Healthy teeth and gums are our passion, and it’s our job to help our patients achieve this goal. However, dentists can’t do it all and we need you to be making the right choices and doing the right things day to day and taking an active role in protecting your teeth and gums. To help you do this, we’ve put together some simple, but crucial dos and don’ts, so you can make good choices, keep your mouth healthy and avoid toothache and big dental procedures.
5 Things to Do for the best Dental Health
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet which is low in sugar and acidic foods – Sugar, acidic foods and drinks and obesity are all big contributors to poor dental health, causing cavities, acid erosion and decay. Recent studies have suggested that obesity can also increase the chance of gum disease, as well as taking an enourmous toll on your body, so by eating healthily you should be able to control your weight, as well as limiting tooth damaging foods such as sweets, juices and soft drinks.
- Establish a good oral health routine – Brush teeth three times a day, floss every day and use mouthwash. Brush for 1-2 minutes, making sure you do not miss any spots and don’t scrub too hard.
- Chew sugar free gum to clean teeth after a snacks on the go – Gum is a great way to keep your teeth healthy through the day.
- Visit the dentist every six months or whenever you start to feel pain, or notice a change – Responding quickly to issues developing, makes it a lot easier for us to fix, so don’t delay in booking that appointment.
- Wear a Mouthguard when you play sports – Sports are a big cause of mouth injuries and missing teeth. The most common injuries we see are cracked teeth, fractured roots and tooth intrusion, many of which can be prevented by using a mouthguard. If you have received a blow to the mouth during sports and are in pain, visit your dentist straight away
5 Things to Avoid
- Smoking – Smokers are six times more likely than non smokers to develop mouth cancer, smoking can lead to gum disease, increases dental plaque and stains teeth, so quitting is your best chance of better looking teeth and a healthier mouth.
- Using your teeth as tools – It’s very common to see people opening bags, or even bottles with their teeth, but it’s a very easy way to chip or break a tooth, so don’t do it.
- Oral Piercings – Getting piercings in your mouth or on your tongue can lead to infections and the jewellery can chip or crack your teeth, injure soft gum tissue and cause gums to recede.
- Letting your diabetes get out of control – Diabetes which is not well regulated by diet or medication causes high glucose in your saliva, creating perfect conditions for bacteria. This can lead to tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and bad breath.
- Drinking sports drinks and eating high sugar, acidic foods and drinks – Watch your diet and avoid overindulging in sweets and sugary foods. Soft drinks, sports drinks, juices and smoothies are all high in sugar and acid and lead to acid erosion and cause cavities, so limit them and reach for the sugar free gum after these treats to clean your mouth on the go.
To find out more, read this article on the main threat to dental health or consult your dentist. We are located in central Marbella, by the copper tower and have well qualified and experienced dental professionals ready to help you to have healthy teeth and guns and a lovely smile. We hope to see you soon.
