Month: October 2021

Top 9 Oral Health Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Posted on by Eric Lindell

woman brushing her teeth

Practicing good oral health can keep you from developing cavities, gum disease, or other serious oral health problems. Sadly, many of us are too busy or don’t have time to take care of our teeth properly. If you want to avoid oral diseases, here are the most common oral health mistakes you should avoid.

1. Not Brushing And Flossing Regularly

Most people don’t like to floss, but not flossing can lead to cavities. If you don’t brush your teeth, you won’t be able to remove tooth particles and they will build up over time. If they build up, they will cause cavities and gum disease.

How often you should brush:

  • Children under age 4: brush after each meal and at least twice a day
  • Children ages 4-6: brush after each meal and at least 3 times a day
  • Children ages 7-12: brush after each meal and at least 2 times a day
  • Teens: brush after each meal and at least 2 times a day
  • Adults: brush after each meal and at least 2 times a day

2. Skipping Routine Checkups

Brushing and flossing your teeth will only remove the small particles of food and bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease. You won’t be able to remove the larger particles that you might not be able to see. Regular checkups can help your dentist or dental hygienist remove those particles and can also let you know if you need to make any changes to your oral health routine.

Dentists have special tools, like dental mirrors and dental picks, that they use to see bacteria and other particles that are too small for us to see. They can also use their tools to remove any trapped plaque or make sure that your teeth are clean.

3. Smoking

Smoking can damage the gingiva (gums) and cause periodontal (gum) disease. It can also cause tooth loss.

How smoking causes gum disease:

Smoking causes the blood vessels in the gums to constrict. This causes your gums to appear red and to recede. If you don’t quit smoking, the tissue will become infected and it will cause more gum tissue to die.

How smoking causes tooth loss:

When the cancer cells in the gums begin to form, they can lead to periodontal disease. If you don’t quit smoking, the cancer cells will spread to the bone and teeth, and destroy the bone.

4. Eating A Poor Diet

Poor diets can lead to cavities and other oral health problems. Soda can damage your teeth and cause cavities because it contains sugar. Sugary snacks and sugary drinks can also damage your teeth. Fruit juice can harm your teeth if you drink it throughout the day instead of eating the fruit.

If you eat a lot of sugary foods, your mouth will have a lot of plaque and bacteria. This can cause cavities and gum disease. Eating a lot of acidic foods, like citrus fruits or pickles, can also cause cavities.

5. Tooth Grinding or Clenching

Grinding your teeth, also called bruxism, can cause the enamel to wear away. If you grind your teeth, you could end up with deep grooves and pits on your teeth. This can cause stress fractures and sensitivity. It can also cause your teeth to break.

You should bring your teeth grinding habits to your dentist and dentist and see if you can get a mouthguard. A mouthguard will help protect your teeth from grinding.

woman getting her teeth cleaned

6. Not Wearing A Mouthguard For Sports

If you participate in certain contact sports, like basketball or football, you should wear a mouthguard. When you participate in sports like these, you can get hit in the face and you can also hit other people. Getting hit in the face can cause your teeth to break.

If you play sports, you should get a mouthguard that is custom made for you. Your dentist can design a mouthguard that will fit snugly to your teeth.

7. Drinking Too Much Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to cavities because your mouth will be dryer than usual. Saliva helps wash away the acid that causes cavities. If you drink alcohol, your mouth will be dry, so you won’t produce as much saliva.

Alcohol can also dry out your mouth. Dry mouths are more likely to get cavities because saliva helps protect your teeth from acids.

8. Chewing On Hard Objects

Chewing on hard objects, like ice, gum, or even the shells of nuts, can also cause cavities. These hard objects will damage your teeth, but if you chew on hard objects, you won’t be able to brush or floss to remove the food particles that would have deposited on your teeth while you chewed on the hard objects.

9. Using The Same Toothbrush For Extended Periods

If you use the same toothbrush for extended periods of time, you will lose bristles and you will also lose the effectiveness of the bristles that you do have. When you use the same toothbrush for extended periods, you also lose the toothpaste.

You should replace your toothbrush every three months. If you participate in sports, you should replace your toothbrush every 90 days. If you have a very active lifestyle, you should replace your toothbrush every three to four weeks.

Summary

If you want to have a long and healthy life, you should practice good oral health. Not brushing and flossing regularly can lead to cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems. At your next checkup, you should have your teeth cleaned and your dentist can tell you how often you should have your teeth cleaned. You should also make sure you visit your dentist regularly.

6 Tips For Choosing A New Dentist & 5 Questions To Ask

Posted on by Eric Lindell

dentist talking with patient

Remember that choosing a good dentist is important and that treating your mouth and teeth is not something to be taken lightly. The search for the right dentist can be time-consuming and overwhelming, but when you find the right one, it can be a match made in heaven.

Some dentists have a good reputation for their skills, while others are known for their customer service and friendliness. In order to choose a good dentist, you not only have to consider their reputation but also consider your own preferences when it comes to dentists.

When you need a dentist, you want to be sure that your experience will be a good one. If the dentist is a good fit for you, it will make your oral health a priority in your life.

6 Tips For Choosing A New Dentist

Now that you know the importance of choosing a dentist, you will probably want to get started on your search for a new dentist. But, before you do, make sure you do your research. Your research should include finding other people who have had a good experience with dentists and other people who have had a bad experience with them.

1. Ask For Recommendations

The easiest way to find a good dentist is to ask other people who have used their services before. Family members, friends, co-workers, and your primary care physician are great places to start asking for recommendations. Once you have a list of recommendations, you can start narrowing down your list of potential dentists based on specific traits.

2. Read Online Reviews

It can be difficult to find online reviews for dentists, but if you know their names, you should be able to find some online. Check out ratings and reviews at places such as Google or Yelp. Both of these websites will show you the different ratings and reviews for different dentists in your area.

3. Check The Location And Hours Of The Dentist

If you will need to travel a long distance to get to your dentist, that can be a huge problem. You may not be able to get there as often as you need to, and if it is a long distance, you may feel uneasy about going.

You should also look at the times that they are open, as well as if they offer nighttime or weekend hours. If you need to go during those times, you want to make sure that there is no wait and that you can get in during those times.

4. Does The Dentist Have Any Specialties?

Do you know if your dentist has any specialties, or if they are a general dentist? A general dentist will be able to take care of your basic dental needs, such as cleanings, fillings, and checkups.

If you have a specific problem or need a specific procedure done, you may want to find a specialist. This will ensure that you are receiving the best care possible.

5. Are The Dentist And Staff Warm And Welcoming?

When you meet with a dentist for the first time, you should feel comfortable. The last thing that you want is to feel uncomfortable or uneasy about going to a dentist because you don’t feel comfortable with them.

If the dentist and the rest of their staff are warm and welcoming to you, then you can feel a little more at ease about going to them from now on. If you don’t, then you should keep looking until you find someone you feel comfortable with.

6. Is The Office Well-Maintained And Clean?

One of the biggest things you will want to check out is whether the office is clean. If it is not, then that can indicate that they don’t pay as much attention to detail as they should, which can mean that they could miss something important during treatment.

You want to make sure that the office is well-lit. If the office is dimly lit, you may not be able to see everything that is going on with your teeth, which can be dangerous for your teeth.

Also, check to see that the office is well-maintained. If something is broken or looks dirty, then it will make you feel uncomfortable, which will make you feel like you need to find a different office to go to.

dentist sitting in a chair

5 Questions To Ask To Know They’re A Right Fit For You

Now that you have narrowed your list of potential dentists, you will want to make sure that this is the right dentist for you. The best way to do that is to ask some questions. Here are some questions to ask to know if they are the right fit for you.

1. How Often Do You Recommend That I Get Dental Checkups?

Some dentists will tell you that your teeth need to be cleaned twice a year, while others will tell you they need to be cleaned once a year. If your dentist tells you that you need to get your teeth cleaned every six months, you will want to ask them why.

Your dentist should be able to tell you why they tell their patients to get their teeth cleaned every six months. If they can’t, or if it is a different time interval, you will want to ask them why. This is because there is a reason they will tell you to get your teeth cleaned at a certain interval.

2. Will I Need Any Extra Procedures To Maintain My Teeth?

If your dentist recommends getting a deep cleaning or a root canal, you will want to ask them why. These procedures are usually only needed if you have a dental disease that causes your teeth to be unhealthy.

Your dentist should be able to tell you why you need the procedure and how it will help you treat your teeth. If they can’t, or if they don’t recommend these procedures, you should ask them why.

3. What Happens If I Don’t Get My Teeth Cleaned Regularly?

You should ask your dentist what will happen if you don’t get your teeth cleaned regularly. If your teeth become severely diseased, then your dentist may have to recommend deep cleaning or a root canal. You should be able to ask them questions about this, such as how often it will happen, if it will happen, and how it will happen.

4. Are You Able To Work With My Insurance?

Your dentist should be able to tell you what types of insurance they accept. If they advertise that they accept a certain type of insurance, then you should be able to discuss with them what is covered and what is not.

You also want to ask them if there are any type of discounts they have. If there are, you may be able to get a discount based on your insurance.

5. Do You Provide Any Special Services And Discounts?

Your dentist should be able to tell you what kind of special services and discounts they provide. If they offer a bone density test, a cleaning every six months, a free teeth whitening, or teeth whitening discount, your dentist should be able to tell you what bone density test they offer, how long the appointments are for a cleaning, and if there is a limit of how many times you can get teeth whitening done.

Conclusion

You don’t want to make the wrong choice when choosing a dentist. You want to be sure that your teeth are safe and cared for. If you choose a dentist who is a good fit for you, the experience will be pleasant and you will be more likely to go to them when you need to.