The Scoop on Coffee Breath - More Than Just Coffee

Apparently, the five-year-old son of a friend recently confronted her just prior to his school-driveway departure. He said, "Don't even fink about kissing me when you drop me off at school. Your breff smells like coffee."

Unsurprisingly, caffeine is America's drug of choice. We consume a total of 700 million cups in a single day! We at Soulsmile love our coffee. There's always a fresh pot brewing in the team lounge and don't even get us started on all the awesome coffee joints in town (looking at you, Case, Noble and Mix!). Yes, it stains teeth. Yes, added sugar can contribute to cavities. But we are big believers of enjoying life's treats, especially when coupled with a proper hygiene routine. 

We do, however, care about coffee breath. Coffee breath is not simply the smell of coffe. If that were the case, "coffee breath" flavored ice cream would sound just as appealing as coffee ice cream. Any takers? Not here. Coffee breath is actually the smell of sugar-eating bacteria in your mouth laced with coffee. 

So how does your gorgeous cappuccino become a menacing platform for bacteria? It turns out the chemicals in coffee contribute to a slow down in the release of saliva. Saliva production is usually one of our mouth's best defenses, sloshing around to disrupt bacteria. With coffee, this lapse in saliva flow creates the perfect breeding ground for the more than 500 species of bacteria in your mouth. Studies have shown that showing milk in the mix can increase these effects even more.

Not pretty.

So, to keep your pearly whites smelling fresh, there are a handful of tips to offset the effects of coffee after consumption:

• Brush your teeth 
• Chew a piece of gum
• Drink water
• Eat something mouth-watering (think fruit, not bread)

Another factor to consider is your mouth's normal bacterial state. Bacteria grows exponentially. So the more bacteria that's present before coffee will contribute to more after coffee (and a worse smell). Come in for regular hygiene visits with Soulsmile, our Ashland OR dental office, and consult with our awesome team members on the best home care routines to keep your oral health in check at all times. 

Insurance Update

Today's blog post is brought you by a special quest author, our office coordinator, Nikki Kirkland, to keep you updated on our insurance information. Here's Nikki ... 

As a service to our patients, we are happy to submit dental claims and maximize insurance benefits to reduce out-of-pocket expenses.  Our office accepts all major insurance carriers, including most employer-sponsored group plans and many individual plans. Currently, we are a Delta Premier Provider, which means our Delta Dental and MODA subscribers benefit from our in-network agreement and fee schedule. We are also a participating provider with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield, which includes LifeMap, HMA and RGA dental plans. To better serve our patients and community, several additional carriers are being considered for our participation.

As the end of the year approaches, it is important to keep in mind that most dental plans renew on January 1. Dental insurance is unique in that patients have an annual maximum allowed, and any unused benefits at the end of the year are lost. Now is an ideal time to schedule pending treatment and use those remaining insurance dollars. The same concept applies to flexible spending and healthcare savings accounts.

Many of our patients do not have dental insurance, but will still benefit from fair and competitive fees, treatment plan discounts and monthly payment plan options. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff is here to assist you with any questions you may have.

> Please don’t hesitate to contact our Office Coordinator, Nikki with any financial or insurance related concerns.

You Can See What We See: Digital Dental Intraoral Cameras

We have a special post this week, written by our fantastic hygienist, Pam. Over to her ...

You’ll love our intra-oral camera!  You will now get to see up close and in detail, the state of your teeth. Our intra-oral camera is a small pen-like device that connects to our computer and a large monitor so that you can see what we see as we check out your teeth.

Benefits to you –

The intra-oral camera makes going to the dentist easier, provides patients with a greater understanding of their dental health and allows patients to be more interactive.

Early Detection of Dental Health Problems

The intra-oral camera enlarges your teeth to almost 40 times their actual size on a color screen display. By zooming in on problems we are able to see more than we could with the human eye alone. Often we can find the beginnings of dental disease (like decay and periodontal disease) that may have otherwise gone undetected.

Positive Patient Interaction

The intra-oral camera isn’t just a diagnostic instrument, but a great educational one as well. Most people cannot see into their own mouths, but with the camera we can point out areas of concern and the patient can see exactly what we see. This allows for a better understanding of oral conditions and creates an opportunity to ask questions and become part of the discovery process.

Great Record Keeping

The intra-oral camera helps make record keeping simple. The camera can take pictures of decay or the beginning of an oral condition and save images to a patient’s file. We can accurately track the progress of treatment or problems for years. In addition, we can print and send images to specialists and insurance companies.

The Intra-Oral Camera 

Because it is so small, the camera can reveal images of your teeth and tissues from angles previously unseen. Using the intra-oral camera is completely sanitary, as we use a different disposable camera cover for each patient every time. All images can be digitally stored, printed or discarded following an exam.

- Pamela Philips, RDH