Posts tagged Tongue
Hairy Tongue

As a dentist, I encounter a variety of oral health issues, some of which can be quite alarming to patients. One such condition is "hairy tongue," a benign but often distressing condition that can affect the appearance and texture of the tongue. Despite its dramatic appearance, hairy tongue is usually harmless and can be effectively managed with proper oral hygiene and care. In this post, we will explore what hairy tongue is, its causes, symptoms, treatment options, and prevention strategies.

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Diet, Functional Medicine, Oral HealthScott Solomons, DDSHairy Tongue, Tongue, Lingua Villosa, Coated tTongue, Papillae, Filiform Papillae, Poor Oral Hygiene, Tobacco, Tobacco Use, Diet, Medications, Dry Mouth, Xerostomia, Alcohol, Coffee, Halitosis, Metallic Taste, oral Hygiene, Ultra-processed Food, Dental Cleaning, Mouth Rinse, Antimicrobial, Brushing, Tongue Scraper, Hydration, Dental CheckupComment
Can Mouthwash and Dental Cleanings Cause High Blood Pressure?

In today’s post, I will discuss how the mouth plays a significant role in the production of nitric oxide (NO) through a process called the enterosalivary cycle of nitrate. This process involves friendly nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity, predominantly on the tongue, which reduce dietary nitrate (NO3) from vegetables, meat, and drinking water to nitrite (NO2). The nitrite is then further reduced to NO, which helps regulate systemic blood pressure. This pathway highlights how important oral health is to cardiovascular health. But can mouthwash damage this process?

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Diet, Functional Medicine, General Health, Oral HealthScott Solomons, DDSgum disease, periodontitis, High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Nitric Oxide, Salivary gland, NO, heart disease, Atherosclerosis, Enterosalivary Cycloe of Nitrate, Nitrate, Nitrite, Mouthwash, Chlorhexidine, Tongue, Plaque, Whole Foods, Seed Oil, Soybean Oil, Dry Mouth, Mouth Tape, ProbioticsComment
Saving Face: How You Can Optimize Facial Development for Your Children (and Avoid the Need for Orthodontics and Other Medical Problems)

Before the advent of farming, our jaws were larger; our faces were broader, our teeth were straight, we had adequate room for our wisdom teeth, larger brains, and more space in our throats to breathe. It is a virtual certainty that our changing diets contributed to crooked teeth and a lack of adequate space for wisdom teeth and constricted airways. SMALL JAWS CAUSE BIG PROBLEMS. Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, depression, and anxiety are a few. In this post, I am going to cover how our lifestyles have changed leading to our current problems, and what we can do about it.

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Diet, Functional Medicine, General Health, Movement, Oral Health, PaleoScott Solomons, DDSModern Face, Ancestral Face, Ancestral Medicine, Evolution, Skull, Skull Measurement, Jaw Size, Robert Corruccini, Dental Anthropology, Agricultural Revolution, Heart Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Apnea, Breathing, sleep, Sleep Study, Blood Oxygen Levels, Soft Diet, Hunter-Gatherer, Masticatory-Functional Hypothesis, Oral Posture, Lips, Tongue, tongue tie, Crowded Teeth, Dental Arch, Breastfeeding, Mouth Breathing, swallowing disorder, Swallowing, Pacifier, Baby Bottle, Spoon Use, Spoon, Bed, Pillow, Healthy Baby Code, Chris Kresser, Myofunctional Therapy, Orofacial Myofunctional TherapyComment
Don't Ignore The Snore (Especially In Children!)

Snoring, mouth breathing and sleep apnea are collectively associated with Sleep Disordered Breathing, or SDB. SDB causes poor oxygenation in the body and the brain dysfunctions as a result. Children are uniquely susceptible to oxygen deprivation because their brains are still developing. Low oxygen and lack of adequate sleep for children's brains often leads to poor concentration, attention problems, hyperactivity, aggression, impulsivity, somatic complaints, and social withdrawal. The issues could be life-long and irreversible if not addressed early. I will cover snoring and its related problems and what you can do about them in today’s post.

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Scott Solomons, DDSOrofacial Complex, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, Snoring, Sleep, Sleep Appliance, Sleep apnea appliance, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Crowded Teeth, Orthodontics, Dental Arch, Expanders, Sleep Disordered Breathing, Low Oxygen, Bed Wetting, Pharynx, Tongue, Cephalometric X-ray, CBCT, 3D image, three-dimensional image, Expansion Appliance, Thumb-sucking, Allergies, Nutrition, Malnutrition, Ct Sleep CenterComment
Working out the Orofacial Complex: Guest Post By Brittny Murphy, RDH, COM®, QOM

Ever hear of saving face? Myofunctional therapy does just that. In today’s guest post, myofunctional therapist, Brittny Sciarra talks about how improper tongue posture, mouth breathing, and other problems can lead to improper facial development, difficulty breathing, and even swallowing. Brittny works with patients to establish proper lip seal, nasal breathing, and tongue posture to help them develop healthy beautiful faces and airways.

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Functional Medicine, General Health, Oral HealthScott Solomons, DDSOrofacial Complex, Myofunctional Therapy, Alfred Rogers, Tongue, Breathing, Mouth BreathingComment