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Dental health is a crucial component of overall well-being. Many of us dread the thought of visiting a dentist, often due to the discomfort and cost associated with dental treatments. Fortunately, preventing dental decay isn't just about brushing twice a day. It's a holistic approach involving diet, lifestyle, and regular care. Here's your guide to keeping those dental visits to a minimum.
Plaque can also build up on your tongue, causing oral health issues and bad breath. Gently brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth.
These can erode tooth enamel, leading to decay. It's not just about candy and soda; be mindful of fruit juices and starchy, refined carbohydrates.
Dairy products like cheese and yogurt, crunchy fruits and vegetables, and foods high in fiber can help clean your teeth and balance your mouth's pH.
Water helps wash away food particles and keeps your saliva levels high. Saliva is essential in fighting tooth decay as it neutralizes acids and helps rebuild enamel.
Chewing gum increases saliva flow, which helps neutralize and wash away acids produced by bacteria in your mouth. Just make sure it's sugar-free!
Dental sealants are protective coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth. They can prevent decay in the grooves and pits of these teeth.
Smoking and tobacco use can lead to gum disease, which is a major cause of tooth loss and decay.
Therapeutic mouthwashes can help reduce plaque, prevent or reduce gingivitis, reduce the speed of tartar development, or provide a combination of these benefits.
Even if you're doing everything right at home, regular dental check-ups are crucial. They can catch potential problems early and help maintain overall oral health.
If your dentist recommends a filling or other treatment, don’t delay. Prompt treatment can prevent more severe problems and more extensive dental work in the future.
The more you know about dental health, the better equipped you'll be to take care of your teeth. Keep up with the latest in dental care and ask your dentist questions.
Consider reducing stress, which can contribute to teeth grinding, and make sure you're getting enough sleep, as sleep deficiency can negatively impact oral health.
By integrating these practices into your daily routine, you can significantly reduce the risk of dental decay and limit your visits to the dentist. Remember, prevention is always better than cure, especially when it comes to your teeth!
Despite being something that we do everyday, we find that patients have a a surprising amount of trouble brushing and flossing correctly. Dental hygiene is key to preventing dental problems like tooth decay and gum disease (not to mention staining), so be careful not to ignore certain warning signs from your main dental hygiene tool: your toothbrush!
Nothing we’re going to mention below is a secret, but they might be something that you haven’t taken the time to consider in your daily dental hygiene routine.
…It’s telling you it’s reached the end of it’s life, or at least it’s effectiveness. When used regularly and correctly, toothbrush bristles eventually start to bend and usually start looking frayed after about 3 to 4 months. A frayed toothbrush is much less effective at getting into hard to reach places (such as between teeth and along the gumline).
If your toothbrush is looking frayed sooner than 3 months, you may be brushing your teeth too hard. Hard brushing is a bad habit that many patients have and it can lead to tooth pain, tooth sensitivity, and damage to your gums. It can also wear down your tooth enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay.
Keep track of how long it takes for your toothbrush to look worse for wear, and if it’s happening too fast, talk to us about changing your dental hygiene habits to be more gentle but still effective.
…It’s also telling you it’s time to get a new one. Many manufacturers include “reminder bristles” in their brush heads, especially in electric toothbrushes. After several months of use, these brightly colored bristles will eventually start to fade to white or clear. Once most of the color is gone, you’ll know it’s time to change your toothbrush. If you toothbrush is turning yellow or some other icky looking color, their may be a problem with your oral health or your habits, and you should talk to us about it at your next visit.
…You may be storing your toothbrush incorrectly. If it’s still wet many hours later, there’s trouble brewing…or rather, bacteria. When your toothbrush doesn’t get the chance to dry out between uses it creates the perfect environment for illness and cavity-causing bacteria to grow.
We suggest shaking out your toothbrush after you rinse it after brushing and putting it somewhere with plenty of airflow. Storing your toothbrush upright can help it dry off between uses. Also, if you’re traveling, be sure your toothbrush is dry before you put a plastic cover on it, otherwise you’re trapping it in a wet environment.
If your toothbrush is wet, there’s another possible culprit other than bad storage: someone else in your household may have mistaken your toothbrush for theirs! Make sure you’re not inadvertently sharing a toothbrush with someone else. This is very bad for your dental hygiene, even for couples who kiss!
You can have a great dental hygiene routine and never miss a dental checkup and still be putting your teeth at risk for wear. Worn teeth are weaker and less able to resist the problems that cause toothaches and other kinds of urgent dental visits. Here are a few ways you can keep your teeth strong in addition to brushing, flossing and visiting us regularly!
This may sound like the kind of advice that we would give to a child, but it applies to patients of all ages! If the backs of your pens and pencils are dappled with bite marks and your fingernails are ragged stubs, it’s time to make a change. While plastic, wood or fingernails may not feel hard enough to damage teeth, chewing on these materials a lot can wear down your tooth enamel and lead to toothaches. Chewing on ice is also a big no-no. Some people say the act of chewing helps them think. If that’s the case, we suggest opting for a sugar-free gum instead.
Bruxism is a fancy dentist’s word for grinding or clenching your teeth. Many people clench or grind their teeth and don’t even know it, especially those who grind at night while they’re asleep. Considering the average human can exert about 160 pounds of force when they bite down, it’s easy to see how subjecting your teeth to this kind of relentless pressure can cause problems. Bruxism can cause toothaches, but also less obvious symptoms such as tooth sensitivity and worn tooth enamel, which makes your teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay, cracks, and chips. The dentist can check for signs of bruxism by examining your teeth and the muscles of your jaw. If you’ve been diagnosed with bruxism and have a nightguard, please wear it and prevent future problems!
Acid is a major enemy if you want strong teeth: it can eat through your teeth’s strong enamel, exposing the softer insides of your teeth and creating bigger cavities for bacteria to hide and grow in. If you’re continually bathing your teeth in acid because of what you eat and drink you may be setting yourself up for cavities and toothaches. Most people know that citrus fruits like lemons and oranges (and their juices) are highly acidic, but there are some other, sneakier foods that are also highly acidic, such as wine, soda (especially diet), pickles, cranberries and tomatoes. If you’re prone to decay, tooth sensitivity, or we’ve told you that you have weak enamel, we suggest minimizing these foods or brushing well after eating them.
These days people are being more and more conscious of what’s in the food they eat and the products they buy. But do you know what your toothpaste is made of? The answer is there are many different compounds that make up toothpaste. Modern toothpaste is truly a marvel of modern science that can remove stains and prevent tooth decay.
The official name for toothpaste is dentrifice, which means any substance intended to remove debris from teeth in order to prevent tooth decay. Dentrifice used to include both tooth powders and toothpastes, until the invention of the toothpaste tube made pre-mixed pastes much more popular because they were more convenient. Dentrifice is still the French word for toothpaste, though it hasn’t been used in English since around the turn of the 20th century.
All toothpastes have at least two key components: abrasives and surfactants. Abrasives are rough materials that aid the toothbrush in scrubbing debris such as plaque, tartar and food particles from teeth. Perhaps the most well-known toothpaste abrasive is sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. Other abrasives include aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and silicas.
Abrasives also polish teeth so they’re shiny and smooth, but using them too roughly can actually damage teeth by stripping away enamel, which makes teeth more vulnerable to tooth decay. That’s why it’s better to use a soft-bristled toothbrush than a hard bristle one, and to brush thoroughly, not hard.
Surfactants are compounds that help toothpaste get nice and foamy. This lathering effect has a real purpose: it helps evenly distribute the abrasives and other components, such as fluoride. While your dentist and the American Dental Association recommends toothpastes with fluoride for most people, there are fluoride free varities for those with a fluoride sensitivity. Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps prevent tooth decay and can even remineralize degraded tooth enamel.
Other inactive ingredients found in toothpaste include water (which can account for nearly 40% of what’s in the tube) and chemicals to keep the paste from drying out, such as propylene glycol and glycerol. Some pastes also include anti-bacterial agents that can help eliminate the bacteria that cause gum disease. Specialized toothpastes, such as whitening or anti-sensitivity, may contain other compounds that contribute to their particular purpose.
If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed by the choices in the toothpaste aisle, feel free to talk to our dental care team about which toothpaste is right for you.
