For some people, they might not consider their thyroid health, but, it does have some connection in a sense to oral health. Your Kennewick dentist might start to see some changes, but your doctor might start to talk about it too. However, you should be watching what type of floss you put in your mouth as well, since it can determine your overall health as well. There is a chemical in flossers that should be avoided, and it is linked to thyroid disease. This article will dive further into what it is, and also how to make sure you’re not exposed to it.

So there is a nonstick chemical that is put on the floss to help with sliding called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA for short. This has historically been seen as safe, but a new study does demonstrate that more than 10% of people exposed to it have some type of thyroid problem, so there is a chance that it can be linked to thyroid health. Now, while it is different to ingest than to floss with it, you’re still exposing yourself to it, and it can pose a risk that isn’t needed since the floss is inside your mouth. Occasionally it does flake too, and it is hard to break down. The more exposure to this, the more chance of a thyroid problem, since it is still being exposed to it.

You might wonder what PFOA is. Essentially, it’s part of a group of chemicals that are nonstick that have an interesting property to help make things resistant to staining and sticking. However, these don’t break down easily, and they can be found in the bodies. This can also be linked to cancer, fertility issues, defects in children, and even weaker immune systems, so It’s not all that great for you. However, there are ways to reduce your exposure to this chemical.

The first, is to start using a natural dental floss. Flossing is so important, since it can extend the age of your life along with your tooth health, improve your gums, push away dementia and heart disease, and keep your smile young and without pain. Use a natural floss for this.

You should make sure that you’re looking at what else you use as well. This chemical is actually in Teflon, microwave popcorn, various pizza boxes, and eye makeup. If you do use any of these, you should check for ingredients that use the word “perfluoro” or simply “fluoro.” That should be avoided. Often, going with a more natural makeup can often help to reduce the exposure to this.

Along with that, start to use more natural brands. Yom might still have to do some research on this, since often a lot of these natural brands aren’t nearly as natural as they say they are, but until there is a study that proves this that this isn’t totally safe, they’re not going to stop using this. However, you don’t want to risk it if you don’t have to, especially since natural products are starting to become all the rage in the world today. You should start to use natural products that work to avoid this sort of thing, especially in the dental health products that you are using. If you’re using the product near your mouth and eyes, chances are you should make sure that you’re not using any of these various chemicals, for it can definitely damage the system.

If you’re worried about this sort of thing, talk to your Kennewick dentist about this to further get some information on this. You owe it to yourself to know exactly what you’re about to do with your oral health, and the truth is, it shouldn’t deter you from flossing. Flossing is something that must be done, and it needs to happen in order to help keep your oral health alive. But, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expose yourself to this sort of product. Instead start to search for the natural alternatives, and look for something that will help you and doesn’t involve the flurry of chemicals that these other products may have. Your body will thank you, and you’ll be happier.

How Painful Is the TMJ

You may have heard about TMJ. It is commonly referred as a painful condition in joints of your jaw and the muscles around them. This problem is also referred to as TMD or TMJD.

What is a TMJ disorder?

If you look at a machine, you will know that its mechanics depend upon the group of systems working together in order to make the machine doing its job. This is exactly what our mouth is like. The opening, closing and chewing require several bones, joints and muscles to work together. The malfunctioning of any of the systems related to jaws can result in pain and/or disability to move the mouth in a specific way. Most typically, this problem is related to the pain in the jaw and inability to make jaw movements.

TMJ can be associated with the pain in jaw, ears, head, face, and neck. With a TMJ disorder, it is going to be very difficult for you to talk, yawn and chew your foods. Clicking sound coming from the jaw, locking of the jaw, and spasms in the muscles associated with the jaw are the conditions which can be associated with TMJ disorder.

Since there is a wide range of symptoms linked with the TMJ disorder, you might not be able to tell that you have this problem. Therefore, you can go the dentist who is experienced not only in dealing with the dental infections but also has good knowledge about overall health.

Causes of TMJ problem

Generally, women are more prone to get TMJ disorder. Apart from that, there are some other factors which cause this disorder.

• You may or may not know if you grind your teeth because many people do this while sleeping. Grinding of teeth can result in shortening of the teeth’s length. Moreover, the pressure and movement due to this activity can result in problems in the jaw joints and the muscles around those joints.
• There can be many times when you get stressful. It can be due to the nature of your job or any other factor. No matter what it is, you may end up clenching your teeth more often while dealing with the stressful circumstances. This clenching can result in TMJ disorder.
• If you have recently had a dental or facial surgery, you may end up having TMJ issue because you will not find it easy to cope with the new change.
• Bad teeth alignment can result in improper settlement of your upper and lower teeth with each other. As a result, there may be extra pressure on the TMJs; and it can result in a disorder.
• Whiplash or a blow to your face can result in TMJ disorder.

Treatment

The only way you can treat this problem is to consult with your dentist. There can be a number of options that your dentist can offer you for treatment, depending upon the specific nature of your case. A few options may include:

• Home remedies
• Orthodontics
• Filing a layer of the teeth for improvement of alignment
• Night guard
• Dental Botox®

TMJ can change the way you live your life; and that change is not going to be a positive one. Therefore, it is quite essential to get this problem treated.