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Even if you brush & floss every day, there are still many things that cause damage to your smile. At Lakeview Dental Care we’re all about keeping teeth healthy & being dedicated to educating our patients on all the ways to keep their mouths in tip-top shape, as well as things that can be harmful.
- Ice, Ice, Baby
Ice is a great way to cool a drink or nurse an injury back to health, but it’s not so helpful to your smile. They’re hard, really hard, & if crunched can cause chips. Once there are chips, bacteria can settle into these little nooks & cause decay. If not fixed, chips can turn into severe cracks & even cause pieces of teeth to fall off.
- Side to Side
While we always encourage our patients to brush twice a day & floss once a day, we want to make sure they all know the proper way to brush. It’s best to use small, gentle circles to ensure you’re treating your enamel with the best of care. If a back & forth, side to side technique is used, it can be harsh on enamel & cause scratches.
- Run!
Running & other forms of cardiovascular exercise are great for a healthy heart & healthy body. But recent research also shows a link between endurance cardio workouts & tooth decay. One explanation for this is during intense cardio, saliva production is greatly decreased. Saliva naturally washes away dangerous acid & bacteria that can lead to decay. Try chewing sugar-free gum during workouts.
- Feel the Burn
Heartburn that is. Acid reflux is never enjoyable, but it can cause serious damage to your teeth. Acid from the stomach can creep up into the mouth & act just like acid from soda or sugar-loaded sports drinks. However, stomach acid tends to be more potent & can more easily dissolve enamel.
- Lemonade
Lemonade is packed full of acid as well as sugar, a lethal combination for tooth health. Bacteria found in the mouth feeds on the sugar while the acid eats away at tooth enamel, making your teeth a prime spot for decay to flourish. Choose water instead.
Avoiding these damaging foods & activities, or at least counteracting those that are good for you with something good for your smile, can do wonders for the health of your mouth. And as always, keeping up with regular appointments is the best prevention.