ozone generator

Whether you decide to use dental tape or dental floss, using one or the other is importanl to your oral health. Flossing and using tape will help to keep your teeth and gums healthy. This can work to prevent or help end gum disease such as gingivitis and the more advanced periodontitis. The latter is an especially damaging problem, as it can result in tooth loss if left untreated.

To a large extent, the choice between dental floss or tape is a personal one. It all depends on which you like best. It depends, as well, on which you feel works best for you. The important thing is that you use one or the other each day, in conjunction with regular brushing. An oral irrigator is also a great tool. 

The advantage of dental tape, is that it is thicker and bigger. In my opinion, just the pure physics of it, makes it the clear winner to do a better job.

You are, of course, supposed to brush your teeth at least twice a day. Some dentists will tell you to floss twice a day as well, while others say that once is fine. Typically, if you have sensitive gums, you do have a problem. Healthy gums are not sensitive. Another good tool is an ozone generator. With this tool, you can make an oxygenated mouthwash.

Now, what are the differences between these two dental tools? Well, as most of us know, floss is a thin, waxed string substance which fits between the teeth. It is ideal for getting pieces of food and plaque from between them.

Tape tends to be wider and thicker. Floss may be a bit thin. That can be a problem for people whose teeth are closely crowded together. Floss tends to work more easily between crowded teeth. Some people even say that it might remove stains from the teeth.

Whether you decide to use floss or dental tape, make sure you do it regularly. Further more, if doing this makes you gums bleed, talk to your periodontist immediately. Bleeding whilst flossing is often a sign of gum disease.

Author: Scott Wells

Disclaimer: If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, please visit your doctor or periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment for any health condition. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about any products mentioned in this article.

Some people assume there are many causes of heartburn because it seems to happen in many different situations. In fact], there is really one cause with multiple triggers. We’ll go over that one cause in a moment but first let’s define some terms.

Heartburn is a symptom not a disease.  The name developed because it is a burning sensation in the chest in the area of the heart. Calling this symptom “heartburn” seemed a natural step.

What we think of as heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Instead, the pain is coming from the area where the esophagus enters the stomach.

As you probably know, the stomach secretes a lot of acid to help digest the food we eat. Other parts of the GI tract simply can’t handle acid like the stomach can.

A high pressure band of muscle at the end of the esophagus acts like a one-way valve. When it’s working properly, it keeps things from backing up into the esophagus. On the other end of the stomach, bicarbonate from the pancreas neutralizes the stomach acid as soon as it enters the small intestine.

Heartburn happens when the muscular sphincter at the end of the esophagus gets weak. It allows the stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. This is why you hear the phrase “acid reflux” associated with heartburn. The problem is the reflux (backing up) of acid into the esophagus. The page Symptoms of Acid Reflux discusses some of the other signs of reflux in more detail.

Just so you know – a person can have the problem of acid reflux without having the symptom of heartburn.

The esophagus wasn’t meant to handle acid so problems come up when reflux happens. In essence, it’s an acid burn of the esophagus so it’s not surprising that it’s a burning sensation.

People think of things like eating spicy foods or eating large meals as the cause of heartburn. They aren’t. These indiscretions just trigger an episode if the sphincter is weak

You may have heard having a hiatal hernia causes heartburn.  It doesn’t have to.

A hiatal hernia is a weakness in the diaphragm that allows some of the stomach to slide up into the chest. When this happens, sometimes the “valve” at the end of the esophagus will stop working and cause acid reflux. But a hiatal hernia doesn’t always cause reflux.

Many people have hiatal hernias and don’t have symptoms of heartburn, so a hernia by itself is not a cause by itself.

Always remember that you shouldn’t assume chest pain is heartburn. If you have chest pain, it’s a good idea to get it checked out.

The problems caused by acid reflux go well beyond heartburn. Some may surprise you. Check out Unusal Symptoms of Acid Refux to find out.

I think you now know that heartburn can indicate a serious problem. Very ofter home remedies will be all you need. You can check some out at Acid Reflux Home Remedies.

The main thing is that once you know what the causes of heartburn are you’re in a much better position to treat it successfully.