When you take a little time to think about it, your teeth actually play a HUGE roll in your day to day life. They enable you to speak your mind, chew your food, and they create one of the most important parts of your overall image: your smile. With this in mind, taking care of them suddenly seems a lot more important! Your teeth face serious threats every single day, but thankfully, avoiding them is relatively simple if you know what you’re doing. Here are the top things to look out for that could negatively affect your oral health in El Reno.
Plaque & Tooth Decay
By far, the most common threat that the teeth face is cavities. These develop due to a buildup of plaque on the teeth, which is a byproduct created by the bacteria in your mouth when they consume the leftover sugars from the foods you eat. Plaque is slightly acidic, and if left on the enamel for too long, it can actually break it down and cause it to decay.
Thankfully, you’ve probably known how to combat plaque and decay since you were a small child. Consistently brushing and flossing helps remove daily plaque buildup to keep your enamel strong, and regular trips to your dentist in El Reno will ensure that any decay is taken care of before it causes serious damage.
Periodontal (Gum) Disease
While too much plaque on the teeth can cause cavities, if it’s allowed to build up along the gum line, it can actually lead to an infection known as periodontal disease, better known as gum disease. This can cause the tissues to become inflamed, bleed easily, and if left untreated, gum disease can eventually break down the roots of the teeth until they fall out altogether.
Fortunately, just like with cavities, standard oral hygiene and regular dental visits are a guaranteed way to prevent periodontal disease from taking hold. Just be mindful to brush along your gum line and floss slightly below it to prevent plaque from accumulating there.
Bruxism
Bruxism is the scientific term for teeth grinding. A common response to daily stress, this exposes the teeth to forces much greater than regular chewing, meaning it can weaken and even fracture the enamel. If your teeth appear flat and worn down, or if you consistently wake up with a sore jaw or headache, you’re likely grinding your teeth while you sleep. This makes the habit extremely hard to break, but your dentist can provide you with something called a nightguard that can help. This is an oral appliance you’ll wear to bed that literally places a protective barrier over your teeth.
Poor Diet
As we touched on above, sugar is the fuel that the bacteria in your mouth needs to create the plaque that leads to cavities. If you consume a diet that is high in sugar, this means more plaque and more cavities, plain and simple. Cutting back on sugar can make a big difference, and an easy way to do this is to drink water instead of sodas or energy drinks whenever you’re thirsty. Also, if you are going to enjoy a sweet treat, do it after a full meal so you’re less likely to overindulge.
Reckless Use
We’ve all found ourselves unable to open a stubborn package, and what do we do? Take the few steps to grab the scissors? In many cases, no, we just start using our teeth instead! Thousands of emergency dental visits start this way, because while the teeth are extremely strong, they aren’t designed to bite through hard plastic or cardboard. Instead of damaging your teeth and having to pay to get them fixed, just take a few seconds to get your scissors the next time you need them!
With standard oral hygiene, regular dental visits, and a little common sense, you can easily protect your teeth from the 5 things that are the biggest threat to them. That way, you can enjoy a strong, healthy, and beautiful smile for many years to come, ensuring you’re always eager to show it off.
About the Author
Dr. Adam Cohlmia is a family, restorative, and cosmetic dentist who practices at El Reno Family Dentistry. In addition to providing a comprehensive array of clinical services, he also believes in the power of patient education, so he’s always happy to show people the best ways to protect their teeth so they can always have an easy trip to the dentist. To get more tips about taking care of your smile day-to-day, he can be contacted through his website.