Caring for Your Smile
Your Top 10
A patient asked "How can I keep my teeth healthy and minimize dental expenses?" I thought the answer should be shared with you, since health and saving money are high on almost everyone's agenda
In reality, no one has perfect dental health. We are all vulnerable to accidents, decay, gum disease and wear. So, let's take a look at what I believe are your Top 10 Ways of Achieving Dental Health.
1. Remove bacteria daily, especially between teeth.
- This stops cavities between teeth, controls gum disease, minimizes bad breath and keeps your dental hygienist happy.
Flossing Made Easy
- Wind about 18 inches of floss around the middle fingers of each hand, leaving about five inches in between.
- Pinch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers and leave about one inch to work with.
- Gently guide the floss down between the teeth, pull it into a C shape around the sides of a tooth, and slide it under the gum line.
- Clean the surface of the tooth by using an up-and-down motion.
- Repeat the process on all teeth winding the floss to a fresh section for each tooth.
- If you encounter flossing difficulties, let us know. We're here to help.
2. Brush thoroughly, especially at the gumline on the inside of your teeth where it's easy to miss.
- Two minutes, twice a day, is a day is a good start. However, I have found that "dry brushing" (without toothpaste) with a soft toothbrush aimed at all the gumlines for 10-20 minutes a day is very effective in cleaning the most difficult areas. TV time is great for dry brushing! Keep a toothbrush by your chair.
3. Don't smoke.
- Here's a killer of gums and bone. I have never known a long-term smoker who kept his or her teeth for life. The expense of all the major work treating gum disease, lost teeth and, finally, dentures...is significant. It is never too early to quit-as the damage done is permanent and irreversible.
4. Avoid clenching and grinding your teeth.
- Although most folks are not aware of these very destructive habits, clenching and grinding rapidly wears and chips teeth, resulting in cold sensitivity and pain. It's not natural to grind or clench and it often occurs while you're sleeping.
- During the day when you feel your teeth touching (other than when you swallow) say the "hmmm" sound and your teeth will automatically separate to the "rest position."
- If you wake up with tight jaws or headaches, it's a tell tale sign you are grinding or clenching in your sleep. It helps to wear an appliance at night. This places your jaw in a restful position while it protects your teeth and stops head and neck aches. Ask us about the NTI Splint to remedy this situation.
5. When a tooth is lost, replace it.
- Hopefully, if numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 are followed, this will not be necessary. Although significant expense is involved, not replacing teeth is even more expensive down the road due to collapsing arches, crooked teeth, increased decay and gum disease, jaw joint challenges, compromised function and ...frustration.
- The good news is that, in most cases, implants can replace missing teeth and are even better than natural teeth...they don't decay!
6. Minimize sweets.
- Sweets are anything that soak your teeth with sugar: sweet liquids, fruit juices (even unsweetened), candies, mints or cough drops...especially at night before bedtime. Sweets saturate your saliva and, combined with the bacteria already in your mouth, create an acid that dissolves tooth surfaces, forming holes or cavities.
7. Avoid hard, crunchy items; most of all ice and popcorn kernels.
- These often break teeth, even split them in half, leaving a painful situation requiring extraction.
8. Limit hot and cold liquids.
- Variances in temperature cause premature breakdown of teeth, crowns and fillings. Enamel, fillings and crowns expand and contract at different rates, resulting in the destruction of crown cement and fillings. Your end product: prematurely failed restorations and cracks in teeth.
9. Have dental exams at least once a year to catch cavities and gum pockets
when they are small.
AND
Have your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year to help prevent destructive gum and bone disease.
Prevention is always less expensive and leads to stronger, healthier gums and teeth.
10. Be aware of medications and their side effects.
- A dry mouth, caused by some drugs, is much more vulnerable to decay, gum disease and bad breath. Ask your doctor about the availability of a substitute drug that does not reduce the flow of saliva. If unavailable, use a saliva substitute like Oral Balance by Biotene.
- Bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel) cause the jawbone to lose blood vessels designed to keep bone vital. Taking these drugs diminishes the opportunity of using implants to replace lost teeth and creates complicated healing from oral surgery.
- Ask your physician or pharmacist for the information sheets on these drugs.
- Read them, and then ask if the medications are absolutely necessary.
Please note: 8 of the 10 statements above cost nothing. Replacing missing teeth results in significant expense and can be avoided, or minimized, if the other 9 suggestions are followed.
Your great smile is our passion!
It's truly an honor to serve you... for your health.
- World Service
Each of us is blessed with talents and capability to serve others...those in great need.
The following is a brief description of activities in which we have had the opportunity to participate...
World Service
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Redding, CA 96001
Phone: 530-243-6548
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