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Here are some
dental tips to
help maintain good dental health:
Avoid excessive use of sugar. This seems like a simple piece of advice,
but let's list the things that cause problems:
Dental tip 1:
Carbonated drinks with sugar
-- Many of these products have
extremely high sugar content combined with acid. The sugar is turned into
an acid by bacteria. This acid, along with the acid in the beverage
actually eats away the hard outer layer of the tooth. This allows the
bacteria to invade the inner portion of the tooth, eventually causing an
abscess.
Dental
tip 2: Understanding
How Drugs and Medications Affect Your Dental Health
Many drugs such as antihistamines, medication for
hypertension (high blood
pressure), anti -depressants and others can cause a condition called
xerostomia (dry mouth). Unfortunately, many people try to alleviate this
problem with hard candy or cough drops, which can have an extremely high
sugar content. The result can be
numerous areas of decay in a short period
of time. This problem is seen quite frequently in adults who have had excellent dental health for years before they experience problems with dry
mouth.
PATIENTS WITH DRY MOUTH OFTEN NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR A SPECIAL TOOTHPASTE
OR RINSE.
Caffeine and nicotine also cause xerostomia. If you drink coffee with
sugar in it or sodas with caffeine and sugar, you are exposing your teeth
to acid and sugar while reducing the saliva flow which would normally wash
away the sugar and acid.
Dental
tip 3:
Do Not Use Tobacco
Recent studies show that tobacco use is a significant risk factor in
periodontal disease (gum disease). Studies also indicate that uncontrolled
periodontal disease increases the chance of strokes and other
cardiovascular diseases.
Dental tip 4:
Why Maintaining "Baby Teeth" is Important
"Baby teeth" are also known as primary teeth. They are
extremely important in maintaining proper space and position to allow the
permanent teeth to erupt in the proper position. Some children may retain
their primary teeth until they are 12 to 14 years old. Cavities in baby
teeth
cause the same problems as cavities in permanent teeth and require
proper treatment.
Dental
tip 5:
Hard candy
-- These (like most carbonated drinks) have no nutritional value, if your
children love hard candy, you must HELP THEM LIMIT THEIR SUGAR USE!
Dental tip 6:
Proper Oral Hygiene -- Many parents think that telling their
children to brush is all it takes. The fact is, parents need to help
their children brush after the children brush their own teeth.
See How to brush and floss
Dental tip 7:
PREVENTION IS THE KEY -- While modern dentistry is amazing, only a
natural tooth can last 100 years! |