Only weeks ago the entire world held their collective breath, and marveled together as 33 Chilean miners were rescued from a collapsed shaft after being trapped underground for more than 2 months. In addition to other health concerns from being in this situation, it has become clear that they all now share one ailment: gum disease. For the first 17 days none of the 33 were able to brush their teeth. Poor nutrition, stress, and cigarettes supplied to them all combined to allow the natural bacteria present in the mouth to grow out of control. Eventually, a small hole was drilled from the surface and supplies were provided, but the damage had already been done.

This goes to show how quickly gum disease can develop if proper oral hygiene isn’t maintained. However, gum disease can be prevented and even reversed if caught soon enough- before it develops further into periodontal disease. Warning signs are sore, swollen, red, or bleeding gums. As it worsens, the gums can recede or pull away from the teeth, resulting in increased sensitivity.

Gum disease is not only an important condition to pay attention to for your oral health, but it has also been linked to numerous other conditions including cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. The same bacteria that forms sticky plaques in your mouth can access the blood stream if your gums bleed, and cause the same type of plaque buildup in the arteries.

The most important things you can do to prevent things like this from taking place is to be sure to brush at least twice a day, use a mouthwash twice a day, and floss at least once a day. Flossing can be the most important part, even though many skip it. Preventing food particles from decaying between the teeth will keep harmful bacteria and their acidic waste from causing further direct damage to the gum tissue itself.

Gum disease doesn’t take long to develop, as we’ve seen in the example of the Chilean miner’s plight. It’s likely that they will all fully recover, but you and I can take action to prevent the situation from arising in the first place.

Sunburn
Not only your skin, but your entire body can be dried by a sunburn, so be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. There are some great remedies in your kitchen for dealing with the pain. If your eyelids are burned, soak tea bags in cool water and apply them to decrease pain and swelling. Wrap some dry oatmeal in gauze and run water through it for a few minutes. Remove the oatmeal and soak a cloth in the liquid leftover and apply every few hours.

Heat exhaustion
Unlike the winter months, summer weather predictions are usually pretty accurate. Keep this in mind, and plan ahead for extreme temperatures. Limit consumption of both caffeine and alcohol, as they both speed up the dehydration process. If someone is already suffering from heat exhaustion, either splash them with cool water or apply cool towels rather than submerging them in water. This will allow the water to evaporate and absorb more quickly and have a better cooling effect.

Mosquito bites
Mosquitoes can spread a number of diseases, so the first thing you should do once you’ve been bitten is to clean and disinfect the area where it appears with soap and hot water. To help prevent or reduce the inflammation caused by a bite, wet the affected area and rub an aspirin over the bite as soon as you can after it appears. Dissolve baking soda or Epsom salts in water, dip a cloth into that water and place it on the skin of the affected area for 15-20 minutes to help alleviate the itching.

Bee stings
The most important thing to do in order to avoid pain and swelling from a bee or wasp sting is to act fast, no matter what treatment you choose. Just like mosquitoes and flies, bees often are carriers for some nasty bacteria. Clean the area first, and then scrape the stinger away so that it doesn’t continue to pump venom into your skin. Apply a paste made of powdered activated charcoal to draw the poison out. Mud is an acceptable substitute, as not everyone keeps activated charcoal lying around.

Nail biting
Nearly 30% of young adults bite their nails, and there are reasons beyond ugly hands for breaking this bad habit. Biting your nails can interfere with normal nail growth and damage your tooth enamel. Not only that, but there are plenty of harmful bacteria that live underneath your fingernails, which you certainly don’t want to bite into. Keep your nails trimmed short and there will be less to chew on, and less space for bacteria to live as well. If that doesn’t work, the same products used to stop thumb sucking in children will make your finger nails taste just as terrible.

Losing sleep
Your body depends on sleep not only to recharge energy, but to recharge your immune system. Hormone levels, appetite, and mood are also affected by the amount of sleep you get. Needless to say, there are serious consequences to sleep deprivation, not to mention the effects it can have on your appearance (wrinkles, dark circles, etc.). Treat your sleep like a serious diet to make sure you get enough of it. Keep track of things like caffeine intake and time spent in front of a TV or computer monitor to find out what might be causing your lack of sleep.

Fear of Flossing
Most dentists will tell you that a majority of their patients don’t floss regularly. They’ll also tell you that gum disease is the most preventable disease there is when you practice good oral hygiene, including flossing. Know what else they’ll tell you? That more and more research points to the link between gum disease and more serious concerns like heart disease, stroke, and cancer. See where this is going?

Midnight snacking
The idea of late night eating isn’t so bad itself, it’s the fact that you’re probably not eating the healthiest snacks by the light of the fridge. Combine this with the fact that stomach acids have much easier access to the esophagus when you lay down while you’re still digesting that slice of cold pizza. Try to go to bed earlier and limit the time between dinner and when you might snack, or snack earlier and healthier.

Staying out in the cold will give you a cold
Colds are caused by viruses, either from inhaling infected air droplets sneezed or coughed by someone infected, or by touching something that an infected person has touched and transferring it to your mouth or nose. You don’t get colds from cold air or wind, but the viruses that cause them are more active in the winter- which is why more people get them in the colder months.

Chocolate causes acne
Acne is formed when oil glands in the skin make too much of a waxy substance called sebum that can clog pores along with dead skin cells. This allows bacteria to grow and irritate the blocked pores and lead to the red, swollen appearance. Over washing can cause further inflammation too, so a good balance is key. Studies have disproved the chocolate link, though stress has been shown to cause outbreaks.

Knuckle cracking leads to arthritis
The popping sound when someone cracks their knuckles is caused by bubbles bursting in the fluid that lubricates joints. When the bones are pulled apart, the capsule containing this fluid is stretched and can “pop”. A study of 74 people who habitually cracked their knuckles and 226 people who didn’t found no difference in rates of arthritis.

Sugar makes children hyperactive
Obesity and cavities are much bigger concerns for children having too much sugar than hyperactivity. At least 12 double blind studies have been conducted that observed how children react with diets containing different levels of sugar. None of them could tell the differences between the children who had and had not consumed the most sugar.

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and we at THP would like to take a few moments to remind or inform you of how to keep your mouth in mint condition with good oral hygeine and OraMD.

It's estimated that 75% of Americans have some form of periodontal disease, and unhealthy conditions in the mouth like that can often be attributed to poor oral hygiene. These same conditions can also generally be corrected, or prevented in the first place by adopting good oral hygiene practices. This includes brushing, flossing, gargling, and in cases of bad breath or halitosis, many turn to mints or gum to mask odor. However, many of the over-the-counter products that are advertised to help improve these conditions actually contain ingredients that contribute to poor oral health.

OraMD contains ingredients that are 100% all natural, and proven to be anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal and can replace all of the chemical laden products you might normally use, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and even mints or gum.

To use as toothpaste, put 2-5 drops of OraMD on your toothbrush and brush as normal. Flossing is an important part of good oral hygiene, as it removes food particles and plaque from the spaces between teeth that your brush will not reach. Some people prefer to use an oral irrigator in place of floss to clean between teeth with pressurized water. OraMD can be added to the water used for irrigation for an enhanced anti-bacterial effect, but it is important to remember that OraMD can sometimes damage cheaper plastic components. To avoid this, flush your irrigator immediately after use with medium-to-hot water for 20-30 seconds. OraMD can be used as a mouth rinse simply by diluting 2-5 drops in an ounce of water and gargling. You can also apply a few drops directly onto the tongue to coat the mouth and remove the cause of bad breath.