We’ve probably all had it at one time or another, whether we realized it or not. Most common after eating certain foods or when we wake up in the morning, bad breath, or halitosis, affects an estimated one in four people at any given time. Though most people are fortunate enough to be able to eliminate bad breath simply by brushing and flossing their teeth, for another segment of the population, brushing, flossing, gargling mouthwash, and chewing gum or eating mints simply won’t take their bad breath away. For those people, the reason for their less-than-fresh breath can be a frustrating mystery, but a new scientific discovery may be able to answer the question. Dr. Alexandra George is a dentist practicing in Wexford, Pennsylvania. She said there are many reasons that people experience bad breath, from medication to tooth decay. "Bad breath has many causes, but what we are finding is that in some cases there can be more serious conditions lurking in the breath," George says. What kind of conditions? According to scientists, bad breath can be an indicator of serious illnesses, such as lung cancer, Parkinson’s disease and even diabetes. Now, a new invention may even be able to diagnose these conditions just by measuring the ethanol in the breath. Called the "sniff cam," the machine uses ultraviolet light along with filters and a camera. Using an enzyme mesh, the camera measures ethanol in the breath with a compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD. The NAD creates a fluorescent variety of that NAD, which is then recorded by the sniff cam, enabling doctors or dentists to use the image to diagnose illness. Though the camera is not available for doctors and dentists just yet, it could be coming soon to a clinic near you. Buy if you’re wondering what’s wrong with traditional diagnosis methods, George may have some useful insight. "The benefit to using this type of device will be that it’s much easier to diagnose illnesses this way than running a battery of tests that take time and put the patient through a lot of stress," she says. "It would be a simple test that would most likely yield instant results." So, does this mean having bad breath can be a good thing? George doesn’t think so. "I still wouldn’t encourage anyone to want bad breath, but it is a very useful tool that could someday potentially save lives," she says.

There are many reasons to undergo orthodontic treatment, from simply wanting a straighter smile to needing treatment for temporomandibular joint disorders or to eliminate a bad bite. With all these benefits to wearing braces, orthodontic treatment is well worth the cost. But one commonly believed benefit of orthodontic treatment in general has been recently discovered to be untrue, and it may take you by surprise. A recent study from the University of Adelaide in Australia found that the commonly held belief that realigning the teeth makes patients less likely to develop cavities and tooth decay is simply not true. The theory was that better alignment allowed for easier brushing and flossing – and while this is usually still true, what isn’t true is the notion that the teeth somehow require less care post-orthodontic treatment than before orthodontic treatment. The study looked at dental records from patients from ages 13 to 30, tracking their oral care habits. It also monitored the number of filled, lost and decayed teeth. Researchers found no difference in the rates of these dental issues among those who wore braces in the past and those who didn’t. So, what does this mean? It means that orthodontic treatment is not a free pass to neglect your oral hygiene, and proper care – including brushing and flossing - is still necessary to maintain your oral health. To learn more about proper oral health and care following braces, please contact Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

Do you or a loved one suffer from the debilitating joint condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder (or TMJ disorder for short)? Do you have young children with either crooked adult teeth or seemingly straight baby teeth? It may be time for an orthodontic evaluation. While it may seem a tad premature to be worrying about realigning the teeth of a child, dentists and orthodontists recommend that children be evaluated for orthodontics as young as age 7. This is because at age 7, the bones of the roof of the mouth are still not completely fused together, making it much easier to treat common orthodontic problems and ward off a potential pain: temporomandibular joint disorder. Temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition of the temporomandibular joint wherein a misaligned bite stemming from the jawbone or surrounding muscles can cause severe pain. It is categorized by a clicking or popping sound while opening and closing the jaw; jaw pain and stiffness; tinnitus; muscle aches in the back, neck and face; and even headaches. But getting to the root cause of TMJ disorder is not so simple. While we don’t know for sure if temporomandibular joint disorder is genetic, we do know there are some genetic predispositions to the condition. Thus, if a parent or someone in the family has TMJ disorder, others in the family – including children - may also be genetically predisposed, even if they currently exhibit no signs of the condition. But helping to diagnose TMJ disorder is not all an early orthodontic evaluation can do for your child. Orthodontic visits can help predict the growth pattern of adult teeth and either begin a treatment plan or develop a future treatment plan for your child. This enables you to get a head start on warding off any orthodontic trouble, and it may even make your child’s orthodontic treatment less painful and much shorter than it might be at a more advanced age - namely after the jawbones fuse around age 9. Remember, orthodontic intervention can prevent more than just cosmetic issues like crooked teeth. It can prevent problems like TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, snoring and more. To schedule an orthodontic evaluation for your child, call Dr. George’s office at 724-220-2347.

A recent article on the lifestyle blog Refinery29 featured a young woman who delayed her impending nuptials to undergo an extensive (and expensive) smile makeover. But the woman didn’t do it just for fun - she did it to look better in her wedding photos. The makeover ultimately cost the young bride $25,000 and stretched her engagement out to two and a half years, following the completion of the full-mouth reconstruction she underwent. So, what does a $25,000 full-mouth reconstruction include exactly? In the case of the story’s author, it included braces, dental implants, teeth whitening and a temporary bridge. With the average wedding now costing $25,714, this young bride spent enough on her teeth to get married twice! "I think the full-mouth reconstruction is absolutely a better investment," says Dr. Alexandra George, a cosmetic dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. That’s because, according to George, investing in your smile is investing in something that not only lasts, but also gives you confidence and makes you look and feel better. And with the average marriage only lasting 15 to 18 years, a beautiful smile may just last longer. "For patients with dental implants or orthodontics like the bride in the story, those should last a long time." According to George, orthodontic treatment should last a lifetime if well maintained. The average dental implant can last an average of 15 years, but with excellent maintenance can last much longer. So, what’s empowering this new generation of brides to take the appearance of their smile so seriously all of a sudden. Believe it or not, it may be something a lot less serious (and maybe more fun) than you think. "Brides are turning to social media for inspiration and getting motivated to perfect their appearances by seeing selfies of other brides and celebrities," George says. But why social media? After all, television and magazines have been around for ages, and both are known to showcase swarms of celebrities with perfectly aligned business-card-white teeth. George, for her part, thinks it could be due to a few things. First, the lack of airbrushing creates a sense of realness when looking at others’ photos. Second, these are "real" people with really great smiles "So it gives you that feeling of ‘I can have this too'," says George. And don’t underestimate those trendy filters, either. "Sometimes seeing a photo of yourself through a filter can show you what your potential is," George says. "If you see how good your own smile could look with some adjustments, that could be enough to encourage someone to finally take action." https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/11/217081/bride-teeth-whitening-wedding-smile

Invisible aligners have revolutionized the way we realign teeth and treat dental disorders. Years ago, the often painful and cumbersome wire-and-brackets style of braces were the only options available for straighter teeth. Nowadays, patients have a choice. But could those choices come at an unexpected cost?

We all want sparkly, beautiful teeth. But how far would you go to get them? If you’re a celebrity like Kim Kardashian or money is simply no object, you may opt for the newest wave of those once-popular tooth "grills."

For older generations, getting a mouthful of very obvious metal braces was somewhat of a rite of passage - bonus points if you had to wear headgear. But today’s teenagers have it comparatively easier. Sure, many teens still have to wear braces, but the braces of today aren’t like anything most adults had as teens.

This month, as you’re celebrating all things love, don’t forget to treat your mouth to some extra TLC, too. One of the hardest-working parts of your body, your mouth does a lot for you - doesn’t it deserve some love, too?

For many people, their smile is a big source of pride - something they hope people notice when speaking to them. But for many others, their smile can be a source of shame and embarrassment, even if they’re actively trying to improve their smile. This can be especially true for adults and even teens who wear braces.

Let’s face it: There are very few people who enjoy wearing braces. It’s bad enough when you’re a pre-teen or a teen, but it can be really embarrassing as an adult. The important thing to remember when sporting a metal mouth is that it’s not only temporary, but the result will also be a beautiful, even smile. Still not sure you’re ready to let anyone see you in braces? Check out this list of celebrities who wore braces under the scrutiny of the Hollywood spotlight – and lived to tell the tale.

With Black Friday sales practically a national holiday and entire television shows dedicated to using coupons and getting good deals on everything from flea market finds to vintage vehicles, you could say saving money is a big deal. But in life there are just some things you should never scrimp on – even if that means you pay a little more up front. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for – and in the case of these five purchases, you definitely want to pay for something good.

Patients with osteoarthritis who use a glucosamine supplement to treat their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder naturally may be in for a disappointment. In a new study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, patients who used glucosamine supplements as an all-natural way to treat TMJ pain experienced no greater pain relief than those who took ibuprofen to treat the same symptoms.

We all have bad habits - whether you are a perpetual knuckle-cracker, a hair-twirler or a smoker, some habits are worse for you (and harder to stop) than others. But one habit in particular – nail-biting – could be a lot worse for you than you realize. Here’s why you should stop nail-biting right now for the health of your smile.

According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, each year, Americans spend about $2.75 billion on cosmetic dentistry services. The kicker: Most of that cost is probably not covered by insurance, and even when plans do cover procedures such as veneers or braces, they may not cover all of the associated costs. With the average cost of braces hovering around $5,000 per person, but going as high as $7,500, and the average dental insurance policy only covering about $2,500 for a lifetime, that can equate to a significant out-of-pocket investment.

If you’ve ever been told you have a "bad bite," chances are you can see for yourself that your teeth are out of alignment. From a strictly cosmetic standpoint, a bad bite doesn’t usually look so great, and most people who have bad bites have probably considered correcting them with braces or other orthodontics. But a bad bite can be far more serious than simply having crooked teeth. A bad bite can not only cause uneven wear on the teeth, but it can also cause damage to the teeth, jaw soreness, bruxism (or teeth grinding) and even temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder).