The best practices for healthy teeth and gums include at home care of regular brushing twice a day, flossing daily and avoiding certain types of food and beverage.

The follow are suggestion to help with sensitive teeth.

* Use Desensitizing toothpaste. There are a few over the counter toothpaste options for sensitive teeth to pick from. Your dentist also may recommend a brand of toothpaste to use as well.

* Use a soft bristled toothbrush
* Avoid drinking or eating highly acidic foods.
* Use a mouthwash/rinse with fluoride
* If you grind your teeth,consider getting a mouth guard.

Tonsil stones occur when bacteria, food, and other debris, become trapped in the folds of the tonsils.

The debris turns hard, forming tonsil stones. They appear as white or yellowish hard mass. People with tonsil stones may not know what they are. Tonsil stones can become a home for bacteria and may have an unpleasant smell, causing bad breath in people that have them.

Teeth cavities are holes tht develop on teeth as a result to dental decay. Cavities can cause toothaches, they also can worsen over time and cause other larger dental problems, if left untreated.

However by practicing good oral hygiene and dental health care you can help to prevent cavities from developing

At some point most people will experience red bumps or spots on the roof of their mouths. A common causes would be from food, dentures, or a mouth or throat infection

Red spots on he roof of the mouth can be irritating, but generally harmless and they should go away on their own. However if you are concerned or do not know what is causing the spots you should see a doctor as they can be a sign of something more serious.

Many people use whitening strips and other bleaching products to make their teeth whiter. However, studies reveals that too many whitening products can damage the teeth.

Various studies now show that whitening teeth with bleaching products that contain hydrogen peroxide harms the teeth and can endanger the tooth health

Facial pain can result from dental problems, tooth decay, dental/oral infections, and nerve disorders. People who experience severe, recurring, or persistent facial pain should see a doctor/dentist.

Salt water gargles are a cheap, easy, and natural alternative to medicated mouthwashes. Gargling with salt water can help clean the mouth and ease symptoms of sore throats, mouth sores, allergies, and dental procedures.

Using DNA evidence, scientists have shown that brain clot samples from people who have had ischemic stroke often contain mouth bacteria.

Undetected diabetes may double risk of heart attack, periodontitis

New research finds a link between undetected blood sugar disorders and a heightened risk heart attack and sever gum disease (periodontitis).

Previous studies pointed to a connection between periodontitis(gum disease: A chronic condition that affects the gums and bones that support the teeth) and diabetes

Antibiotics may be an effective treatment option for a tooth infection. However in some cases a dentist may simply be able to drain the infected area, remove the infected tooth or perform a root canal to fix the issue

Dentist tend to avoid recommending antibiotics unless they are absolutely necessary, such as when the infection is sever or spreading, or if the person has a weakened immune system

A large study finds that people with unhealthy gums and teeth have a higher risk of liver cancer, which kills nearly 32,000 people per year in the U.S.

Tight jaw muscles can often occur due to stress, anxiety, injury, or overusing the jaw joint. Having tight jaw muscles can also cause pain or discomfort in many other parts of your body such as your head, ear, teeth, neck, eyes and face.

A few causes for tight Jaw Muscles:

* TMD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder)
* Stress
* Bruxism (grinding teeth)
* RA (Rheumatiod Arthritis
* Tetanus
* Excessive Chewing

If you feel that you have tight jaw muscles visit your dentist to rule in or out dental issues

If you occasionally encounter an unpleasant smell that is normal. However several conditions including sinusitis, mouth or tooth infections, might cause a bad smell in your nose.

Here are some causes to bad smell in the nose.

* Acute/chronic sinusitis
* Mouth or tooth infections
* Dry mouth
* Some food and drinks
* Medications
* Conditions associated with Hallucinations or olfactory damage.

Although most conditions that causes a bad smell in the nose are not life threatening, but it can negatively impact the quality of life and one should seek medical attention.

Question: Whenever I brush my teeth my gums bleed. I brush twice day with a regular toothbrush so I am not sure why my gums are bleeding.

Answer: It is possible that you may have gingivitis. Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease. Gingivitis is due to the long-term effects of plaque deposits on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky material made of bacteria, mucus, and food debris that develops on the exposed parts of the teeth. It is also a major cause of tooth decay. One of the signs of gingivitis is bleeding gums while brushing.  Talk to your dentist and get a complete dental check up.

Leukoplakia causes thick, raised, plaque-like white patches on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Patches may also appear transparent or gray and usually have at least one area with a clear margin. Cracking may also occur.  Although they can be bothersome depending on the type, leukoplakia patches are often painless.

Commonly affected regions include:

* Inner lining of the cheeks
* Gums
* Bottom of the mouth under the tongue
* Tongue

In some cases, leukoplakia patches also affect other regions of the body aside from the mouth. Of these areas, the genitals are most frequently affected.

Question: I seem to get bad breath late at night. I do not know why when I brush my teeth all the time. It is starting to make me feel insecure.

Answer: People can have bad breath for many different reasons. Even though you are brushing your teeth at night your bad breath can be due to other reasons such as what you are eating throughout the day, dental decay, medications you may be taking, your diet, dry mouth and any ongoing illnesses. If you are not already, make sure that during your dental habits routine to brush not only your teeth but your tongue as well. Your tongue holds onto many bad breath causing germs. Try using an alcohol free mouthwash. If your bad breath continues talk to your dentist and see what they can advise.

Leukoplakia is more of a clinical term than a specific condition, used to describe a wide range of white mouth sores. Leukoplakia is a condition that causes thick, plaque-like white patches on the tongue, gums, and lining of the mouth.  Mouth irritants and irritating activities, such as smoking, often cause leukoplakia. Typically, cases of white patches in the mouth are harmless and symptoms resolve on their own. However, if the condition is leukoplakia, it can be associated with oral cancer.

Canker Sores are also known as aphthous ulcers and are part of the most common cause of stomatitis. The sores are pale white or yellowish in color with a red outer ring.

Canker sores can develop singly or in a cluster and usually occur on the inside of the lips or cheek, or on the tongue.

Canker sores lead to acute, temporary pain. In minor cases, the ulcers heal within 4-14 days. In more severe cases, which account for about 1 in 10 of all cases of stomatitis, the sores can last up to 6 weeks.

Anyone can get canker sores, although women and people in their teens and 20s are more likely to experience them. They can run in families but are not contagious.

Stomatitis is inflammation of the mouth. It affects the mucous membranes, which are the thin skin coverings on the inside surface of the mouth. The membranes produce the protective mucus, as well as lining the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus.

Stomatitis that reoccurs and includes mouth ulcers is called recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and is the most common disease affecting the mouth area, with around 5-25 percent of the United States population affected in some way.