Take Control Of Your Dental Health

You can make a difference in the outcome regarding your dental health. How white your teeth are, how many cavities you get, whether or not your teeth fall out; these things are not predetermined somehow. There are many things that we do on a daily basis that can and does affect our dental health.

The obvious things that we can do to have good dental hygiene is to have good brushing and flossing habits. How often do you brush your teeth? Do you even floss at all? Most of us fail when it comes to how often or how long we brush. Our teeth need us to remove food and sugars deposited by beverages throughout the day. After meals are ideal times to brush as that is when we consume the bulk of what we eat and drink during the day. In between meals when we consume sugary drinks, the best we can do is to rinse our mouth with water or chew sugarless gum. Dentists recommend brushing for at least 2 to 3 minutes in duration. We need to be sure we are brushing all surfaces of each tooth, which cannot be done with a quick 30-second brush.

Did you know that there are events in our lives and other health issues that can affect our dental health? Just the aging process means that we eat different foods. Babies and toddlers tend to eat fewer sugar containing foods and drinks than older kids and adults. We consume more sugar the older we get because we are exposed to larger diet options. We also become busier as we age and are tempted to spend less time caring for our teeth. Women who become pregnant have special oral hygiene needs and should make an appointment with their dentist when they first find out they have conceived to evaluate their dental health. Those who are prescribed medications that dry out their mouths should also make an appointment to have a dentist check their mouth and design a treatment plan to compensate for the decrease in saliva. Saliva is important to dental hygiene because it helps wash away bacteria in your mouth.

Make sure that they type of toothpaste or gel you are using contains fluoride. Fluoride is not just for children. Most people understand that fluoride helps young children by strengthening developing teeth. Fluoride also helps teens and adults by preventing decay on tooth enamel. When purchasing your toothpaste, check the label to be sure that it contains fluoride. Mouthwash can also be a good source of fluoride. Should you require more fluoride, your dentist can prescribe a higher amount of fluoride in rinses or gels.

Leaving food particles on our teeth for long periods of time can lead to tooth decay. It only takes 20 minutes of food or sugar from beverages, remaining on your teeth to start to form acid from bacteria. If you must snack or drink sugary beverages in between brushings be sure to rinse with water or chew sugarless gum to help loosen and remove these deposits from your teeth. Those who constantly snack or drink sugary beverages through out the day are more prone to leaving these particles on their teeth for extended periods of time; depending on how often they brush during the day. Obviously the more we eat and drink the more we are depositing on our teeth and the greater the need to brush and floss becomes.

The use of tobacco or smokeless tobacco products not only creates staining on your teeth; these products also lead to gingivitis, oral cancer and periodontitis. According to dictionary.com, gingivitis is "Inflammation of the gums, characterized by redness and swelling", and periodontitis is "inflammation of the periodontium caused by bacteria that infect the roots of teeth and the surrounding gum crevices, producing bleeding, pus formation, and gradual loss of bone and the tissues that support the teeth".

You see your dentist usually twice a year and you see your mouth everyday. You have more chances to examine your mouth for chipped teeth, sores on the inside of your mouth or tongue, swollen gums or any discoloration of your teeth. If you spot any of these conditions, make an appointment with your dentist to have them checked out. You can take control of your dental health.