Got braces? Here's how you should be cleaning your teeth!

Having braces can be a pain - both figuratively and literally! But they're often a necessity for a healthy, attractive smile. Unfortunately, braces can make simple things like brushing and flossing a little more difficult.

Here are a few tips to help keep your teeth healthy while you're undergoing orthodontic treatment.

What Actually Causes Bad Breath?

An estimated 65 percent of the American population suffers from halitosis, or bad breath, according to research from the Washtenaw District Dental Society. That's more than half of the country! With so many people afflicted with this unfortunate condition, it makes you wonder just how bad breath comes to be, and why - even when you think you've eliminated the problem - it can easily come back.

According to dental hygiene experts, halitosis is caused by bacterial activity in the mouth.

"Bacteria in your mouth feed off mucus, food remnants and dead tissue cells," says professor Mel Rosenberg in a TED-Ed video. "In order to absorb nutrients through their cell membranes they must break down the organic matter into much smaller molecules. For example, they'll break proteins into their component amino acids and then break those down even further into various compounds. Some of the foul-smelling byproducts of these reactions, such as hydrogen sulfide and cadaverine, escape into the air."

Pretty disgusting, huh?

To avoid this bacterial activity, practice good oral hygiene and practice it often! That means brushing your teeth after each meal, flossing at least once a day, and making regular trips to see your dentist for professional cleanings.

Spring Clean Your Dental Hygiene Routine!

With gorgeous spring weather already here and summer on it's way, there is plenty to smile about! Of course it is also that time of year when our minds turn to spring cleaning and new beginnings. Why not start by improving one of your most precious assets?

Your Aging Smile!

The term "Baby Boomer" is one that you may not have given much serious thought. However, if you are one of the 76 million "babies" who were born between 1945 and 1964, don't forget that your teeth are aging too!

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail…

Please don't let him take your kids down the cavity trail! It is highly likely that just behind Halloween and Valentine's Day, Easter hops right into third place when it comes to the sweet treat danger zone.

When Adults Avoid Dental Visits Out of Fear

Anxiety associated with routine visits to the dentist is very common. Although most of us may associate such fear with small children, it is surprisingly widespread throughout the adult population. Those types of feelings are often the result of a traumatic childhood experience. Oftentimes, those negative past experiences often had nothing to do with a dental visit.

Peter Milgrom, DDS, the director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle, reveals that many adults, "have issues for which fear of dentists can be an unpleasant side effect, such as mood or anxiety disorders, substance abuse or posttraumatic stress experienced by war veterans and victims of domestic and childhood abuse."

Who's Afraid of the Dentist?

It is no big surprise that many youngsters have quite a bit of trepidation upon learning of their first visit to the dentist. That is certainly understandable, especially considering how kids' imaginations can often get the best of them. The general "fear of the unknown" is another logical factor. Helping them overcome these fears and worries is the first step to successfully putting them on the path to excellent dental health. Here are a few strategies: