This two-part article series explains what the health of your teeth and gums can tell a dental healthcare professional about your lifestyle and the bad habits you may have.

Whether you’re hitting it hard at work, or hitting it hard after hours (or both), an unbalanced lifestyle can take a visible toll on your oral health. In this two-part article series, the Arlington Texas dentist discusses some of the consequences unhealthy living has on the quality of your smile…

1. Hitting it Hard at Work

The human lifestyle has moved out of the forests and plains and into the concrete jungle. When intellect is pitted against intellect, it takes a lot of time, effort and hard work to get to the top of your game, whatever your ‘game’ may be. “Nowadays, most of us spend eight or more hours draped over our computers, leaving us precious little time to do those essential activities that keep us strong and healthy, both physically and mentally,” says the Arlington Texas dentist. These include:

• Eating properly and regularly
• Getting a good night’s rest
• Exercising
• Socializing with friends
• Spending time with family
• Pursuing a hobby

The results of a life spent rushing from one appointment to the next vary depending upon the individual. But without the time we need to recharge our batteries, the common denominator ends up being stress. And stress, as the Arlington Texas dentist will tell you, wrecks your teeth!

Arlington Texas Dentist: Your Arlington Dental Health and Teeth-Grinding, or ‘Bruxism’

“Teeth grinding and jaw clenching are unconscious expressions of stress and anxiety,” explains the Arlington Texas dentist. “They also occur most frequently at night, when you’re asleep, so you might not even be aware that you do it.”

The Arlington Texas dentist can generally tell from the excessive wear on the biting surface of your molars if you are a teeth grinder. They can also tell by the presence of fracturing in your dental enamel. The short of it is that teeth grinding, which is believed to be caused by stress, absolutely wrecks your Arlington dental health.

Arlington Texas Dentist: Your Arlington Dental Health and Poor Eating Habits

“A stressful lifestyle can also have a deleterious impact upon your eating patterns, as well as the quality of what you eat,” explains the Arlington Texas dentist. If you’re incredibly busy during the day, you may find yourself grabbing what you can for lunch and unfortunately the most accessible food is, as the name suggests, ‘fast food’. “It’s much easier to grab a hot dog from a food vendor than it is to spend 20 minutes packing your own healthy lunch at home,” says the Arlington Texas dentist. “And if you don’t have the time to get lunch, energy drinks and sugar-packed snacks will fill in the gaps!”

The result of all this is an unhealthy, unbalanced and irregular diet. “Your Arlington dental health depends as much upon nutrition as the rest of your body,” explains the Arlington Texas dentist. “Not only will this kind of diet take a toll on your immune system, but the high sugar and acidic content of fast foods, sugared beverages and energy snacks and drinks will increase your risk of cavities and tooth decay.”

Arlington Texas Dentist: Your Arlington Dental Health and Addiction

“Last, but certainly not least, stressful lifestyles tend to culture addictions,” explains the Arlington Texas dentist. Most people rely on coping mechanisms to deal with stress. They provide a mental vacation from the incredibly difficult tasks at hand. For the smoker, a cigarette break provides seven delicious minutes of peace and quiet. For the 12-a-day coffee drinker, caffeine provides the nervous energy they need to meet their deadlines.

Then there are the more dangerous addictions: prescription pain-killers and sedatives to numb the brain against constant anxiety. “Highly educated people can even turn to illegal drugs to help them cope with stress, however false this coping may be: crystal meth, cocaine and heroin,” says the Arlington Texas dentist.

All of these addictions, one way or the other, ruin your teeth and lead to the development of diseases like gingivitis, periodontitis and even oral cancer.

For More on Your Arlington Dental Health, Stay Tuned:

People hitting it hard at work need to find a healthy balance and they need to prioritize what’s important; their health,” stresses the Arlington Texas dentist.

But this isn’t where things end. When the sun goes down, people who hit it hard at work tend to swing violently to the other end of the spectrum, hitting it hard after hours…

Stay tuned for the second installment of this article series!

This three-part article series takes an in-depth exploration of the short and long term effects of tobacco addiction upon your oral health.

“Quitting smoking is easy! I’ve done it a thousand times!”

– Mark Twain

As a smoker, you are aware of the various health warnings provided on cigarette boxes. And yet, in spite of the new, more graphic depictions being printed on the packaging of your favorite anytime past-time, you still manage to maintain a distance between yourself and these health warnings. You’re far too young to worry about heart disease, aren’t you?

But what about your teeth?

You don’t need to be a heavy lifelong smoker to begin to see the impact of this habit on your pearly whites, warns the Arlington Texas dentist. Tooth discoloration, chronic bad breath, gum inflammation, taste and smell impediment, dry mouth and ‘black hairy tongue’ are but a few of the ramifications of an addiction to tobacco smoking.

In the first installment of this three-part article series, the Arlington Texas dentist provided an in-depth account of both the short and long term consequences of smoking on your oral health. Now, in this article, the second installment, we shall be focusing more on some helpful oral healthcare recommendations for smokers. Armed with these tips, the Arlington TX dentist hopes that those who have been actively trying to kick the habit (or at least entertaining the idea) will find the resolve to finally do so.

Arlington Texas Dentist: Recommendations

Sure, it’s easy to say “stop smoking,” which is the Arlington Texas dentist’s main recommendation. It’s never too late to reduce and minimize the health risks, so the sooner you do, the less your chance of doing lasting and permanent damage. But quitting is far easier said than done. Most smokers have tried and failed to quit. Most smokers will try many, many times to kick the habit before they finally succeed, remarks the Arlington Texas dentist. Nicotine addiction is only the tip of the iceberg really. Within 72 hours of smoking cessation, all the nasty associated chemicals will have left your body and your physical dependence thereon, beaten. It’s the strong psychological addiction that represents a smoker’s biggest battle, explains the Arlington Texas dentist.

Here are some fundamental oral health and hygiene tips from the Arlington TX dentist for smokers:

• Firstly, it has to be said: Stop smoking or chewing tobacco!

• Be extra strict about keeping those bi-annual appointments with the Arlington Texas dentist and oral hygienist. This will enable him or her to provide the preventative healthcare you need to combat the effects of smoking on your teeth and gums. They’ll also be able to perform thorough checks for oral cancer.

• Maintain a rigorous home oral hygiene routine. As a smoker, you are at a much greater risk of periodontal (gum) disease, explains the Arlington Texas dentist. Due to lower saliva production (the mouth’s natural defense against bacteria), impeded blood circulation and a compromised immune system, smokers will naturally have greater numbers of oral bacteria and therefore, a greater and speedier build-up of plaque and tartar in their mouths. For this reason, it is essential that you brush and floss regularly and thoroughly, advises the Arlington Texas dentist. Also, use a tongue cleaner to scrape bacteria off your tongue and use an anti-bacterial mouthwash as an extra precaution. Complement this routine with regular dental hygiene appointments at the Arlington Texas dentist’s office.

• Learn how to perform a thorough check for oral and throat cancer. According to the Arlington Texas dentist, this involves checking for:

i. Red, white or dark patches on the soft tissues in the mouth (gums, palate, cheeks and on or under the tongue.)

ii. Frequent bleeding in the mouth, says the Arlington TX dentist.

iii. Sores around the mouth, face or neck that persist for more than two weeks.

iv. Numbness, loss of feeling or pain at any location in the mouth, says the Arlington Texas dentist.

v. Bumps, swelling or lumps on the neck, gums, lips, cheeks, tongue, palate or anywhere else in the mouth and on the face.

If any of these patches, sores or bumps do not disappear within two weeks, immediately schedule an appointment with the Arlington Texas dentist. He or she will perform a biopsy on the anomaly to determine whether it is cancerous or not.

Interesting Note: Regular brushing and the fresh, minty, clean feeling it leaves in the mouth can actually help to restrain the urge to smoke, says the Arlington Texas dentist. So, keep a toothbrush and some anti-bacterial mouthwash handy while you battle your addiction and it could provide you with the little extra encouragement you need!

Arlington Texas Dentist: Stay Tuned

Now that the Arlington Texas dentist has provided some tips on how to manage your oral health and hygiene as a smoker, we shall move on to answering some of your frequently asked questions. Stay tuned for the third and final installment of the Arlington TX dentist’s article series on the impact of tobacco use on one’s oral health.