5 Important Tips For Great Dental Health
Dental health is important to most people. If not for the health benefits many individuals are conscious of their oral health for the social benefits. A good looking smile and pleasant smelling breath are definite crowd pleasers. No one wants to have rotten teeth or the pain that comes with ignoring your mouth. Below are five important tips for great dental health. Of course there are more than five things that you can do to improve your oral and overall health; these listed tips are just a good place to start.
1. Brush ? Brushing your teeth is the most highly recommended method for non-smokers to maintain great dental health. When you bush your teeth you wash away food debris that can eat away at your teeth and open the door for cavities, tooth decay, and bacterial infections. Likewise, when you brush your teeth you are brushing away the plaque that forms. Brushing away plaque is important because tartar needs plaque to be able tostick to the teeth and do damage to the tooth?s enamel. Brushing your teeth with a paste or gel that contains fluoride can provide you with even more protection against cavities. In addition to cleaning your teeth, brushing cleans your gums, tongue and breath.
Ideally we should be brushing our teeth after every meal but obviously our fast paced world does not always allow for a teeth brushing break. So brushing at least twice a day is what dentists? recommend.
2. Floss ? Brushing and flossing go hand in hand. Brushing does not clean all parts of the teeth and gums. The space of tooth and gum between teeth is just as susceptible, if not more so, for decay as are other portions of the teeth. Flossing ensures that pieces of food that have become lodged in the teeth during chewing are dislodged and that the surrounding area is left clean.
3. Preventative dentist?s appointments twice a year ? If you think your semi-annual dentist appointment are just for cleaning and x-rays you do not see the bigger picture. Yes, at your dentist?s appointment the dental hygienist gives you a thorough tooth brushing and flossing, but did you know that she also cleans away any plaque and tartar build-up that has accumulated over the last six months. If you have tartar, this cleaning is the only opportunity that you will have to clean it as dentists and hygienist have special tools that they have to use to remove tartar. Additionally, the dentist can be your best friend when it comes to preventing serious and even potentially deadly diseases. Periodontal disease can be detected and treated early when you are seeing your dentist as often as you should.
If left untreated, periodontal disease can open the door to the possibility of more serious problems such as heart disease, oral cancer, respiratory problems, diabetes, etc.
4. Watch what you eat ? Watching what you eat not only includes avoiding foods that will hurt your teeth, but also means that you should be eating foods that improve the health of your teeth. Calcium is vital in maintaining strong teeth through your lifetime. Just as you bones become weaker with age due to decreases in calcium so to do your teeth. Of course there are foods that we need to avoid in order to maintain great dental health. Foods with excessive amounts of sugar, caffeine, or carbonation will stain and eat away at your teeth. Likewise, eating foods that are hard or using our teeth for purposes other than eating (such as opening a package with your teeth) can cause damage to teeth and no repair will ever be as good as had you not had damage to your teeth in the first place.
5. Quit smoking ? If you are a smoker and want great dental health you must quit smoking. No other action will do more to ensure that you have your teeth well into old age. Smoking increases the risks for periodontal disease, tooth loss, oral cancer and the list goes on. There is no way to smoke and keep your teeth healthy at the same time.
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