This four-part article series explains 10 very important tips for keeping your teeth and gums in excellent life-long condition.
Welcome back to our four-part article series on the advice Bronx dental implants specialists have for maintaining excellent oral health. Before we provide the final two top tips, let’s take a brief recap of all the points we have covered thus far in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3…
Top Tip # 1: Start Caring for Teeth Early
Top Tip # 2: Prevent Potential Problems With a Seal
Top Tip # 3: Get Enough Fluoride, But Not Too Much
Top Tip # 4: Brush and Floss Daily, Thoroughly
Top Tip # 5: Chew Gum or Rinse Your Mouth out After Eating
Top Tip # 6: Protect Your Teeth from Trauma!
Top Tip # 7: Quit Smoking and/or Chewing Tobacco
Top Tip # 8: Eat Right
In this, the final installment of the series, we shall take a look at two final tidbits of advice dental implant specialists in NJ have for us.
Top Tip # 9: As Far As Possible, Avoid Sugar
Sugar is easily broken down by bacteria and so, it provides them with a potent fuel to multiply and proliferate in your mouth. Bacteria produce wastes that are very acidic, which serves to soften your dental enamel and make it more vulnerable to erosion, cavities and decay. “We always encourage patients to avoid sugar as far as possible and one of the best ways to cut down drastically is to avoid soft drinks and fruit juice,” says a Bronx dental implants specialist. “Also, if you take sugar in your tea and coffee, try reducing the number of teaspoons you have.”
Reducing the amount of processed sugar you have in your diet offers immense health benefits, not to mention substantially reducing your risk of tooth decay. Sugary foods and beverages should be regarded as a treat to be indulged in very lightly… not as day-to-day sustenance. Hard, sticky candies are also to be avoided because they tend to cling to the biting surfaces of the teeth, offering bacteria more fuel for longer.
Top Tip # 10: See Your Dentist
If you are, according to your dentist, in excellent oral health, then you should come for regularly scheduled appointments once every year. If you have been diagnosed or are being treated with gum disease – or any other oral ailment – you should see the dentist every six months or as instructed.
“The importance of regular professional dental care goes without question,” say dental implant specialists in NJ. Although you might not be aware of a problem, your dentist will recognize the warning signs early and will provide you with the appropriate restorative or preventative treatment to ensure that a problem is never allowed to progress to the point of tooth loss. Furthermore, frequent professional cleanings will remove hardened deposits of plaque, tartar, that regular tooth brushing cannot. This goes a long way in preventing gum disease and tooth decay.”
Other important services your dentist will provide you with include:
- Early oral cancer detection: Many cases can be completely treated if diagnosed in their early stages. Therefore it’s prudent to have your dentist check any sores or lesions that may develop, and see the dentist regularly for screening.
- Evidence of tooth grinding: Since most people grind their teeth at night while they’re asleep, this bad habit can go unrealized without professional attention. Bruxism, as the condition is referred to, wrecks your teeth and can lead to tooth decay and eventually loss.
- Possible side-effects caused by certain medications: Your dentist will be able to recognize whether any medications you’re on are having a negative effect upon your oral health,” explain Bronx dental implants specialists. “One example of such a side-effect would be xerostomia or dry mouth. An impeded flow of saliva in the mouth leads to an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease, since your saliva is your body’s natural defense against bacteria.”