Cold Sores, ugh!

Cold Sores, ugh!

Here it comes again … that annoying tingle, pressure and pain on your lip.  Ugh, you know the drill.  It is those dreaded cold sores making an unwelcome appearance, again.  However, you are not alone, more than 80% of the adult population in the United States has the virus that causes cold sores, this is due to the highly contagious nature of the virus. Many people have the virus, but few people know what it is or what causes them, and most importantly how to get rid of them! 

Cold Sore

Cold Sores, sometimes called fever blisters, are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).  There are two types of herpes simplex virus:  HSV-1 (oral) and HSV-2 (genitalia).  HSV-1 is mainly responsible for the unsightly sores around the mouth, simply known as outbreaks.  Herpes (HSV-1) outbreaks can occur anywhere, but most of the time they land in and around the mouth, and most commonly occur at the border of the lip with the face (herpes labialis). 


HSV-1 outbreaks can also occur on "tight/tough" tissue ... ie, the hard palate, the gum tissue right next to the teeth, or anywhere on the face.  Furthermore, they can involve, most ominously, the eyes. HSV-1 outbreaks are sometimes confused with "canker sores" which only occur on the soft, moveable gum tissue inside the mouth.  They're both ulcers - they both hurt - the main difference is that "canker sores" are not definitively caused by a virus (thus treatment is different). 

The herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores is usually contracted through a break in the skin in or around the mouth.  It is spread when a non-infected person comes in contact with an infected person that either has an active outbreak or is in the shedding phase.  This contact can be in the form of touching or kissing, sharing eating utensils, drinking after each other, sharing razors, or any type of contact including sexual contact. 

Sometimes people contract the virus early in life from parents or caregivers who are infected with the virus.  Infection by the type 1 strain of herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is most common; however, cases of oral infection by the type 2 strain are increasing. Type 1 has historically, been considered to cause oral outbreaks while type 2 was considered to cause genital outbreaks.  However, the distinction between the two types of HSV and origin of outbreaks is not as distinct as it once was.  Recently, it seems the more common difference between the two is social stigma. 

Many people who carry the virus never develop signs or symptoms of the virus, but can still be contagious and can pass the virus to others.  There are two phases when the virus is active and contagious: the shedding phase and the active (outbreak) phase. A person who never experiences an outbreak can experience a shedding phase when they are contagious, but have no symptoms of the virus.

The shedding phase can be called "viral shedding," or just "shedding." During shedding, the virus can be passed on to others by all forms of direct skin-to-skin contact, or by sharing eating or drinking utensils or razors .  Sometimes shedding is accompanied by symptoms, such as blisters, but many times there are no noticeable symptoms at all, this is "asymptomatic shedding." Thus it is virtually impossible to tell when a person is contagious with the naked eye.  It is estimated that over 70% of new HSV-1 and HSV-2 cases are transmitted during asymptomatic shedding when there are no obvious symptoms of the virus. 

For people who do develop symptoms, a cold sore usually passes through several  phases:           

• Tingling or itching – in or around the mouth 1 to 2 days before blisters erupt.  This is also known as the prodromal phase.  A person is considered contagious during this phase.
• Blisters – often times form in clusters.  Typically, these blisters form around the borders of the lips. However, they can occur in the mouth or the skin surrounding the lips. A person is also contagious during this phase as well.
• Oozing and crusting – The blisters eventually pop and leave a lesion that will crust over and then eventually heal. This is also a contagious phase.  

Initial outbreaks, or first time outbreaks, can be more severe and have the above symptoms with a few more that include:

• Sore throat
• Swollen glands around the neck or other parts of the body
•  Small children sometimes drool before an outbreak
• Headaches
• Muscle aches

All the phases typically last for a total of two weeks. HSV outbreaks are usually non-threatening to a person’s health, but a large majority of people find outbreaks, painful and embarrassing.

There is no cure for HSV infection.  However, there is good news! Thanks to modern medicine there are things that can be done to minimize outbreaks and discomfort. The rate of outbreaks for individuals varies from never to more than 12 times annually.  The average person experiences three outbreaks a year.  When a person is not having an outbreak the virus lies dormant in nerve cells.

 There are some things that a person can do to minimize outbreaks:

• Stay healthy – a compromised immune system allows the virus to become active.  This explains why people get cold sores when they are sick, thus the name “cold sore” and “fever blisters.”
• Avoid excessive sun exposure.
• Get lots of rest – fatigue is a no- no when trying to avoid outbreaks
• Minimize stress
• Consult your physician or dentist about possible medications.  Depending on your needs there are oral or topical medications that you can be used during the in-active phase, prodromal phase and active phase (outbreak).  Some of these medications can minimize or prevent an outbreak, and prevent spreading the virus to others. 
• Laser treatment, although early

While an outbreak for most people is unnerving and a nuisance, sometimes it can pose serious health risks. Consult a doctor for sure if:

• Cold sores do not heal in two weeks
• You have a compromised immune system
• Symptoms are severe
• You experience very frequent outbreaks
• You experience eye irritation

How much is your smile worth?

Smiles are the number one preferred facial expression!

Investing in Yourself

"Smile ! Say Cheese!"  Photographers want us to flash our best smile for the camera.

Smiling faces is the number one American preference of facial expressions.  

Or, said another way ... people would rather see a smiling face than any other facial expression. 

What makes smiling so important? On the surface a smile is simply muscles flexing to turn up the corners of our mouths.  What gives a smile its worth is the value that we as humans place on it.  Smiling denotes pleasure, happiness, love or amusement. It is the one international expression of emotion understood by everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture or religion.  Newborns often exhibit smiles within the first three days of life.  Many researchers believe this allows caretakers to bond with the infant which helps to ensure the infant's survival.  In short, smiling is an innate way that humans use to bond with one another.

  
Have you ever heard the phrase "service with a smile?" This has been at the core of American businesses for well over a century.  Have you ever had a job in customer service where “smile” was not in the job requirements? This includes telephone customer service representatives.  We can hear smiles over the phone!

Research on smiling overwhelming supports the idea that humans find people who smile more attractive and likable. In fact, there is a term within the social science community called the halo effect.  The halo effect simply implies that the more attractive we find another person the more likely we are to give them positive attributes such as trustworthiness, friendliness, kindness and many more.  When an employee smiles at a distressed customer it conveys a message of patience, warmth, respect, empathy and hospitality.

Researchers also believe that we receive more helping behaviors when we smile. People who smile and smile often are considered a greater asset to their employers, and are more employable.  Research shows that waitresses and waiters who smile a lot receive more than double the tips received by their non-smiling counterpart.

Smiling is very important between the sexes.  In studies, males overwhelmingly find smiling women more physically attractive and rate those women as having more sex appeal.  They also tend to rate smiling women as more kind, trust worthy and friendlier.  It is said that the first feature that people notice upon first meeting someone is their smile 82 percent of the time. In fact, studies done on online dating have found that when people are shown pictures of people smiling with confidence, research subjects recall that persons smile and even personality traits over any other features. Yes, I said personality traits through a picture of a smiling face!

How can dentistry help with smiling you might ask? Well, healthy, beautiful teeth and gums allow us to smile with CONFIDENCE and SMILE MORE! All of that smiling helps us to land better jobs, attract a bigger selection of potential boyfriends or girlfriends, get promotions, get into prestigious programs, and most importantly makes us FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES! All of this and I haven't even touched on the health benefits that allow you to miss less work and have more energy (stay tuned for that blog)! This domino effect is why a beautiful smile is worth every penny! Smiles are PRICELESS! Smiles are an INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE! Beautiful smiles just FEEL GOOD!

Tooth-Friendly Lunch Box Tips

Tooth-Friendly Lunch Box Tips

Investing in a good lunch box could be an investment in your oral health

It is that time of year again, back to school time! While many parents are trying to figure out what to pack in their children’s lunch boxes, we thought now might be a good time to talk about some dental friendly choices! And better ... these tips are great for the young and old alike. While many of the things packaged in stores for lunch boxes look tasty and convenient, they are not only bad nutritionally, but also bad for your teeth. 

Though sugar does not directly cause cavities, it does fuel the bacterial metabolization necessary that does directly cause tooth decay.

Minimizing sugar intake is important.  Yet maybe even more important is to minimize foods with "stickiness".   Especially bad, yet not commonly thought of as being "bad for teeth" are potato chips and other "sticky" carbs. 

 Refined sugars are often found in these lunch box staples and should be avoided:

•  Fruit juices, Kool-Aid, sodas and other sugary drinks
•  Raisins and Dried Fruits
• Chewy Granola Bars
•  Cookies and Cakes
• Gummy Fruit Snacks and Fruit Roll-Ups
• Hard Candies and Lollipops
• Sticky "Carbs" (Potato Chips) 
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches – We are sure to get some protesting from parents and kids, but this one can be incredibly sticky.

Things to include in your lunch box:

• Water or White Milk
• Raw Vegetables – Hard and crunchy vegetables can actually help to clean teeth as they are eaten such as: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery and peppers,
•  Raw Fruits – The best choices are the ones with high water content such as: apples, grapes, bananas, melons, and kiwi
•  Low-Fat, Hard and Aged Cheeses – These can be cut into shapes with cookie cutters as a way to encourage kids to eat this.
•  Ranch Dressing - if it helps to encourage kids to eat the raw vegetables
• Sugar-Free Yogurt - like milk, it has a high pH (alkali-acid balance), which means it works great to help neutralize acids in your mouth before they can cause tooth decay.
• Chicken, Turkey, Beef, and Hard Boiled Eggs – These items are a good source of phosphorous, which, along with calcium, comprises the majority of the structure of tooth enamel. Eating these foods can actually help strengthen the enamel in your teeth.
• And a compact toothbrush & toothpaste could be included (occaisionally) for fun and to help "remind" about good oral hygiene.

Of course brushing after each meal is highly recommended.  However, if time is an issue or there is not access to a way to brush your teeth (which is usally the case at school), rinsing your mouth with water for a minute after eating will help to loosen some of the food that gets stuck to teeth.  This is a good habit to get into after eating any meal, snack, or sugary drink if you cannot brush afterwards. Not only are these tips good for your teeth, but they are also good for your body!