Suffering from migraines, but can’t seem to find the root cause of it? Maybe it’s time to look inside your mouth. At the San Diego School of Medicine, researchers have reason to believe that there is a definite link between migraines and the oral bacteria in our mouths after an investigation of foods containing nitrates. 

How it works is like this: nitrates can be transformed into nitrates by the bacteria that occur naturally in our oral cavity. Then, permitting the right conditions and environment, these nitrites can become nitric oxide which has the common side effect of headaches when consumed by people.

However, as miserable as this bacteria can make us feel with migraines, members of the American Gut Health Project say that this certain bacteria has a positive effect on our cardiovascular system and contributes to a healthy heart. Therefore, finding ways to reduce the bacteria may have consequences, especially for those already in poor cardiovascular health.

That doesn’t mean, however, that researchers will not come up with some kind of medication that will adjust your natural oral microbiome to prevent migraines. Likely what will happen is that the medication will be personalized for each individual and overall health and well-being will be taken into account before the medication is prescribed. 

This new link between migraines and oral bacteria still needs to be developed and investigated further, but the one thing that it does reinforce is the important link between our oral health and our physical overall health. This is why your bi-yearly health checks at your dentist are so important so that gingivitis and tooth decay does not occur or turn into something that can have devastating consequences on your body.

If you haven’t scheduled your cleaning with your dentist, give them a call and set up an appointment. New to the area and looking for a new dentist? Contact us today by calling 805-499-3691 or visit our website at newburysmiles.com/contact

As an overview, a canker sore is a small crater that can appear on your tongue or the inside of your lip or cheek. They are not contagious, therefore cannot be spread, but you can develop more than one canker sore at a time. Canker sores mainly appear in women and teens, but anyone is susceptible to them. You can get a canker sore in any of the following ways:

• Biting your lip or cheek
• Having braces
• Vigorous brushing
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Food allergies
• Acidic foods and drinks
• Vitamin B12, iron, or folic acid deficiency

Symptoms:

As mentioned above, a canker sore will appear on the soft tissue areas of your mouth. A canker sore is small and crater-shaped, typically with a red border and a white or yellow center.

Canker sores can be swollen and painful, sometimes making it hard to do things such as eating, talking, and teeth brushing, depending on where they appear in your mouth.

Although severe in the beginning, canker sores heal on their own over time with minor ones only needing a week or two to heal, and major ones up to 6 weeks.

Treatment:

Canker sores go away on their own so no intervention is required. However, you can lessen the pain and avoid getting any new ones by taking the following steps:

• Eat soft foods that are easy to chew or don’t require chewing at all. If the latter is the case, try nutritious smoothies to get your nutrients or puree your meals
• Avoid citrusy, spicy, and salty foods and drinks
• Rinse your mouth with salt water
• If painful, take a painkiller or numb the area with topical medicine or an ice cube

Prevention:

Most of the time, you may not know what caused your canker sore. If you got one because of vigorous brushing, take it easy and have your dentist show you the proper way to brush your teeth. They may also recommend a soft-bristled toothbrush instead. 

If you developed a canker sore because of biting your cheek or tongue, slow down when eating and be sure not to talk at the same time.

If you frequently get canker sores and they are not because of the previous reasons, make a food diary and try to spot some patterns in your diet. Perhaps you’re eating too many acidic foods and those are causing the flare-ups, or maybe you have an allergy you don’t know about.

Fillings, inlays, and onlays all have one common goal and that it to fill gaps and holes both between and on your natural tooth. By doing so, they alleviate discomfort and restore your teeth back to their former glory.

But just because they all share a common goal, doesn’t mean they all treat the same issue. There are a number of factors that determine which treatment your dentist will deem best for you.

Let’s take a look at the various options.

Fillings: You probably know at least one person who has gotten a filling done, if nt yourself. In fact, when you think of the dentist, getting a filling because of a cavity is probably the first thing that pops into your head because it is such a common procedure. In turn, fillings are usually the go-to for dentists when filling in gaps and holes in your teeth, provided that the cavity is not too large. However, if the damage is more severe, a regular filling will not work. This is where inlays and onlays come into play.

Inlays and Onlays: As mentioned above, inlays and onlays function like fillings, but are used to treat more severe cases. Inlays are used to treat the inner hollowed out sections of your teeth–the chewing area–and are typically used on molars. Onlays are used for more broad and spread out damages, often covering the entire surface of the tooth.

Both are considered to be stronger than regular fillings and also provide the tooth with a very effective barrier against bacteria, preventing infection from reaching the exposed nerve endings. Inlays and Onlays, although more expensive than your traditional filling, may be worth the investment in the long run as they last longer and are easier to maintain.

When it comes to aesthetics, inlays and onlays also come in a variety of materials including porcelain, silver, and gold. Though it is entirely up to the patient which one they choose to go with, gold and silver are typically used on the back teeth, and porcelain is used at the front to disguise the fact that you had any dental work done.

Are you still unsure which option would be best for you? Schedule a free consultation with our office where we will assess your unique situation and make recommendations based on that. See you soon!

If you haven’t heard of charcoal toothpaste, it may be because you don’t have an Instagram account and aren’t bombarded 20 times a day with another pretty face promoting a product. Influencer culture has greatly, for lack of a better word, influenced our decisions when it comes to various products, and toothpaste is no exception. One of the more popular ones in recent times has been charcoal toothpaste and it’s no surprise that its popularity has been because of celebrities and popular Instagram influencers. But is it really worth the hype, or just another paid promotion gimmick?

With evidence compiled by various reviewers and dentists alike, unfortunately, it looks like charcoal toothpaste is a bust, but hey, at least you won’t have to worry about cleaning your sink every time you brush your teeth anymore.

Charcoal toothpaste companies claim many things about the product, advertising their charcoal toothpaste as having strengthening and detoxifying benefits and claiming it also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Unfortunately, it looks like not a single one of these claims has any factual and scientific evidence to support them, and in fact, due to the digging, it looks like charcoal toothpaste is actually doing more harm than good. While the debate on whether fluoride in our toothpastes is a good or bad thing, those for having fluoride present argue that the reason that charcoal toothpaste is bad is because of the lack of fluoride, but the presence of fluoride would be useless anyway as charcoal cancels out any power that the naturally occuring substance has.

One of the more popular reasons why consumers turned to charcoal toothpaste though wasn’t because it was marketed as natural and fluoride-free. No, it was because of its claims to have superior whitening effects. However, with the charcoal toothpastes that were tested and reviewed, not a single one of them had enough whitening agents present in the formula to garner actual results. There was also the concern that charcoal is far more abrasive than other cleaning agents found in common toothpastes, and therefore has a negative effect on the enamel and your gums.

So is it worth it? Not in the slightest. With its price tag compared to more reputable toothpastes and the evidence showing that there no benefits to your health, its safe to say that charcoal toothpaste will be on its way out soon, both on Instagram and the stores that carry it.

More and more people are making the switch over to organic, natural products after numerous studies have come out advocating for a more natural approach. The days of chemically processed products are coming to an end, but just because something says “natural” on it, doesn’t mean that it’s free from ingredients that seek to do your body harm. These ingredients include: carcinogens, inflammatory agents, and even endocrine disruptors that can throw your body out of rhythm and cause some real damage. Some would argue that since we don’t swallow or ingest toothpaste that we are not at risk from these toxins, but the soft tissues in your mouth are able to absorb these harmful ingredients which can then enter your bloodstream.

So, without further ado, here are 4 toxic toothpaste ingredients that you should look out for when choosing your next tube.

Fluoride

Once popularly regarded as a must-have in toothpaste, this mineral which is naturally found in water sources, is now frowned upon. While it may help prevent cavities and tooth decay, the use of fluoride over time can lead to fluoride toxicity. Fluoride toxicity shows itself in the following ways: headaches, vomiting, rashes, and headaches.

Titanium Dioxide

This one is a big one to watch out for. It has no benefit to your teeth and simply gives toothpaste it’s bright white color. Tested in a lab, this inorganic compound has been known to cause cancer in rats, and therefore may even be carcinogenic to humans. It also attacks your brain which may cause nerve damage. Skip the aesthetically pleasing toothpaste and go for something that won’t harm your body.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

This ingredient, just like titanium dioxide, does not have any cleaning agents or health benefits for your teeth. It simply makes the toothpaste foam in your mouth. While it is derived from either palm or coconut oil, it’s the manufacturing process that contaminates it with harmful byproducts that can cause mouth sores.

Carrageenan

This ingredient has been under fire and in the spotlight for a while. Like the others before it, it’s simply another aesthetic ingredient, used to thicken the toothpaste. It is, however, the least harmful ingredient on the list as it is derived from red seaweed. However, once ingested, it can cause skin rashes and disrupt your digestive system so it’s better to avoid it altogether.

So, before you pick up your next tube of toothpaste, be sure to look at the ingredients and watch for these four big ones.