Author: Karen Girard

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) is a common problem that patients often face for a year without even knowing. It is only until they experience symptoms that this issue comes to the surface. Identifying the issue early on prevents the problem from becoming chronic pain years later.

When someone experiences TMJ, the jaw becomes fatigued and sometimes the pain alone can make you feel tired and overwhelmed. Since overcoming pain can be quite an uncomfortable experience, TMJ pain contributes to tiredness. Due to the symptoms of TMJ, the patient could lose a significant amount of sleep.

Common Symptoms

Lindner Dental can diagnose the problem by taking medical and dental history as well as taking x-rays. Some of the most common symptoms are listed below.

• Headaches, earaches, pain and pressure
• Popping when opening or closing your mouth
• Jaw getting stuck or “locked”
• Tenderness around the jaw muscles
• Swift change in the way lower and upper teeth fit

Finding Relief

Below are some tips to help alleviate pain from TMJ.

• Apply a heating pad to the jaw for no longer than 20 minutes. Follow this with short intervals of cold compression for no longer than 10 minutes.
• Relax the muscles by massaging the joints. This allows the jaw and temporomandibular joint to settle into a natural position.
• Take muscles muscle relaxants, aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Wear an appliance over the teeth to reduce grinding or clenching.

If you are need of a professional, long term solution to your pain, stop into Lindner Dental in Bedford NH. Please call us at 603.624.3900 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Bad breath can be extremely embarrassing and detrimental to your social life, especially if this is a consistent issue. If you follow the oral health care recommendations by Lindner Dental and avoid foods that lead to chronic bad breath, you can drastically improve this issue.

Some quick bad breath fighters include chewing on certain herbs, drinking water and avoiding tobacco. By educating yourself on what is hurting and helping can effectively resolve the issue.

Brush Your Teeth Regularly

Throughout the day, your teeth and gums acquire a textured film of bacteria so it’s encouraged to brush at least twice per day to remove this. It’s actually best practice to keep a toothbrush within reach in order to remove odors after a meal. In order to reduce gum pain, use a toothbrush with soft bristles and replace the toothbrush every three to four months.

Scrub Your Tongue

Plaque and food particles attach to the tongue throughout the day, leaving you with bad breath. The tongue should be brushed frequently in order to remove food particles that cause bad breath. A tongue scraper will certainly help with a coated tongue.

Floss Once Per Day

Flossing offers an array of benefits including fighting gum disease and bad breath, reducing puffy and bleeding gums. Try to floss once a day to fully remove plaque and food particles.

Clean Dentures, Retainers & Invisalign Trays

Since dentures, retainers, and Invisalign trays are in contact with your hands, dirty surfaces and germs, you’ll want to make sure you take good care of them. Clean each of these before putting them back in your mouth or you could suffer from bad breath.

Avoid Odorous Foods & Beverages

Both coffee and alcohol consumption have been linked to bad breath because they stick to the plaque in your mouth.  Along with this, foods such as cheese, garlic, onion and peppers linger after a meal. While you certainly do not need to avoid these foods, be mindful that your breath will produce an odor after consumption.

Schedule a Cleaning at Lindner Dental

Always schedule appointments for routine cleanings! Lindner Dental offers cleanings for both children and adults. If you want solutions for your bad breath, give us a call today at 603.624.3900! During the appointment, we can help determine if your oral health is affecting your bad breath.

Receding gums occurs when your gums pull back from the tooth’s surface, exposing the root surface of the teeth. This is one form of periodontal disease that can ultimately lead to further oral issues.

In some cases, an excessive amount of oral care such as brushing or flossing too aggressively could be the reason your gums are receding. Be sure to use a soft bristle brush and brush in a circular motion. Brushing shouldn’t hurt. If you experience pain when brushing, contact Lindner Dental as soon as possible.

Grinding your teeth, also known as bruxism, can be the reason gums are receding. Brushing and flossing regularly, at least two times a day or more depending on your habits should be second nature and part of your daily routine.

Genetics also plays a part in your oral health. You could inherit certain oral conditions from your parents, leaving you at a greater risk of receding gums.  If you aren’t quite sure if your gums are receding, call Lindner Dental at 603-944-9196 and we’ll take a look. We provide treatment plans and guidance on how to solve problems causing gum recession.

Tobacco products such as smoking and chewing tobacco can severely damage your overall health. In fact, if you already have an existing gum disease, tobacco products will cause your gums to worsen at a much quicker rate. While oral infections are common, tobacco can make these more harmful to your health.

The American Cancer Society has done extensive research to provide us with several important facts about tobacco. Please see below:

• About 90 percent of people who have mouth/throat cancer have used tobacco.
• Smokers are six times more likely to develop cancer than nonsmokers.
• About 37 percent of patients who continue to smoke after cancer treatment will develop second cancer of the mouth, throat, or larynx.
• Smokeless tobacco is linked to cancer of the cheeks, gums and inner surface of the lips.
• Risk of these cancers increased by nearly 50 times.

Prevent gum disease by scheduling regular dental check-ups with Lindner Dental. Also, make sure to brush properly and cut back on tobacco use to reduce your risk of oral diseases. Give us a call today at 603-944-9196.