How to Ensure Dental Health


by Jay Nickles - Date: 2007-01-27 - Word Count: 531 Share This!

Dental health is more than just brushing and flossing teeth. There are other things that can be done for wholesome dental health. It is wrong to assume that it is natural to lose one's teeth as one ages. There are ways to ensure this does not happen, and one can keep one's teeth for a lifetime. Every person has his or her own oral health needs, and there is a need for one to understand how one's general health affects one's mouth.

Ensure dental health in the following ways:

• Regular Daily Oral Health Routine - One should maintain a daily oral health routine in consultation with one's dental hygienist. One's oral routine may include use of fluoride daily, if one is under medication that dries up the mouth. In a similar manner, pregnant women with a condition, such as diabetes, may need specials daily care. Fluoride is great, not just for children, where it helps strengthen the developing teeth, but also for adults as it helps to prevent tooth decay. Dentists do prescribe toothpastes and mouthwashes that contain fluoride.

• Removing Plaque Through Brushing And Flossing - It is preferred that brushing and flossing be carried out after every meal - but should be carried out at least once a day. Plaque, a complex mass of bacteria that forms on the teeth constantly, can be removed through brushing and flossing. Plaque, in combination with the sugars in foods, form acids leading to tooth decay. In addition, plaque further causes gingivitis, and other diseases related to teeth. This is why it is essential to remove plaque through brushing and flossing.

• Balanced Diet Essential - Of course, every morsel of food lodged in and around the teeth is fuel for bacteria, but foods high in simple sugars are even more so. Everybody snacks, and the longer the food particles stay in the mouth, the more time the bacteria get to break down the food into sugars and convert them into acids. After every snack, either the teeth should be brushed, or one should chew sugarless gum. As mineral and vitamin deficiencies also adversely affect one's dental health, it is important to intake a well balanced diet.

• Quit Tobacco - In addition to contributing towards bad breath and stains on the teeth, smoking or using tobacco in any form increases the risk for gingivitis, periodontitis, oral cancer, and tooth decay, among others.

• Regular Examination Of The Mouth - One can do this quite regularly, say, once a week. Regular examination of the mouth may show changes, such as chipped teeth, swollen gums, discolored teeth, in addition to sores on the tongue and gums, etc. Such an examination is more important for users of tobacco, who need to look for lesions, as they are more prone to the risk of oral cancer.

• Regular Dental Visits - The frequency of visits to be made to a dentist depends from person to person. One's dentist or dental hygienist, who knows best, can best decide this.

These are some of the simple ways through which one's dental health can be improved and maintained. Taking just a few minutes a day to care for your teeth can prevent more serious conditions from developing. Always remember, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."


Related Tags: health, teeth, dental, dentist, dental plan

Jay Nickles is a founder of several health related websites including http://www.bestvaluedentalplans.com featuring the top dental plans in the nation and http://usresourcegroup.com providing quality information on medical and heath related matters. Jay can be reached at jaynickles@gmail.com

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