Our teeth are important to our well-being. Of course, we know a smile enlightens our day. Would you agree it is worth it to keep the smile bright by taking good care of your teeth? In our practice, we offer teeth whitening/brightening solutions.
However, have whiter teeth is not the pinnacle of oral health, as many hold it out to be. Having a whiter smile is appealing, but your dental health is much more important. Can you imagine having a car with a dazzling paint job with ragged seats and a filthy interior? The answer should be, no. The same principle applies to our smile. Why have a white smile and have bad breath or health issues? In today’s appearance conscious world, many invest a lot of capital in looking good on the outside. Unfortunately, the lack of care for what is on the inside may get little concern.
More and more research is being shown to the public that good oral health can lead to better overall health. Here, are some ways to examine where giving more attention to your dental care can help your general health.
1. After the Yawning Ends Start Brushing
After you do your morning stretching walk into your bathroom, pick up the toothbrush and dental floss. Some people choose to wait until after breakfast to brush. Whichever you choose brush your teeth in the morning. First, developing a habit of brushing is excellent. Morning brushing helps to eliminate stale morning breath. Additionally, morning brushing helps since this can reduce the number of bacteria before exposing them to food. Thus, the amount of acid production is anticipated to be less, which is always a good thing.
Health Benefit of Morning Brushing
Brushing your teeth in the morning reduces acid on your teeth. Significant acid content in food and drinks which we all take in can do a job on your pearly whites. Acid in foods or liquids can cause irreversible erosion of tooth enamel. The results of the erosion can consist of sensitivity, pain, a greater prospect of tooth decay, and darker teeth, because the layer underneath our white enamel is dark.
2. Watch What You Eat (& Drink)
Some of the things we can do to improve our health are so painfully obvious they often go overlooked. Our staff will tell you that sugar and other sticky carbohydrates, like sugar coated cereals and snack foods, are the preliminary point of tooth decay. Other foods such as bread and raisins can cause problems too. Why? The problem is not just about too much sugar, but that the sugar and refined carbs are the starting point for the streptococcus bacteria inside the mouth. These bacteria live on a biofilm called plaque, and they produce acids. The acids eat away at the exterior layer of teeth. Saliva can only moderately neutralize the acid. If the acid stays on the enamel just 20 minutes, the teeth demineralization process starts.
Also, be careful of the very popular energy drinks. MensHealth.com, reports, “Energy drinks are worse for your teeth than either sports drinks or coffee.
Researchers recently analyzed 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks. They immersed samples of human tooth enamel in the liquid for 15 minutes, followed by a soak in artificial human saliva for 2 hours. After five days of testing, the scientists found that 3.1 percent of protective enamel eroded in the energy drink samples compared to 1.5 percent in the sport drink group.”
3. Buy Dental Floss and Use It
If you have ever been to the dentist, you have heard the hygienist and dentist beg you to floss your teeth. Brushing your teeth is not enough. A vacuum cleaner today has several attachments to help clean various areas of your home. Your tooth brush is one attachment your dental floss is the nook and cranny attachment.
There are several paybacks to developing the practice of daily flossing. Dental floss can help remove food particles and plaque from the spaces between your teeth. These spaces cannot be reached in an effective manner by your tooth brush. Flossing is better than oral irrigators too. Using dental floss effectively helps prevent gum or periodontal diseases, tooth decay, and bad breath.
Good health to you.
Dr. John E. Robinson, DMD enjoys developing individualized care plans and related tips for his patients to aid in maintaining their overall dental health. Our practice offers the some of the most state-of-the-art advancements in assisting our patients healthy teeth and smile.
The Embry Hills Dental Care family would be pleased to discuss your dental concerns and offer the necessary information to help you and your family make educated decisions regarding your dental health.
