Did you know that what we eat can help or hurt our smiles?
Soda has acid in it that can eat right through the enamel on your teeth. And it's not just soda. Candy, desserts, and other sugary drinks (like fruit punch, some fruit juice, and some sports drinks) can have the same effect.
Coffee (even decaffeinated!) and tea can stain your teeth, turning your pearly whites yellow. I'll be doing my best to stay away from these kinds of foods so that your teeth stay white and your smile stays bright!
Showing posts with label cavities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cavities. Show all posts
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Smile Style Part 2
So what do my teeth actually do for me?
You probably know this, but teeth are actually the first step in the digestion process. Chewing your food makes it much easier to break down once it gets into your stomach.
What you may not know is that teeth also help you speak clearly. Without them, you wouldn't be able to make many of the sounds you rely on to communicate. Just imagine trying to say, "I think these teeth are terrific" without your pearly whites to help.
What is a cavity and how do you get one?
Believe it or not, your mouth is teeming with bacteria all the time. It's completely normal — in fact, some bacteria is actually helpful by defending us from harmful germs. Regular brushing helps to keep these bacteria in check — 1,000 to 100,000 per tooth is considered to be a healthy range. But, there are some bad kinds of bacteria that attach themselves to teeth, multiply in numbers and grow into a colony. As time goes on, more bacteria of all different kinds and proteins from you saliva attach to that colony and become a whitish film on your teeth. This is known as plaque. The bacteria use the foods you eat (particularly those sugary snacks) as food and produce acid that eats away at the minerals that make up your enamel and form tiny holes in your tooth. These tiny holes grow into one big one — this is a cavity.
You can get a cavity by not keeping your teeth clean or by eating too many sugary foods.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are molars that grow in at the very back of the mouth. They usually don't start growing until after the age of 16 and can crowd the other teeth in your mouth. For that reason, most people have their wisdom teeth removed. You can have just one wisdom tooth, or all four can come in. Getting them removed usually involves surgery at your dentist's office.
What exactly is enamel and why is it important for teeth?
Enamel is the hard covering over your teeth. It's made from mineral salts like calcium. It actually gets these minerals from your saliva, which helps make your enamel harder. It is these minerals though that can be attacked by acids.
What is the difference between baby teeth and permanent teeth?
Baby teeth are the first set of teeth that people develop during infancy. People usually have their complete set of baby teeth by the time they are three. At about seven, baby teeth come out. In their place, harder, larger teeth grow. These are the teeth that people have until they are adults and are known as permanent teeth.
What is fluoride and why does it help teeth become stronger?
Fluoride is a natural element that can be found in food and water. Scientists noticed that kids who lived in placed where water had lots of fluoride already in it had fewer cavities. In fact, people who drink fluoridated water have 50 percent less tooth decay.
Once your body has soaked up fluoride, it is used by the cells that build your teeth to make your enamel harder and more resistant to plaque. Because of this, many states add fluoride to their drinking water.
Dentists also put fluoride treatments directly on your teeth when you get your teeth cleaned. This helps make your teeth much harder and more resistant to the acids that break down your enamel and cause cavities.
for more info or any dental problems visit us at our dental center at DR HASSAN MEDICAL CENTER
You probably know this, but teeth are actually the first step in the digestion process. Chewing your food makes it much easier to break down once it gets into your stomach.
What you may not know is that teeth also help you speak clearly. Without them, you wouldn't be able to make many of the sounds you rely on to communicate. Just imagine trying to say, "I think these teeth are terrific" without your pearly whites to help.
What is a cavity and how do you get one?
Believe it or not, your mouth is teeming with bacteria all the time. It's completely normal — in fact, some bacteria is actually helpful by defending us from harmful germs. Regular brushing helps to keep these bacteria in check — 1,000 to 100,000 per tooth is considered to be a healthy range. But, there are some bad kinds of bacteria that attach themselves to teeth, multiply in numbers and grow into a colony. As time goes on, more bacteria of all different kinds and proteins from you saliva attach to that colony and become a whitish film on your teeth. This is known as plaque. The bacteria use the foods you eat (particularly those sugary snacks) as food and produce acid that eats away at the minerals that make up your enamel and form tiny holes in your tooth. These tiny holes grow into one big one — this is a cavity.
You can get a cavity by not keeping your teeth clean or by eating too many sugary foods.
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are molars that grow in at the very back of the mouth. They usually don't start growing until after the age of 16 and can crowd the other teeth in your mouth. For that reason, most people have their wisdom teeth removed. You can have just one wisdom tooth, or all four can come in. Getting them removed usually involves surgery at your dentist's office.
What exactly is enamel and why is it important for teeth?
Enamel is the hard covering over your teeth. It's made from mineral salts like calcium. It actually gets these minerals from your saliva, which helps make your enamel harder. It is these minerals though that can be attacked by acids.
What is the difference between baby teeth and permanent teeth?
Baby teeth are the first set of teeth that people develop during infancy. People usually have their complete set of baby teeth by the time they are three. At about seven, baby teeth come out. In their place, harder, larger teeth grow. These are the teeth that people have until they are adults and are known as permanent teeth.
What is fluoride and why does it help teeth become stronger?
Fluoride is a natural element that can be found in food and water. Scientists noticed that kids who lived in placed where water had lots of fluoride already in it had fewer cavities. In fact, people who drink fluoridated water have 50 percent less tooth decay.
Once your body has soaked up fluoride, it is used by the cells that build your teeth to make your enamel harder and more resistant to plaque. Because of this, many states add fluoride to their drinking water.
Dentists also put fluoride treatments directly on your teeth when you get your teeth cleaned. This helps make your teeth much harder and more resistant to the acids that break down your enamel and cause cavities.
for more info or any dental problems visit us at our dental center at DR HASSAN MEDICAL CENTER
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Smile Style Part 1
So what exactly is oral hygiene?
Taking care of your mouth and teeth by brushing, flossing and rinsing is called oral hygiene. By doing these things, you can avoid cavities, gum disease (bleeding gums), and make sure your breath is fresh.
Why is it important?
You know, your smile really is one of your best assets. Take care of it, and it will take care of you!
How can I make sure my teeth stay shiny and bright?
It's as simple as brushing, flossing and making regular visits to the dentist.
The first step is to floss so that you get rid of food particles that get in between your teeth. If you don't, up to 35 percent of your tooth's surface doesn't get clean! It's actually easy to floss. Just wrap about a foot (or twelve inches) of floss around the middle fingers of each hand. Using your first finger, guide the floss in between the teeth and make a c-shape with it. Make sure to do both sides of every tooth! You only need to floss once a day for it to be effective.
The next step is to brush your teeth with a toothbrush that has soft bristles and a rounded end. You should try to brush gently up and down the tooth surface for 2 - 3 minutes. Make sure you hit all of those hard to reach molars in the back of your mouth and that you brush both the front and back of each tooth. That way, you'll clear all of the cavity-causing agents.
Keep in mind that gross bacteria can grow on the bristles of your toothbrush, so make sure to replace your toothbrush every 3 - 4 months, or if you have been sick. Also, make sure your toothpaste has fluoride in it. Flouride is absorbed into your teeth and makes your enamel stronger, which prevents cavities. You should brush twice a day — try it in the morning and right before you go to bed.
The final step is to a shiny and bright smile is to see a dentist twice a year to have your teeth cleaned and get checked for any problems. They will probably take X-Rays to make sure that the roots of your teeth (way below the surface of your gums) are healthy and that there are no invisible cracks in your teeth that can lead to cavities.
Does what I eat affect how my teeth look?
It sure does! In fact, the most important thing that you can do to protect your teeth and keep them looking their best is limit how much sugar you eat and avoid tobacco altogether.
Even though sugar may seem harmless, it can play a major role in tooth decay. The bacteria that already live in your mouth use sugar to grow and form plaque. This plaque can form tiny holes in your teeth that will eventually become cavities. In addition, there is one bacterium (called Streptococcus mutants) that actually uses sugar as food. As it digests the sugar, it produces acid that eats the enamel of your teeth and causes cavities.
The best thing you can do is avoid sugary snacks and drinks like soda, candy, and some fruit juices. If you do eat sugar, try to brush your teeth as quickly as possible to minimize the damage to your teeth.
Tobacco is also harmful to your teeth. The first thing that you will notice is that your teeth turn an unattractive yellow color. This staining can happen really fast and the only way to get rid of it is to go to the dentist. If you were to keep smoking, as you get older, you are more likely to get gum disease, your teeth will decay more quickly, and they will appear to be even more stained — sometimes even appearing black.
Taking care of your mouth and teeth by brushing, flossing and rinsing is called oral hygiene. By doing these things, you can avoid cavities, gum disease (bleeding gums), and make sure your breath is fresh.
Why is it important?
You know, your smile really is one of your best assets. Take care of it, and it will take care of you!
How can I make sure my teeth stay shiny and bright?
It's as simple as brushing, flossing and making regular visits to the dentist.
The first step is to floss so that you get rid of food particles that get in between your teeth. If you don't, up to 35 percent of your tooth's surface doesn't get clean! It's actually easy to floss. Just wrap about a foot (or twelve inches) of floss around the middle fingers of each hand. Using your first finger, guide the floss in between the teeth and make a c-shape with it. Make sure to do both sides of every tooth! You only need to floss once a day for it to be effective.
The next step is to brush your teeth with a toothbrush that has soft bristles and a rounded end. You should try to brush gently up and down the tooth surface for 2 - 3 minutes. Make sure you hit all of those hard to reach molars in the back of your mouth and that you brush both the front and back of each tooth. That way, you'll clear all of the cavity-causing agents.
Keep in mind that gross bacteria can grow on the bristles of your toothbrush, so make sure to replace your toothbrush every 3 - 4 months, or if you have been sick. Also, make sure your toothpaste has fluoride in it. Flouride is absorbed into your teeth and makes your enamel stronger, which prevents cavities. You should brush twice a day — try it in the morning and right before you go to bed.
The final step is to a shiny and bright smile is to see a dentist twice a year to have your teeth cleaned and get checked for any problems. They will probably take X-Rays to make sure that the roots of your teeth (way below the surface of your gums) are healthy and that there are no invisible cracks in your teeth that can lead to cavities.
Does what I eat affect how my teeth look?
It sure does! In fact, the most important thing that you can do to protect your teeth and keep them looking their best is limit how much sugar you eat and avoid tobacco altogether.
Even though sugar may seem harmless, it can play a major role in tooth decay. The bacteria that already live in your mouth use sugar to grow and form plaque. This plaque can form tiny holes in your teeth that will eventually become cavities. In addition, there is one bacterium (called Streptococcus mutants) that actually uses sugar as food. As it digests the sugar, it produces acid that eats the enamel of your teeth and causes cavities.
The best thing you can do is avoid sugary snacks and drinks like soda, candy, and some fruit juices. If you do eat sugar, try to brush your teeth as quickly as possible to minimize the damage to your teeth.
Tobacco is also harmful to your teeth. The first thing that you will notice is that your teeth turn an unattractive yellow color. This staining can happen really fast and the only way to get rid of it is to go to the dentist. If you were to keep smoking, as you get older, you are more likely to get gum disease, your teeth will decay more quickly, and they will appear to be even more stained — sometimes even appearing black.
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