Valentine Sweets From Your Sweetie? 10 Vital Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Healthy for Life
As we approach another 'candy-sponsored' holiday we need to keep in mind just who the real victims are after we gorge on and enjoy the sweets inevitably put before us as tokens of affection. While the intent may be admirable, the sweet and gooey confections we enjoy so much become literal banquets for some of the more than 800 pathogens secretly inhabiting our teeth and under our gum lines--many of which (50-75 of them) are the culprits causing decay and furthering the diseases which lead us to the dentist in order to ease the resulting pain from abscesses, bleeding gums and even bad breath. Here are ten quick tips to help your teeth through the holiday and keep them healthy for a long, long time.
Myrtle Beach, SC (PRWEB) February 1, 2006
Brush regularly and immediately after eating - even after snacking. You wouldn't put your dishes back in the cupboard after a meal without first washing them--yet many of us will go right to bed without brushing our teeth. Brushing keeps small food particles and sugars from becoming giant feasts for unwanted bacteria. If possible, brush a full two minutes or longer. Divide the teeth into quadrants and spend at least 30 seconds on each quadrant. Use the sulcus technique, angling the bristles and gently inserting and cleaning underneath the gum line while you brush. If you are not sure how to do this, ask your hygienist. If you cannot brush, at least swish water around your mouth and in between the teeth, removing food particles from in between the teeth and those trapped just below the gum line.
2. Select a good dentifrice and stick with it. You don’t need much and when the mouth fills with foam, many people will spit it out and consider themselves finished brushing. There are many, many toothpastes, soaps and powders on the market all touting claims from being the best whitener to being the most natural. Try a powder with a good mixture of baking soda, salt and flavoring - you’ll never go back to pastes. Fluoride? You won’t need it if you keep to a strict hygiene routine. Hydrogen peroxide? Good old baking soda is proven to be a better anti-microbial without the risk. You will be surprised how clean your teeth feel after using a baking soda-based powder. (See information on common household dentifrices and formulas you can make at home: http:mizar5.com/keyes. html)
3. Brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper. Why do a great job on your teeth only to have them come into immediate contact with the microbes living on the surface of your tongue? As an added benefit, your breath will be much better.
4. Floss or tape the teeth at least once a day. Flossing further helps to clean and remove calculus where your toothbrush cannot reach.
5. Learn how to irrigate the teeth and gums and do it daily. Oral Irrigation serves several purposes; it helps to remove food particles trapped between the teeth and below the gum line, using the right antimicrobial fluid in your irrigator can help remove the ‘biofilm’ which harbors bacteria dangerous to your oral health and irrigating massages the gums resulting in increased circulation.
6. Irrigate deep pockets with a cannula tip and good antimicrobial solution. This measure is one of the best things an individual can do, on his or her own, to assist in stopping decay where pockets have formed between the tooth and gum. Before you buy an oral irrigator, make sure you select an irrigator such as the Via Jet, which can accommodate the tiny cannula tips. Not all do. When irrigating a deep pocket, the cannula tip is small enough to deliver the antimicrobial solution deep, where the regular irrigator tip cannot reach. Ask your dentist for help in this. If you have the right dentist, he’ll be supportive and informative in your personal hygiene efforts.
7. See your dental professionals regularly, but choose them wisely. There are good offices and bad ones and you need to seek a good hygienist as well as a D. D.S. Make sure your hygienist is allowed a good hour with you -- enough time to properly work on your teeth. Listen to your hygienist when she tells you about a problem area and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be on time for your appointments. Talk to your dentist about ‘periodontal anti-infective therapy’ involving home irrigation and antimicrobial solutions. This is cutting edge science and a little effort on your part can keep you away from the ‘specialist.’ Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If your professional won’t take the time to answer you in a way you can understand or gets offended by your questions, it may be time to move on.
8. White teeth do not necessarily mean healthy teeth. While your biggest concern right now may be your smile, make sure that smile will be there, in good shape, years from now. Tooth whitening is tremendously popular today and many companies are catering to the market. While tooth whiteners remove staining, to some degree, they do not necessarily do the cleaning job required for healthy teeth and gums.
9. Nutrition is half the battle. A demineralization and remineralization process is taking place constantly as the teeth are being bathed in healthy saliva (See article on ‘Demineralization’ at www. mizar5.com/demin. htm (http://www. mizar5.com/demin. htm )). The body is equipped to care for itself as long as conditions are right, and as everything else in the body requires good nutrition, the teeth and gums are no exception. Staying away from sugar is fine, but don’t forget carbohydrates; cakes, breads, chips… Vitamin C has long been known as important for healthy gums and a good mineral supplement will provide the calcium and phosphorus your teeth need. Your strong autoimmune system is one of your best defenses against poor oral health and GOOD food is your best source of essential vitamins & minerals.
10. Finally, allow the time, take the time, and be on time. These are YOUR teeth. How you care for them will determine how they will care for you down the road. This is your best dental insurance and attention to your good oral health could even save your life.
For more tips and helpful information about good oral care and dental alternatives visit www. Mizar5.com.
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