Understanding How Diet Can Hurt And Help Your Teeth

Whether you call it tooth decay, cavities, or dental caries, the destruction of tooth enamel can cause serious damage to the long-term health of your teeth and gums. When failing to quickly address tooth decay the condition only continues to get worse, and can eventually lead to the development of gum disease and tooth loss.

Cavities develop when simple sugars linger on your teeth, which allows destructive bacteria that grows in the mouth to produce substances that erode tooth enamel over time. Despite popular misconceptions, tooth decay and cavities doesn’t just occur in kids. The older people become, the more susceptible their teeth are to the effects of tooth decay because of naturally receding gums. This is especially true for adults over the age of 50, an age group that has seen a rise in the number of cavities over the last 20 years.

Preventing Tooth Decay
Fortunately preventing tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease is rather simple, according to the American Dental Association, for adults and children by following these four simple steps:

• Brush at least twice a day for two minutes at a time using a toothpaste that contains fluoride
• Floss at least once a day
• Scheduling regular visits with a dentist for routine checkups and cleanings
• Limit snacking and eating a balanced diet

While most people already understand the importance of these first three steps having undergone countless lectures from parents and the dentist as children, many people don’t how dramatically their diet can impact the health of their teeth and gums.

Diet and Tooth Decay
While food high in simple sugars can contribute to the development of tooth decay, a handful of foods have also been found to make a positive impact on the health of your teeth.

Apples. An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away, especially if that doctor’s a dentist. Biting into a crisp apple aids saliva with cleaning your teeth, and studies have shown that the flavonoids apples contain also help to inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth.

Cheese. Munching on a bit of cheese can improve your oral health by preventing demineralization of tooth enamel. Cheese also contains protein that naturally counters acts the harmful substances released by bacteria in the mouth that damages tooth enamel. For those concerned about what too much cheese can do to the waistline, you don’t have  to overindulge to benefit your teeth, as just five grams of cheese a day is all you need.

Cocoa. Cocoa, coffee, and tea all contain polyphenols, a nutrient unique to plants that can help stop the development of tooth decay by fighting the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Unfortunately the high levels of sugar found in chocolate offset this natural benefit of cocoa, but you can still enjoy the advantages offered by the nutrient by drinking plenty of tea and coffee. Just avoid adding too much sugar and honey, and make sure to schedule regular appointments with your dentist to prevent tooth staining from drinking coffee and tea.

Cranberries. Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, and most other types of berries contain flavonoids, an organic compound that helps to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to your teeth. Cranberries are especially helpful as studies have shown that eating the berry decreases the growth of bacteria found in saliva that contributes to the development of cavities.

About The Author
John Nickelbottom is a freelance health writer. 

By: Unknown On 8:59 AM

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A Serious Look At The Cause Of Sore Gums

If you suffer from sore, red gums that occasionally bleed after brushing, you may have developed gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. Millions of Americans deal with gingivitis each year, and a study conducted by the American Dental Association found that 70 percent of all adults will battle the disease at some point in their life.

The problem with gingivitis is that the disease’s mild symptoms are easy to overlook, which could prevent you from seeking treatment until it has progressed into a more serious form of gum disease called periodontitis. Fortunately, you can reverse the effects of gingivitis by practicing quality oral hygiene.

The Causes of Gingivitis
By failing to brush and floss at least twice a day, you allow deposits of plaque, a harmful bacteria that thrives in the mouth, to buildup around the base of your teeth. Whenever you consume foods or drinks that contain sugar, plaque releases acids that destroy tooth enamel and cause decay. Once you allow plaque to remain on your teeth for at least 72 hours, it transforms into tartar, a hardened from of the bacteria that can only be removed from your teeth by a dentist.

When tartar forms along your gum line, it makes brushing and flossing these areas of the mouth difficult. Eventually plaque deposits start to irritate and inflame gum tissue along the base of your teeth, which results in the development of gingivitis.

The Symptoms of Gingivitis
Because the symptoms of gingivitis start off as very mild, you can suffer from the disease and not realize it until the symptoms have progressed. In time, you may begin to notice:

• Gums that have become purplish, red, or swollen. Healthy gums should appear pink and firm.
• Gums that bleed, especially after brushing of flossing.
• Gums that have become sore or tender to the touch.
• The development of mouth sores.

If you suspect you suffer from gingivitis, contact your dentist for an appointment. By performing a routine oral examination, your dentist can determine whether you have gingivitis and how far along the disease has progressed.

Preventing Gingivitis
In order to maintain and improve your oral health, the American Dental Association recommends taking the following preventive steps:

• Brush at least twice a day. While most people brush before bedtime, a large portion of the population fails to brush in the morning shortly after waking up. By failing to brush in the morning, you allow plaque that has built up overnight to damage your teeth following each meal of the day. Brushing in the morning allows you to remove excess plaque from your teeth, which prevents much of the damage that the bacteria would otherwise cause.
• Floss daily. For many dentists, flossing plays a more vital role in preventing gum disease than brushing. That’s because flossing helps to remove plaque from areas between teeth that your toothbrush cannot reach. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who fail to floss, you’re allowing plaque to build up between teeth where it can slowly contribute to not only the development of gum disease but tooth decay as well.
• Schedule regular dental appointments. Few people enjoy visiting the dentist, but to enjoy a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums, you need to put aside any dental anxiety and visit at least once every six months. Scheduling regular checkups with the dentist allows him or her the opportunity to spot early signs of gum disease before it has an opportunity to develop into the more serious periodontitis.  

 About The Author
John Nickelbottom is a freelance health writer. 

By: Unknown On 8:40 AM

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The Five Things You Should Be Doing To Keep Your Teeth In Top Condition

We are all taught as children how to look after our teeth but since our childhood the technology and various methods available for keeping our teeth in great condition has changed. There’s a lot more we can do now but if we were taught to look after our teeth one way we may not be aware that what we are doing isn’t right or maybe it’s just not enough. Here are five things you must do to ensure your teeth, gums and mouth are perfectly healthy-

Brushing
Brushing? Surely everybody brushes? Well I’d like to think so, but it’s how you’re brushing your teeth that could be causing issues. Most of us were brought up using a hand held manual toothbrush but today dentists advise that we use an electric toothbrush for a better clean. Many of those who do use an electric toothbrush still use it like a manual brush, physically brushing from side to side. The most effective way to use an electric toothbrush is to hold it still on each tooth, moving it round from the front to the sides and the back.

Flossing
Flossing is something a lot of us skip mainly because we don’t know the benefits. Whilst brushing properly with an electric toothbrush and good toothpaste gets rid of most of the plaque and bacteria in your mouth some can be left behind in between your teeth. Flossing properly will remove this and ensures that nothing is left behind. You need to floss every morning and night after brushing your teeth to help keep decay at bay.

Rinsing
The third step to keeping your teeth and mouth in perfect health is rinsing properly with mouthwash. Through brushing you have dislodged and removed most of the bacteria but until you rise some of it will remain in your mouth. At the end of brushing and flossing morning and night use an anti-bacterial mouth wash to thoroughly rinse your mouth to finish your cleaning regime.

Regular Checkups
Visiting the dentist every 6 months is essential to your oral health. By visiting the dentist for checkups on a regular basis you can make sure any problems with your teeth such as decay or disease can be caught early on and rectified causing the minimum damage possible. Dentists can also offer advice and catch you out if you’re not doing something quite right when it comes to your oral care to ensure you are getting the most out possible of your care regime and it’s worth the time you put in.

Keep Sugar At A Minimum
Sugary treats not only are bad for our overall healthy but also our teeth too. Too much sugar can rot your teeth at an alarming rate accelerating decay. Try to keep them for an occasional treat to avoid much damage to your teeth. Never brush your teeth straight after eating something sugary as this will only rub the sugar into the protective enamel damaging it. Wait at least an hour after eating to brush your teeth.

About The Author
Eilidh MacRae works for Smile Care offer Plymouth dentistry helping you keep your smile healthy.

By: Unknown On 9:12 AM

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