Brushing up on oral hygiene

Dear Betsy, I would be grateful if you could throw any light on why I have a white furry tongue. I know there's the obvious answer of Candida, and dehydration, but I don't think these apply to me. I would be interested to hear if you have any other ideas.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Mori

Dear Mori,

First of all let me remind you I am not a doctor, so if you have any health concerns or worrying symptoms, then you should always consult your physician.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, poor oral hygiene and a very acidic stomach can all cause this symptom as can dehydration.

Having "oral thrush" or Candida, as you say, is also a possibility and requires simple medical treatment to normalise it. Some doctors will also want to check for diabetes as this can also be a symptom.

I suggest that you have this checked out and if there is no underlying medical cause then pay particular attention to your oral hygiene, brushing your tongue daily to clean it when you are brushing your teeth. Some pharmacies also sell tongue cleaners that you can use to 'scrape' the tongue clean. Try using a mouthwash also and floss your teeth regularly too. Chinese medicine takes the state of the tongue very seriously and their diagnosis of a white furry tongue could mean you have too much damp 'chi' or energy in your body, although they would take other factors into account too. Adjust your diet and exclude very spicy or acidic foods for a while and drink more water and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Try brushing your teeth and tongue gently with a soft toothbrush to which you have added one drop of tea tree essential oil. Do this every morning before you brush your teeth as it will help remove any bacteria and avoid the buildup of plaque. You can also use three drops of tea tree in warm water to gargle with for a few days.

If you also have bad breath then digestive problems could be to blame and altering your diet can be the answer. Try also chewing sugar free gum between meals.

Dear Betsy,

My husband has a group of three business associates coming over from the UK to stay with us for a few days, as they could not find appropriate hotel accommodation for the dates they are here. I am dreading it as I know them and they are chain smokers. My husband is a smoker and he goes out to the garden to smoke and I have already told my husband that his colleagues can't smoke in our house, but he says they are our guests and we can't upset them by telling them not to smoke. We have a two-year-old baby girl and I can't understand why he can't see how damaging this could be to her health. What can I do Betsy to get my message through without upsetting anyone?

Smokeless in Saar

Dear Smokeless in Saar,

Please! Go right ahead and upset them ... and your thoughtless husband ... nothing is more precious than your daughter's (and your own) health. Your husband needs a good sharp kick in the shins, what a wimp. He must be feeling pretty inadequate and insecure at work if he can't get this message through to his colleagues.

Actually it is much easier if he himself is a smoker as this will quickly set the tone for their visit. All he has to do is make a joke about the "outdoor ashtray" or something similar and invite them all outside for a smoke, making sure that they get the message early on that your home is a non-negotiable no-smoking zone. If they are from UK then they are already used to having to go outside for a fag as it is illegal now to smoke in a public place such as a restaurant, pub, hotel or office.

Most polite houseguests will not even attempt to light up in your home but make it clear to your husband that if he does not set the ground rules in the beginning, you will have no hesitation in putting them straight, whether it embarrasses him or not. There is an alternative ... book all of them, including your husband, into some INAPPROPRIATE hotel accommodation for the duration of their visit and let them smoke themselves into a nicotine daze!

Dear Betsy,

We have moved into a new office and my boss wants to use Feng Shui in our new premises to make it a good and comfortable place to work. Can you tell us where to find a Feng Shui advisor in Bahrain?

Alice H

Dear Alice,

The practice of Feng Shui, although centuries old, is enjoying something of a trendy rebirth at the moment. The Chinese take this art very seriously and some leading companies even have their own 'Feng Shui master' to help in the design of their premises to ensure a good flow of "chi" or energy to bring harmony and prosperity to their business. There are many ways you can use it at home and in work and there are lots of Feng Shui accessories you can buy to assist with this.

It is necessary, for example, to use a special compass to work out the correct placement of certain items as this is said to be crucial to the success of the art. Some of the recommendations seem like common sense.

In Bahrain there are two shops both with Feng Shui advisors, one in Gosi Complex and the other in Country Mall, Budaiya. There are lots of self help books on the subject with those by Lillian Too being amongst the most popular.

BETSY SAYS RELAX ...

Don't touch your mobile, blackberry, laptop, or PC for a whole day. Sounds impossible? Plan ahead, clear your emails and messages the night before and just relax. If it seems too difficult to go for a whole day, then begin with two hours and work up to a whole day.

If you only do one thing this week

Do a quick car-safety-check. Oil, water, tyres, brakes. Too many of us take our car for granted, just filling up and whizzing off without thinking about maintenance until something goes wrong.