You likely know that brushing and flossing your teeth is good for proper oral health, avoiding cavities and saving your teeth, but there is more to good oral hygiene. There are some other bad habits that can lead you to losing your teeth at a younger age. Follow these tips to prevent early tooth loss.
Reduce Your Sugar and Acid Intake
There is a reason your parents told you not to eat a lot of candy and drink soft drinks as a kid; it is terrible for your teeth. While a little sugar is okay as long as you brush regularly, too much sugar can cause the enamel of your teeth to start to deteriorate. The same thing happens when you have a lot of acid in your diet. When this happens, your teeth aren't protected by the enamel, which leads to fast tooth decay and possible tooth loss. Keep the candy, soft drinks, ice cream, and other sweets to a minimum. Reduce acidic foods and drinks like coffee, tea and citrus fruits.
Follow a Healthy Diet
In addition to watching your sugar intake, you also need to eat a healthy diet with plenty of vitamins and minerals. This is important for having healthy and strong teeth and a lower risk of diabetes. If you get diabetes, you have a greater chance of tooth decay and various other oral health problems. Make sure you get enough protein and calcium first of all, followed by other essential nutrients. You can do this by having a good combination of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and whole grains.
Don't Ignore Dental Issues
Some dental issues might seem minor, so you put them off until your next bi-annual dentist appointment, but this could be hurting you. If you aren't due to see your dentist for a few more months and you have a bad cavity, that could turn into more serious tooth decay before you get in to see them. Even if it is something you can handle, as far as the pain is concerned, the damage could lead to needing a more serious procedure and possibly even losing the tooth in the process. Every time you suspect a problem with your teeth, gums or jaw, contact your dentist.
Be Kind to Your Teeth
Your teeth are not meant to open packages and chew on things other than food, so be careful with them. After years of removing bottle caps with your teeth or using your teeth to tear tags off new clothing, you might be gradually reducing their strength, and ultimately leading to premature tooth loss.
Share28 July 2016
Hi! My name is Sarah, and as a busy professional, I understand the importance of making the most of my time. That includes everything from having productive working lunches to making the most of my dental checkups. I have created this blog to help you maximise your dental checkups. In these posts, you can learn how to prepare for your checkup, which questions to ask during your checkup and more. I am also going to have posts explaining why checkups are critical to your dental health as well as the health of your entire body. Happy reading, and thanks for visiting my blog!
