Smile with Confidence: A Comprehensive Guide to Dental Health and Care

Tag: dental hygiene

Reasons Why Flossing is Important

Studies reveal that only four out of every ten Americans floss at least once per day, while an astounding 20 percent of the population never flosses at all.  Unfortunately, foregoing the flossing step is a vital part of maintaining healthy teeth and proper oral hygiene.  Flossing helps to clean those hard to reach places between the teeth.  Without flossing, the likelihood of developing cavities significantly increases as food remains lodged between teeth, fostering a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.  For discerning New Jersey residents who are searching for a top dentist, here is what the dental health experts have to say about the importance of flossing.

The Truth About What Causes Cavities

When considering a visit to the dentist, cavities are one of the top reasons people schedule an appointment.  Studies have shown that cavities impact as much as 90 percent of the population.  Sometimes they are small and go unnoticed, other times they are a large enough to collect food and become quite painful, often sending the patient straight to the dentist’s chair.  In fact, toothaches caused by cavities are one of the single most common reasons for a trip to the dentist.  Cavities are even more problematic for children who are much more vulnerable to them than adults.  This is because young teeth haven’t matured fully yet and are more likely to be exposed to unhealthy, sugary treats more often.  As such, be sure to check with a family dentist to receive quality care for the entire family.  Here is a general rundown of how cavities form and how families can avoid them altogether.  If you have a toothache or think that you may have a cavity you should contact a family dentist near you for help.

Are Stained Teeth Unhealthy Teeth?

You want white teeth and a dazzling smile, so should you forego those blueberries so that your pearly whites stay that way?  Or drop that jolt of java from your morning routine because it might stain your teeth?  And, if you unwind with a glass of cabernet sauvignon, surely your purplish lips and tongue must mean that your teeth are also being stained, right?  Do you need to give up all these treats?  If you are concerned about teeth staining and want to learn more about teeth whitening you should contact a dentist who does teeth whitening.  A top Clearwater cosmetic dentist will answer all of your teeth whitening questions and will suggest ways to keep you teeth healthy and white.

To Floss or Not To Floss

There are good habits and there are bad habits. Flossing your teeth is undoubtedly one of the good ones. In fact, flossing is so beneficial to your teeth that it can be the difference between having your own natural teeth your entire life, and looking at them in a glass on your night stand every night. People who don’t floss have all sorts of reasons for not doing it. It hurts. It makes my gums bleed. It takes too much time. But the fact is that all of these excuses, and pretty much any of the others you can think of, are washed away once you begin flossing regularly … just like the food particles between your teeth. However, if you’re not flossing regularly… those food particles… well, you might as well get used to them because they’re going to be a part of your mouth for a long time, in one form or another. It might sound like an overstatement, but it isn’t. Food particles that linger between teeth cause bacteria to linger on teeth, and that can be a dental recipe for disaster. The good news is that flossing takes just a few minutes a day, and once you start, you can’t stop. Your teeth feel so much cleaner when you floss daily that you’ll feel it when you don’t do it. Flossing becomes a good habit that you just can’t break, and you won’t want to. Here’s more information from top dentists about the benefits of flossing.

What Causes Stained Teeth?

Somebody once said, “Nobody notices old clothes if you wear a smile.” By the same token, if you’re frowning, you could be wearing diamonds and no on would notice. That’s what happens if your teeth are stained, dull, and discolored. You don’t feel like smiling anymore, and it shows in your life. Thank goodness there are things you can do about tooth discolorations. But if you don’t know the causes, you’re not going to know how to solve the problem. Here’s more information about the causes of stained teeth, as well as tips from good dentists on how to get your teeth back to their beautiful, vibrant white.

Dental Care for Smokers

It’s no secret that smoking has its accompanying problems, not the least of which is challenges with dental hygiene. The use of any and all tobacco products can lead to teeth that are dull, discolored, and decayed, especially if a good oral hygiene routine is not observed. But the truth is that a good oral hygiene routine is only the half of it. If you’re a smoker, you need to go above and beyond in your dental hygiene regimen just to keep up with the folks who don’t use tobacco products at all. Here are some tips from family dentists and throughout the country for smokers and users of other tobacco products about going the extra mile to keep your teeth healthy.

What is Fluoride?

Remember the feeling of the cold leather reclining chair, a blinding light, and a pair of eyes glaring into your mouth followed by the question, “Which flavor of mouthwash would you like?” Well, that’s a very typical trip to the dentist for your bi-yearly teeth cleaning. Have you ever stopped to think, what does the mouthwash contain? Also, why does the dentist tell me I can’t swallow it? Does it really help prevent cavities?  American dentist offices have been using mouthwash for decades, but a lot of questions have been raised about the main ingredient fluoride.

How To Reduce Bad Breath

A famous person was once quoted as saying, “There’s nothing worse than bad breath.” Not brilliant, and perhaps not even quote-worthy, but a truer statement has never been uttered. Nobody wants to be the guy with the bad breath. In fact, going back thousands of years, people have been searching for ways to remedy their bad breath. So, what did ancient people use to combat their ‘halitosis’? How’d you like to have to use sticky tree resin? Or, how about this one … your child’s urine?! That’s right. Ancient folks back in China, circa 2700 BC, rinsed their mouths with the urine of their kids in order to fight back foul mouth odors. Some of them even recorded their use of it for posterity! Thankfully, today we have family dentists with better ideas concerning dental health. Following are some recommendations from top dentists on how to reduce bad breath.