Mouth ulcers are painful, round or oval sores that form in the mouth.  Causes include: vigorous brushing of teeth, ill health, minor burns from hot food/drink, stress, vitamin B12 deficiency, biting the inside of the mouth accidentally or a tooth that’s become rough.

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• Eat a diet rich in fresh fruit, lean red meat, leafy green vegetables, sea-foods, wholegrain bread and cereals. 
• Limit: hot food/drinks, neat spirits, tobacco, hot spices, dairy, oily foods, sugar, garlic, onion/salt, acidic foods e.g. citrus, tomatoes, pineapple, vinegar and animal protein. 
• Drink ½ cup cranberry juice between meals to help to relieve irritation.
• Eat at least one 8oz of live yoghurt a day or apply 1 open capsule of  lactobacillus acidophilus twice daily.
• Sage tea can help treat inflammations of the mouth.  Use two teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Let it cool, then gargle.  NOTE: You should not drink too much of this tea. Sage contains thujone, a compound that in high doses may cause convulsions.
• Gargling and swallowing soluble paracetamol relieves pain.
• Rinsing mouth with iced water before a meal.
• Mix 1 teaspoon honey with ¼ teaspoon turmeric and rub on ulcer.
• Recommended supplements: B complex, rub the liquid from a vitamin E capsule directly on the sore three times a day, zinc and a multi-vitamin and mineral.
• If your toothpaste stings, use a bicarbonate of soda mouth wash instead (one teaspoon dissolved in a mug of warm water).   Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a component of some toothpastes, is a potential cause of mouth ulcers.  If you have recurrent mouth ulcers use a SLS-free toothpaste for several months to see if that helps.
• Suck on liquorice or zinc lozenges.
• If you keep getting ulcers or you have an ulcer that isn’t healing, consult your GP.

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Bad breath is usually caused by the breakdown of proteins by bacteria in the mouth.  These naturally occurring bacteria feeds on proteins and produces volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) which is the cause of the odour.  If you don’t brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles can remain in your mouth, promoting bacteria growth causing breath to smell.

Smoking and sinus conditions also contribute to bad breath.   Dental causes include: poorly fitting dental appliances, gum disease, abscessed teeth, plaque accumulation, yeast infections of the mouth and tooth decay.

The medical condition dry mouth (xerostomia) can cause bad breath. Saliva is necessary to moisten and cleanse the mouth by neutralizing acids produced by plaque and washing away dead cells that accumulate in the mouth. If not removed, these cells decompose and can cause bad breath. Dry mouth may also be caused by various medications, salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth.

Practice good oral hygiene. Brush teeth and tongue twice a day after you eat with fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months. Use floss or an interdental cleaner to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth once a day. Use a mouthwash before sleeping.  Dentures should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your mouth the next morning.  Drink lots of water to keep your mouth moist.   Chewing sugarless gum also stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and bacteria. You could also use Triple Complex HaliTonic to counter bad breath.

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Home remedies have been around for hundreds of years and just like most things their popularity comes and goes.  At the moment the popularity of  natural products and remedies is on the increase and many folk are on the look out for the effective home remedies.  So just how do you start finding home remedies that are suitable for you?

The first thing to finding home remedies that work is to start off with the most basic and straightforward remedies that you can find.  If you have never intensively researched and investigated natural home remedies, then leaping in and trying to self-treat a major disease or medical condition without the advice and support of your GP is not advised and should be avoided.

Most commonly people will use natural remedies for more everyday injuries and conditions and that’s where you should start. Something like toothache for instance, an oral care complaint that because of the way it can quickly develop – sometimes in the middle of the night when seeing a dentist is not possible – is an ideal condition to try to treat via natural remedies. 

Start by lifting the head if the toothache developed in the night when you were sound asleep.  By simply sitting yourself up with some pillows you will relieve the pressure in the head and sinus regions and this could be all that you need to reduce the pain.  If that isn’t enough, then you can place an ice cube on the affected tooth and this will numb the nerves and reduce inflammation.  All great to help you through before you can get to the dentist.

Another of the home remedies that you may be interested in is an allergy treatment such as a remedy for Hay Fever.  Hay Fever, that periodic burden on so many lives as the pollen rises, can be managed and kept at bay by following some simple steps.  Have you tried lining the insides of your nostrils with petroleum jelly?  You should try it if you suffer with Hay Fever!  What this does is to trap and stop the pollen from entering through your nose and setting off your allergies.  For Hay Fever you can also add a tea spoon of local honey, along with a tea spoon of apple cider vinegar to some hot water and drink as an early morning tea.

So, as you can see finding yourself some home remedies for you does not have to be a huge undertaking of mixing complex potions and concoctions. all it takes is a little common sense and a little research and before you know it, you’ll be using these remedies without giving them a second thought.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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Noticed people backing away from you when you go to talk to them? Or maybe one of your mates has done you a favour and told you your breath stinks? If so you might have halitosis and I’m afraid no amount of mouth wash and mints can help you with this embarrassing condition.

While all of us have bad breath from time to time, good oral hygiene should keep it to a minimum. If yours lingers for more than 24 hours then there could be a more serious underlying problem such as gum disease, intestinal problems, or something worse.

If you’ve brushed and flossed diligently but still can’t smell minty fresh you may want to try a herbal bacterial cleanser such as Triple Complex HaliTonic. HaliTonic is a natural remedy that is a unique combination of biochemic tissue salts and selected medicinal herbs formulated to cleanse your system and promote healthy liver functioning.

Obviously we advise you to consult your GP anyway just in case it’s something more serious than simple bacterial build up. Please also note that if your breath smells sweet or fruity you should see your GP straight away as it could be a sign of diabetes.

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News yesterday that in the last 8 years the amount of people being admitted to hospital each year with abscesses has doubled suggests, that despite the governments public push for greater access to dentists, the dental crisis is no closer to improvement. It is also reported that the new government contract introduced in 2006 has as yet had little impact. But then again – why would it? Without taking too close an examination there are three fundamental flaws that are immediately apparent with the new contract that was supposed to allow greater access to dentists.

The first is that NHS dentists have now become largely target based. That is to say they are valued at a yearly fee but have to hit a target of UDA’s (Unit of Dental Activity) to ensure that they keep that fee. In effect this can lead to dentists not only being under pressure to see patients quicker (thus making mistakes more likely), but it could also encourage them to perform treatment that may not be necessary  but will have a higher UDA value.

The second flaw concerns the route of these abscesses as surely we would be much better trying to focus on prevention rather than cure. With that I mean why not put a higher focus on oral hygiene education? If people are better informed how to look after their teeth and are more aware of what causes their teeth the most damage then surely this would much better tackle the route of the problem?

The third and final problem concerns the fact that the new contract seemingly had the effect of many dentists actually leaving the NHS – surely not a good  thing when trying to provide greater access to dentists. It seems that for many dentists the new deal left them a bit short on what they could earn before. And while it’s all very well saying that dentists earn enough money, realistically would any one of us put up with having to take a pay cut for providing the same level of service? I think not.

The fact is the best way to ensure that you aren’t one of those who ends up with a swollen face in casualty then the best thing to do us make sure you look after your teeth and get them checked regularly. A lot of people don’t like going to the dentist but if you haven’t been for years and then wake up one day with a swollen face, don’t be too surprised if your ensuing visit turns into an unpleasent one. The dentist really isn’t a bad place to go if you do it regularly and keep your teeth and gums in check. It might just save a lot of unnecessary suffering and, in extreme cases, even your life!

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