Every day, you do your best to take care of your teeth and gums. You brush, floss and eat healthily but sometimes, without realizing it, you do things causing damage to your oral health.
What are some common things you should avoid doing to keep your healthy smile? Hint: Missing on your dental appointment is one of them.
When you finish brushing your teeth you tend to store your toothbrush near the sink in the washroom. Why would you want to store it somewhere else? Toothbrushes have been known to show signs of feces. Yuck! How is this possible? When you flush your toilet, the contents in the bowl spray out, possibly landing on the bristles of your brush.
Solution?
Instead of worrying about putting a contaminated toothbrush in your mouth, try keeping it somewhere else. A drawer or medicine cabinet might be a better place than your vanity counter.
Do you think your teeth will become cleaner with a harder-bristled brush? This belief is false. The harder the bristles, the more damage you can cause to your teeth and gums. The force of hard bristles can remove protective enamel making your teeth more prone to erosion. Damage to soft gums lining your teeth is also a risk.
Solution?
Use an extra soft-bristled toothbrush to dislodge food particles and keep plaque away while avoiding harming your mouth. Take your time to brush your teeth, instead of aggressively rushing through the process.
Do you consume a lot of dried fruits as part of your diet? Stop eating copious amounts of dried fruits because they are actually causing cavities, plaque, bad breath, and gum disease. How? The sugar and texture stick in the nooks and crannies of your teeth, allowing bacteria to grow.
Solution?
An optional healthy snack is fresh fruit. You still get the tropical flavours you love without compromising the health of your teeth. Plus, fresh fruit contains the Vitamin C your body craves for healthy survival. As long as you don’t over consume, you should be good.
Teeth are at their weakest point right after a meal. Why? The acids in our diet can weaken tooth enamel, demineralizing it. You are more prone to deterioration if you brush your teeth as soon as you finish your meal. It can take approximately 30-45 minutes for saliva to re-mineralize, hardening your tooth enamel.
Solution?
Take time to do the dishes, watch your favourite show or play a board game after you eat instead of rushing to brush your teeth. When you do brush your teeth, make sure you floss as necessary to remove any food stuck between your teeth. Your enamel will once again find its strength and be able to protect you from harm.
You have a fear of going to the dentist because you believe the treatments will hurt. Maybe you have bad breath and don’t want the embarrassment of the dentist smelling a foul odour from your mouth. You skip out on your twice a year dental check-ups and cleanings. Missing dentist appointments means you are putting yourself at risk for possible further oral health issues such as periodontal disease. If you avoid the dentist, you might be ignoring signs of cavities only viewable with x-rays. Not knowing doesn’t take a problem away, it prolongs the inevitable and might make it worse.
Solution?
Go to your dental appointments on a regular basis so your dentist can let you know if there is an issue and fix it for you. Regularly visiting the dentist means you will likely keep a healthy mouth. Your dentist can even give you sedation if need be to make your experience more relaxed.
Your dentist can help you save those precious teeth and gums from sudden demise. Take care of minor dental situations with guidance, tips and tricks from your dentist.
