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Halitosis is the fancy, scientific word for “bad breath.” Dr. Zoltan Berky and our team know there are several reasons why you may have halitosis; let’s look at a few:

• Gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) – There are five main types of gum disease, and each one can range from mild to severe. For example the most common one is gingivitis; it is caused by bacteria in the plaque that has been allowed to build up, usually as a result of poor oral hygiene. A more serious and uncommon type of gum disease is called necrotizing periodontal disease. It is most common in people who have a suppressed immune system.
• Smoking
• Dry Mouth – This can be caused by something as simple as a medication you take.
• Food – Of course, if you eat something that is potent like garlic, it is going to give you bad breath.
• Diseases of the Body – Some diseases such as sinus infections and diabetes, among a few other types of infections, can also cause you to have halitosis.

How to Get Rid of Halitosis

The most obvious answer to how to get rid of halitosis is to practice good oral hygiene, although, depending on the cause of halitosis it may not be that simple. If you have an infection that is causing the halitosis then you may need an antibiotic to clear up the infection and then the bad breath will go away. Here are more tips:

• Brush your teeth after every meal and before bed.
• Floss your teeth. The more plaque you get out of your teeth, the better chance you have of not getting cavities or bad breath.
• Address any medical conditions that are not related to your teeth that can be causing the halitosis.
• Ask Dr. Zoltan Berky for a prescription mouthwash that kills bacteria.

Halitosis (bad breath) can be an embarrassing condition to live with, but there are plenty of ways to get rid of it permanently. Start by talking to a member of our team at our High Point or Greensboro, NC office.

At Zoltan T. Berky, DDS we love learning trivia and interesting facts about Thanksgiving! This year, Dr. Zoltan Berky wanted to share some trivia that might help you feel a bit smarter at the holiday dinner table and help create some great conversation with friends and family.

The Turkey

There is no historical evidence that turkey was eaten at the first Thanksgiving dinner. It was a three-day party shared by the Wamponoag Indians and the pilgrims in 1621. Historians say they likely ate venison and seafood.

According to National Geographic, the dinner at the Plymouth colony was in October and included about 50 English colonists and 90 American Indian men. The first Thanksgiving dinner could have included corn, geese, and pumpkin.

Today, turkey is the meat of choice. According to the National Turkey Association, about 690 million pounds of turkey are consumed during Thanksgiving, or about 46 million turkeys.

The Side Dishes

The green bean casserole became popular about 50 years ago. Created by the Campbell Soup Company, it remains a popular side dish. According to Campbell’s, it was developed when the company was creating an annual holiday cookbook. The company now sells about $20 million worth of cream of mushroom soup each year, which is a major part of the recipe.

While there were likely plenty of cranberries for the pilgrims and Indians to enjoy, sugar was a luxury. What we know today as cranberry sauce was not around in those early Thanksgiving days. About 750 million pounds of cranberries are produced each year in the US, with about 30 percent consumed on Thanksgiving.

The Parade

Since Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday until Lincoln declared it in 1863, the annual parades were not yearly events until much later. The biggest parade that continues to draw crowds is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Beginning in 1924 with about 400 employees, they marched from Convent Avenue to 145th Street in New York City. Famous for the huge hot-air balloons today, it was actually live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo that were the stars of the show then.

However you choose to spend your Thanksgiving holiday, we wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday with those you love.

There's something special about customizing the elastics on your braces to fit your unique personality. Once you embrace your braces (no pun intended) you'll realize how many color options and combinations there are to choose from. Although you'll have a fantastic smile afterward, you won't have this level of customizability once your braces come off, that's for sure!

Adding flair to your braces isn't what all patients are looking to do (like those opting for clear aligners or ceramic braces), but it's part of the fun of traditional metal braces! Many of our patients ask Dr. Zoltan Berky to have their elastics match the colors of their favorite sports teams or their school, but how about changing your elastics to match holiday colors?

Here are some options to consider:

• Valentine’s Day – Red and pink
• Easter – Pink, blue, and violet
• Halloween – Orange and black
• Christmas – Red, green, and white
• Saint Patrick’s Day – Green and white

There are a few colors that some people choose to avoid. But if you’re trying to make your teeth stand out in a crowd, the following suggestions need not apply!

• Brown or Green – can be mistaken for food being stuck in your teeth
• Black – might look like a rotten tooth if someone isn't looking hard enough
• White – Some patients think it will make their teeth look whiter, but in fact it can make your teeth appear yellower than they actually are. White elastics can also stain easily.
• Yellow – accentuates the yellowness of your enamel

Since changing the color of your elastics has no effect on the actual orthodontic treatment process, the idea is to have fun and add a personal touch. So, next time you get your elastics changed at our High Point or Greensboro, NC office, why not wear your braces boldly and opt for something festive?

Our green office offers many benefits to patients. And just because we’ve gone green doesn't mean that we won't be able to provide the same services as a traditional office. In fact, our goal is to provide the same (or better) services as a regular office, but services that act in harmony with the body and world around us. Less waste, fewer chemicals and heavy metals, and reduced energy consumption; these are traits that define a truly green office.

Some of the benefits you'll experience as a patient at our green High Point or Greensboro, NC office include:

• Better air quality – There's a focus on using renewable and natural building materials, paint that is free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), biodegradable cleaning supplies, and formaldehyde free materials for cabinetry. This leads to cleaner air in the office for patients and their families.
• Less radiation – Digital X-rays replace old film based X-rays and expose patients to 90 percent less radiation. Digital X-rays are also convenient for patients since their images can be viewed right on the computer screen instead of on a physical printout.
• No need for paper – Many offices have gone "paperless." You'll get any pertinent paperwork via email, reducing paper waste and saving you time. Patient records are also stored digitally, doing away with the wall of patient folders and making for easier and quicker record retrieval.
• Fewer chemicals – Green offices take advantage of chemical-free sterilization by steam and clean their tools using energy-efficient washers and dryers. Biodegradable cleaning solutions instead of toxic chemical cleaners are used around the office, too.
• Reduced heavy metal exposure – Biocompatible, non-allergenic, non-metal materials like porcelain and ceramic are preferred in a green office over the heavy metals (nickel, titanium) used in traditional offices. This is particularly important in the case of appliances that are used over long periods of time, like dental implants or veneers.

Dr. Zoltan Berky and our team hope you realize the positive effect a green office can have on your health, as well as that of the environment. Our office is dedicated to bringing you the cleanest, safest, and greenest technologies the industry has to offer, and we're happy to share how our processes differ from other offices!