Yes. You want to prevent dry mouth if possible, because it can cause difficulty in tasting, chewing or swallowing. It also allows plaque to build up on your teeth faster, leading to a higher risk of cavities. In certain cases, a lack of moisture can make your tongue become very sensitive, causing a condition called burning mouth syndrome. Dry mouth can also lead to bad breath, ulceration or soreness of the mouth, gum disease and difficulty in wearing dentures.

Saliva is a very important part of your dental health. As explained before, the enzymes in saliva help to break down food while you are chewing, allowing easier swallowing. Some people do find that they have difficulty swallowing when their saliva flow is affected. Saliva is also very important in the fight against tooth decay. It contains a number of ingredients which help to fight the bacteria that form dental plaque and cause decay and gum disease.

Oral dryness can be the result of insufficient production of saliva. More often, we find that the dry and pasty feeling described by our clients is a response of the tongue and tissues of the mouth to an increased VSC production. Once the oral bacteria are reduced and their by-products eliminated, the sensation disappears and there is no longer a complaint of oral dryness.

Dry mouth can be a symptom of many different problems including getting older. Quite often it is a side effect of medication, especially heart, blood pressure and depression tablets. Your doctor, chemist or dentist should be able to tell you whether your medication can cause problems. Dry mouth can also be a result of medical treatment such as radiotherapy or surgery to the head and neck.

If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches. Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from difficulties during pregnancy, high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain.

Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances. Allergic reactions to mold are common and include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold.

If someone in your home is odor sensitive, it may be a short discomfort only. The exposure level is very low and short term; therefore good ventilation and air exchange should take care of the odors. If ventilating and vacuuming doesn’t help try to have a hot water extraction done on the new carpet.

Bad breath can be embarrassing, especially with teenagers. Find out what causes bad breath and what teenagers can do to prevent bad breath. Gum disease is a serious dental problem. Gum disease has also been linked to heart disease and strokes. Learn how you can prevent gum disease and protect your overall health. Information about spa dentistry and what spa dentistry is all about. Find out about different relaxation techniques involved in spa dentistry.

Although H5N1 can cause serious problems to human health, it is difficult to be infected with the virus and, until now, there has been no evidence that it can spread from one person to another. The problem would become most critical if the virus were found to be transmitted from human to human. In the past 100 years there were 4 A-type influenza pandemics that resulted in many deaths around the world.

Oral surgeons are seeing more and more patients with the development of white areas in the mouth which can become pre-cancerous or on some occasions even cancerous. There are many other types of pathology that oral and maxillofacial surgeons treat on a regular basis. Perhaps the most common and the frustrating problem occurs secondary to tobacco use, either smoking, dipping snuff or chewing. The reason that this is frustrating is because it is entirely preventable.

Xerostomia (dry mouth) can be a result of aging, salivary gland problems, certain pre-existing medical conditions (eg: Sjogrens), numerous medications etc. This condition can influence speech and cause an increase in cavities. Saliva substitutes (available with a doctors prescription) should be used frequently and treatment to reduce or eliminate the cause should be done.

Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash (dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.

Even a small amount of benzene exposure can cause temporary nervous system disorders, immune system depression, and anemia. High levels of benzene can result in death, drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, vomiting, and stomach irritation. Benzene has been identified as a carcinogen and can cause various forms of leukemia from as little as five years of exposure, resulting in death in some instances.

Alcohol in the mother's blood crosses the placenta freely and enters the embryo or fetus through the umbilical cord. The exact mechanism(s) by which alcohol damages the fetus and critical times of exposure are not known; however, exposure during the first trimester results in the structural defects (i.e., facial changes) characteristic of FAS, whereas the growth and CNS disturbances could occur from alcohol use during any time in pregnancy.