans, benefit from daily tooth-brushing. I confess that I haven’t always lived by this rule, but since Eira’s breath really started stinking, I’ve made it a point to brush her teeth daily. The typical human-like toothbrush “for dogs” doesn’t work so well for us. Neither do finger toothbrushes because Eira ends up chewing on my finger—she thinks it’s a toy.
Instead, we use a special toothbrush with a round head.
VTurboWay 360-Degree Puppy and Small Dog Toothbrush
The rounded toothbrush works wonders because every part of its surface is working for every moment that it’s in your dog’s mouth. Dogs don’t generally love having their teeth brushed, and eliminating the job of lining up bristles with dog teeth makes the job easier to do. If the job is easier, you’re more likely to do it, and your dog’s halitosis will become less pungent.
This toothbrush features soft bristles for a small dog or puppy’s little teeth.
Petrodex 360-Degree Adult Dog Toothbrush
For a dog with bigger teeth (full-grown adult teeth), try this 360-Degree toothbrush from Petrodex.
The Tastiest Toothpastes:
First and most importantly: never give your dog human toothpaste, even if you think human toothpaste will knock out that terrible halitosis. Fluoride, an essential ingredient in most human toothpastes (even child-friendly toothpaste) can be harmful to dogs. Thankfully, there are tons of dog-specific toothpastes out there.
Pura Naturals Pet Puppy Toothpaste
Puppies need a gentler toothpaste than older dogs do, so this organic puppy toothpaste is a perfect choice. Your puppy’s halitosis problems should never start if you brush his teeth daily with this toothpaste (and add that Paws & Pals Water Additive to his dish!).
Petradex Enzymatic Dog Toothpaste, Poultry Flavored
Like enzymatic spray for potty training, an enzymatic toothpaste is essential to eliminating foul odors in your dog’s mouth. This is the toothpaste Eira currently uses, and she adores the chicken flavor. It might sound gross to us to have a meat-flavored toothpaste, but for dogs? That’s heaven.
Because of the enzymatic nature of the toothpaste, your dog’s breath doesn’t smell like chicken, thankfully. Eira’s breath smells much better since we started using this toothpaste (along with several of the other products on this page)—basically, it smells like nothing. And for humans, that’s heaven.
Breath Sprays for Dogs: Do They Really Work?
One final trick to treat your dog’s halitosis is breath spray. Or rather, a stream of smell-destroying liquid that you pump into your dog’s mouth.
We love this spray by Arm & Hammer:
You simply pump a couple squirts onto your dog’s teeth and gums and then try to keep them from drinking or eating for an hour afterward. (So don’t do this when your pet is hungry or thirsty!) Like a water additive, this spray neutralizes odors and helps fight plaque buildup.
If None of These Solutions Work…
There might be something more serious than halitosis going on with your dog. Remember, dental health is vital to your dog’s health, so if you haven’t been brushing your dog’s teeth regularly, start now. Fight that halitosis, plaque, tartar, tooth rot, and gum disease with the products in this review and you’ll hopefully never need to visit the vet on account of your dog’s teeth.
This is a direct copy from:
Melchor, L.O. (2019, June). The Best Products for Dogs With Halitosis. Retrived from https://yourdogadvisor.com/dogs-with-halitosis/
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Malnutrition - Common Among Senior Citizens With Dental Problems
Malnutrition is a growing problem in society these days. Believe it or not, it is more common among senior citizens than with any other age group. One of the reasons for this could be because of poor dental health. Affordability factors in to this issue in a big way.
Seniors that have severe dental issues are more likely to skip meals or eat soft, non-nutritional foods, which leads to malnutrition. They may have sore teeth and gums, missing teeth, a denture that does not fit well, a broken denture or even a poor quality denture that would make it uncomfortable for them to eat and chew properly. Nutrients are best dispersed into the body when the food is chewed properly.
It is important to note that senior citizens have different nutritional needs than younger crowds. It is essential that they eat regular balanced meals for optimal health.
Signs of malnutrition include:
Seniors that have severe dental issues are more likely to skip meals or eat soft, non-nutritional foods, which leads to malnutrition. They may have sore teeth and gums, missing teeth, a denture that does not fit well, a broken denture or even a poor quality denture that would make it uncomfortable for them to eat and chew properly. Nutrients are best dispersed into the body when the food is chewed properly.
It is important to note that senior citizens have different nutritional needs than younger crowds. It is essential that they eat regular balanced meals for optimal health.
Signs of malnutrition include:
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Memory issues
- Immune deficiencies
- Anemia
If you suspect that someone you love could be suffering from malnutrition, be sure to talk to them about their dental health. Find out if they are having trouble eating due to dental issues. If so, have them checked by a dentist as soon as possible.
There are many programs, treatments, supplements and plans available to help people who suffer from this problem. Don't let them suffer in silence!
There are many programs, treatments, supplements and plans available to help people who suffer from this problem. Don't let them suffer in silence!
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Oral Care And Substance Abuse
The first thing people notice about you is your smile. However, if you struggle or have struggled with substance abuse you most likely don't want to smile because of your teeth.
Published in the Journal of the American Dental Association a study was conducted by the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Researchers decided to explore "the effect of comprehensive oral care for a more holistic approach to substance use disorder treatment."
Their findings were shocking! Participants who had major oral procedures done stayed in treatment approximately two times longer than needed and more than 80% completed their treatment.
It's amazing how much power a smile has over us!!
To read the rest of the study click here!
Published in the Journal of the American Dental Association a study was conducted by the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Researchers decided to explore "the effect of comprehensive oral care for a more holistic approach to substance use disorder treatment."
Their findings were shocking! Participants who had major oral procedures done stayed in treatment approximately two times longer than needed and more than 80% completed their treatment.
It's amazing how much power a smile has over us!!
To read the rest of the study click here!
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Inexpensive Dentures, Crowns, Veneers..Not Always Your Best Option
Would you settle for plastic dentures? Are you looking for cheap dental work? Well, ok, but do your homework!
In today's world of technology, cosmetic dentistry is fast becoming one of the most expensive options for people to help improve their appearance. Veneers, Implants and Dentures are among those options. With that in mind, there are many discount facilities out there that claim they can makeover your smile for a fraction of the norm. A good rule of thumb here is to remember this: you'll probably get exactly what you pay for!
When it comes to dentures, and especially dentures....cheap is not always better! Cheap dentures can cause more problems than they're worth in terms of repairs, adjustments and fit. Don't get me wrong...there are many who need them and simply cannot afford to pay for an expensive set. But trust me, there are still options out there to get affordable dentures. When considering discount dentures as an option to keep costs down, one should always avoid the advertisements from places that offer a "quality product" in one day or less, or a product with sub-grade materials such as plastic..
The bottom line is this: Explore your options! There are facilities out there that will finance your dentures, there are finance companies who will loan to people who might not otherwise qualify, and there are still places available that will make a quality product for less money.
Keep Smiling!
In today's world of technology, cosmetic dentistry is fast becoming one of the most expensive options for people to help improve their appearance. Veneers, Implants and Dentures are among those options. With that in mind, there are many discount facilities out there that claim they can makeover your smile for a fraction of the norm. A good rule of thumb here is to remember this: you'll probably get exactly what you pay for!
When it comes to dentures, and especially dentures....cheap is not always better! Cheap dentures can cause more problems than they're worth in terms of repairs, adjustments and fit. Don't get me wrong...there are many who need them and simply cannot afford to pay for an expensive set. But trust me, there are still options out there to get affordable dentures. When considering discount dentures as an option to keep costs down, one should always avoid the advertisements from places that offer a "quality product" in one day or less, or a product with sub-grade materials such as plastic..
The bottom line is this: Explore your options! There are facilities out there that will finance your dentures, there are finance companies who will loan to people who might not otherwise qualify, and there are still places available that will make a quality product for less money.
Keep Smiling!
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Extraction Aftercare!
Aftercare on a tooth extraction can vary depending on the type of procedure that was done and how your body responds to healing.
One thing is for sure, you may have bleeding for 24 hours, so don't freak out!
*These are basic instructions. If your dentist gives you an instruction sheet, please follow theirs*
Information found here!
One thing is for sure, you may have bleeding for 24 hours, so don't freak out!
- 1-2 days after an extraction:
- Rest - try not to bend over or pick up anything heavy.
- Change gauze - if needed, change gauze every 30 min.
- eating- Eat soft foods and chew on the opposite side of the mouth.
- Avoid Swishing - Put water in your mouth and gently tilt head from side to side and spit. SO NOT swish.
- No Straws - sucking can cause dry sockets.
- Medications - take prescribed medication as needed.
- No smoking - just like the straw, this can create a dry socket.
- Elevate head - when you sleep, elevate your head. This will prevent blood pooling and make healing fast.
- Brush and floss - super gentle around the extraction site.
- 3-10 days after extraction:
- Saline rinse - use warm salt water to rinse the mouth.
- Brush and floss - continue as normal.
- Eat - continue eating soft foods.
*These are basic instructions. If your dentist gives you an instruction sheet, please follow theirs*
Information found here!
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