Ask The Dental Hygienist

A root canal is a dental procedure that all of us are familiar with. Root canals are something we all dread, although when someone else is getting the procedure most of us find it to be somewhat amusing. When someone asks for a root canal on the other hand, most of us, including dentists, find it to be very absurd to say the least.

Although many aren’t aware of this, root canals have been around for many generations. Many years ago, ancient civilizations used this method to save teeth that would have been lost otherwise. These civilizations offered root canals to those such as queens, kings, pharaohs, and the rich. The teeth from peasants were normally extracted then sold to aristocrats.

Many years ago, doctors believed that worms were the reason for tooth decay. They also believed that there were many ways to kill the worms, including rinsing the mouth in one’s own urine both day and night. Although this is sick to say the least, this remedy was discarded in 1728, proven to be non effective and replaced by other more suitable treatment. As time passed, doctors proved that the best way to stop the pain was to clean and remove the nerve and pulp of the tooth.

Root canals are a very common procedure these days, as they help to save the tooth by removing the dead or dying pulp. The pulp exists inside of the tooth, and can spread to abscess if it isn’t taken care of. The tissue in the pulp is kept alive by the blood vessels that come from the tip of the root and travel along the root canal into the tooth.

Decay is the main reason for pulp in the tooth dying. Once the decay has reached the pulp, it will keep eating away until the pulp has died. Once it dies, the toxins from the decay will be released into the root tip and make it’s way into the jawbone. If not taken care of properly, the jawbone can become infected, which can lead to death in rare cases.

To fix this problem, the dentist will need to perform a root canal. During the procedure, he will numb the area then drill a hole into the tooth. Using various tools and equipment, he will go down inside of the tooth and scrape away the nerves and dead pulp. This is a very effective procedure, although very time consuming as well. In most cases, a root canal can take several hours, although it is the only way to stop the dying pulp and save the tooth. Even though it may take a long time – it is more than worth it when it saves your tooth from being extracted.

Bad breath can be caused by many things. Sometimes bad breath can be caused by medical conditions, but many times to cure bad breath you just have to step up your oral hygiene routine. If you don’t have a medical condition that is causing your bad breath, flossing and frequent brushing can help.

Why Do You Get Bad Breath?

The common cause of most bad breath is the waste product that is called volatile sulfur compounds. This is created by anaerobic bacteria in your mouth that is from the food that gets stuck between your teeth after eating. That is why it is so important to brush your teeth after every meal. This can go a long way to cure bad breath just by itself.

When you have leftover food stuck in your teeth it increases the amount of food available for the bacteria to grow. It also adds to the attractiveness of the environment where bacteria prefer to live. Those who are on a vegetarian style diet have less need to cure bad breath. The proteins that are in meat cause much of the bacteria to flourish in your mouth.

How Keeping Your Gums and Teeth Clean To Cure Bad Breath

The bacterium responsible for bad breath lives in the plaque that accumulates around, as well as on your teeth. It can also go below the gum line and cause problems that may need serious dental attention if you let it go too long. When you brush your teeth thoroughly numerous times a day, it gets rid of any bacteria that are lurking in your mouth and can help to cure bad breath. Flossing daily is also important. This helps to eliminate plaque and bacteria that have settled onto your teeth and below the line of your gums.

You need to keep in mind, to cure bad breath that is caused by bacteria, you need to cut off the food supply so that they cannot spread and take over your mouth. Flossing is a huge factor in keeping your breath clean and fresh. It can not be stressed enough how important this part of your dental routine is and should be.

The first thing you should do when you realize that foul odor is emanating from your mouth is to make an appointment with the dentist to have a complete and thorough cleaning. Once this is done, you can speak to the oral hygienist that is doing the cleaning for tips and advice to help to cure bad breath and keep your mouth as clean as when it is professionally done, every single day.