Simple Habits to get into to save your natural teeth

If you knew what simple steps would keep you away from cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, and chipped teeth, would you make sure to do those steps?

While we can’t guarantee that you will never experience oral diseases, studies and history show us that certain behaviors increase your chances of healthy teeth and lower your chances of disease.

Incorporating these six simple habits will help you keep your natural teeth and increase your chances of avoiding cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, and chipped teeth:

Brushing

Brushing is perhaps the first habit that comes to your mind. While most people have a toothbrush, not everyone is brushing for 2 minutes a day, twice a day. We suggest twice a day to break up the bacteria that is in your mouth before becoming more destructive. Disrupting this bacteria and removing it from your teeth and gum tissue is vital because it will be damaging if you leave it alone for days or weeks.

Breaking up the bacteria will help reduce your risk of gum disease and cavities.

Flossing

Flossing is another mechanical way to break up food and bacteria that commonly like to hide between your teeth. Like brushing, flossing helps to reduce your risk of both cavities and gum disease. Flossing once a day is usually enough for most people to keep their gum tissue healthy.

Routine Dental Check-Ups, Oral Cancer Screenings, and Dental Cleanings

When it comes to oral health, catching a problem early is critical. Whether it be a cavity, gum disease, or oral cancer, the sooner you catch it and treat it, the better. Seeing a dentist twice a year is recommended for this reason. If anything is going on, we want to let you know as soon as possible.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride products are a great thing to be using a few times a day as they will help reduce your risk of developing cavities. Toothpaste and daily rinses are a great way to get fluoride to your teeth!

Many kids and adults benefit from routine fluoride treatments in our office. Our fluoride varnish is a simple process with lasting results! Not sure if you need more fluoride? Ask our dental team how you may benefit from fluoride!

Healthy Diet

Cavities have been linked to many factors, but diet is significant. Diet is a massive component in preventing disease. Sugar-filled and empty-calorie diets can wreak havoc on your health and your teeth. Studies show that sticking to a well-balanced diet, including foods high in calcium and plenty of fruits and vegetables, helps your body get the nutrition it needs for building strong teeth.

Sugar-filled and empty-calorie foods provide little to no nutritional value for your body. Many of them lead to inflammation in your body, and you may even notice inflammation in your gum tissue.

Hard candy, popcorn kernels, and ice are a few things that can lead to cracked teeth. Avoiding chewing on these things will keep your teeth and your restorations away from the risk of fracturing.

Avoid Using Tobacco Products and E-cigs

It’s best never even start when smoking and even vaping. Many of these products have sugar, increasing one’s risk of cavities. They often increase one’s risk of developing gingivitis and even gum disease. On top of this, studies show that they increase one’s chances of developing oral cancer.

While some claim that e-cigs are healthier, they aren’t. While e-cigs don’t contain tobacco, it’s not only tobacco that can lead to oral cancer. E-cigs still contain carcinogens, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals. The body’s natural response to many toxic chemicals is long-term inflammation. Long-term inflammation can lead to problems in your gum tissue, but it can also lead to other issues in the body like bronchitis and heart disease.

The great news is that there are many things that you can do to help save your natural teeth. The best part is that most of them don’t even require extra time or money. Being mindful when caring for your teeth can make a big difference if you hope to keep your teeth for the long haul. Please comment below; which of these habits are you already doing? Do you have any other simple habits that you think we should add to this list?