Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), and they affect nearly 50 percent of adult Americans. If you’ve never had one, they’re painful. However, there may be something in your spice cabinet that may help. Van Andel Institute researchers discovered curcumin, a component of turmeric, blocks the virus, and, according to the researchers, [...]

Mouth cancer kills one American every hour, and the American Cancer Society estimates approximately “35,310 new cases (25,310 in men and 10,000 in women) of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer…in the United States in 2008.” Signs of mouth cancer often appear not to be dangerous, and, just because you have symptoms, doesn’t necessarily mean you have mouth cancer. [...]

When you get a toothache, home remedies can be just the thing you need to take that ache away. However, most toothache home remedies are temporary fixes, and if you can’t sleep at night or if it hurts so bad you can’t function, you need to see a dentist because if it’s abscessed, infection could spread to the [...]

Duke University researchers have discovered some things about colds sores. For instance, they now know where the dormant virus responsible for cold sores hangs out, which means in the future they may find a way to disable it when it decides to flare up. According to Bryan Cullen, Duke professor of molecular genetics and microbiology, [...]

If you’ve got bad breath or want to avoid it, Wrigley’s Gum recently enhanced their Eclipse line—both their gum and mint lines—by adding magnolia bark extract. In a 2007 study, the magnolia bark extract was determined to be 99.9 percent effective in killing bacteria associated with halitosis and in doing so within five minutes of treatment. That [...]

f you haven’t heard about the dangers of fluoride, you’re not alone. You may think flouride’s safe because it’s in our drinking water and because we’ve all been told fluoride’s responsible for strong teeth and bones, but think again. Critics claim fluoride does none of those things, and what’s more the Environmental Protection Agency’s senior toxicologist alleged in 1992, “regarding fluoridation, the [...]

Bad breath, sometimes called halitosis, is caused by a combination of bacteria, food, and saliva. Some of the worst food culprits are cheese, onions, garlic, and orange juice. If you smoke, that habit can also cause bad breath, as does poor dental hygiene, gastro-intestinal disorders, and chronic constipation.
If you want to cure bad breath quick, [...]

Researchers have discovered oral health is linked to a person’s overall health, and, in fact, according to the American Dental Association (ADA) “periodontist (the advanced form of gum disease that can cause tooth loss) is associated with other health problems such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and bacterial pneumonia.” Whether or not periodontist causes those diseases [...]

What are MPD Symptoms?
Those who have myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPD) complain of numerous problems, although pain is the most common complaint. Sufferers characterize this pain as a dull, ache at the joint. Sometimes they also complain of pain in, near, or around the ears, and sometimes a sufferer’s cheek muscles ache, although more often [...]

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is a joint problem in the temporomandibular joint—TMJ—which allows the jaw to move up and down, left to right, and front to back. The TMJs also connect the mandible—the lower jaw—to the skull. TMJs are located on either side in front of your ears. To locate these joints place your fingers in [...]