This article, part 2 of 2, presents five interesting facts about oral health and hygiene.

Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 3: Missing Teeth and Tooth Loss Doesn’t Discriminate Between the Age Groups.

It’s true that we typically associate missing teeth and tooth loss with the elderly, or at least those that are entering into their late adulthood. And we are well aware that countless people have teeth pulled by the dentist in Boca Raton during the course of their lifetime; generally as a result of decay, gum disease a failed root canal or problematic wisdom teeth. These problems certainly do not discriminate between the age groups, although statistics indicate that the majority of Americans presenting with multiple missing teeth and edentulism (not having a single original adult tooth left) are 65 and older. However, according to the dentist in Boca Raton, there are also many people that are born without a full set of teeth! Missing wisdom teeth are the most common, followed by the left lateral incisor; the tooth next to your two large front teeth.

The moral of this story, says the dentist Boca Raton, is not to take your complete set of pearly whites for granted. Look after them your whole life and you won’t have to become another statistic of tooth loss in the United States.

Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 4: Too Much Fluoride can be a Very Bad Thing!

We’ve all been raised with the understanding that fluoride is essential to the health of our teeth. But as with everything in life, too much of a good thing can prove to be bad! According to the dentist in Boca Raton, children who are exposed to too much fluoride, especially before the age of eight, when their adult teeth are still growing beneath the gums, can develop ‘fluorosis’. This condition is characterized by intrinsic staining of the dental enamel, which unfortunately cannot simply be polished off or buffed away.

The problem comes from the actual ingestion of fluoride, says the dentist in Boca Raton. Fluoridated toothpastes are meant to be applied to the teeth topically and not swallowed, as so many children ignorantly do. Make sure you supervise your kids when brushing their teeth; teach them about the dangers of swallowing toothpaste and show them how to squeeze out a pea-sized amount. Any more than that and they risk swallowing amounts of fluoride sufficient to cause this unaesthetic condition, warns the dentist in Boca Raton.

Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 5: Orthodontic Braces can Cause Cavities

People with braces need to be extra careful about neglecting their oral hygiene. Braces act as a natural trap for food, acid and bacteria, which erodes away the dental enamel, leading to the formation of cavities and localized decay. As such, those with orthodontic braces absolutely need to be very strict about maintaining a high standard of hygiene, says the dentist in Boca Raton. There are special cleaning products and materials available for patients with braces; if you want your teeth to emerge from orthodontic treatment perfectly straight AND healthy, then make sure you use them!

This article, part 1 of 2, presents five interesting facts about oral health and hygiene.

Your teeth enable you to eat, chew, articulate properly in speech and of course, look dashing when you smile! They go with you wherever you go and they are as attached to you as your belly button is to your stomach. You thought you understood everything there was to know about your teeth, but think again, says the dentist in Boca Raton! In this two-part article series, we shall be exploring five interesting facts about your teeth and your oral health that may come as quite a surprise!

The Dentist Boca Raton traditionally warns us away from a diet that is high in sugar. And while this is for good reason – bacteria thrive in a sugar-rich environment – acid is just as dangerous in undermining the health of your teeth. Foods such as sour candies, fruit juices and soft drinks create an extremely acidic environment in the mouth, which actually softens the enamel of the teeth. This makes them more vulnerable to erosion, says the dentist in Boca Raton, which results in a reduction in the size of the teeth. The worst you can do is indulge in ultra-sticky, sour children’s candies and, instead of drinking water, to live on fruit juices and sodas. Acid erosion virtually melts away the enamel of the teeth, leaving the softer and more vulnerable dentine underneath exposed.

What You Can Do: Avoiding acidic foods is impossible. For starters, it would mean cutting fruit out of your diet! But there are things you can do to minimize the effects of acid erosion on the dental enamel, says the dentist in Boca Raton.

Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 2: Enamel May Be the Hardest Substance in the Body, But it Can and Does Break Easily.

The sole function of your teeth is for eating food: incising, chewing and grinding, says the dentist in Boca Raton. Habits such as grinding ice, forcing open containers and chewing on popcorn kernels are short-cuts to chipped and fractured pearly whites! If you want to keep your teeth in good condition, then stop using them as tools. Additionally, tongue and lip piercings are exceptionally bad for your teeth. Every time you talk, they click against the dental enamel, which risks the formation of chips and can result in long-term erosion.

The Dentist in Boca Raton: Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for the next article post from this dentist in Boca Raton. In the final installment of our two-part series, we shall be exploring the three remaining interesting facts about your teeth.