Cosmetic Dentists in Colorado Springs Explain 8 Healthy Habits to Protect Your Enamel, PART 4

This four-part article series explains eight changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to keep your dental enamel healthy, thereby helping to prevent tooth loss in the long run.

Keeping all of your original teeth in beautiful condition is a lifelong commitment. It requires a high standard of oral hygiene, the right eating habits and regular professional attention from your dental healthcare team.

Over the course of this four-part article series, we have presented the advice of a panel of experienced cosmetic dentists in Colorado Springs on the things we can do to help protect our dental enamel against decay and acid erosion. These included:

Tip # 1: Decreasing the amount of sugar in your diet,

Tip # 2: Increasing your intake of calcium-rich foods,

Tip # 3: Not over-brushing your teeth or pressing down too hard when brushing,

Tip # 4: Getting treated for conditions such as acid reflux, heartburn or bulimia,

Tip # 5: Being careful of chlorinated pools,

Tip # 6: Avoiding substances that cause dry mouth, such as smoking and alcohol.

Let’s take a look at the two final fundamental tips for great enamel health…

Healthy Enamel Tip # 7: Don’t Grind Your Teeth!

 

Teeth grinding, also known as “Bruxism” and jaw clenching are two habits we are mostly completely unaware of doing and yet they have the potential to do terrible damage to our teeth. The exact cause of teeth grinding and jaw clenching is unknown, although they are believed to share a connection with stress and anxiety.

According to our panel of cosmetic dentists, most of the Colorado Springs residents who do suffer from Bruxism grind their teeth at night while they are fast asleep, and so they have no idea that they’re doing it. The only way to really tell is from the wear patterns on the biting surfaces of the teeth. Some people can completely grind their teeth down to the underlying dentine at which stage restoration using a crown may become necessary.

Over time and without any preventative measures, teeth grinding and jaw clenching can utterly destroy your teeth. In addition to the erosive action of the grinding, the unnatural force of clenching your jaw can cause the teeth to become fractured and cracked, leaving them far more vulnerable to decay.

What’s the Solution?

“If your dentist diagnoses evidence of this kind of nocturnal activity, it is imperative that you have a custom mouth guard or retainer fitted, which you should wear to bed at night,” say dentists to Colorado Springs residents. “This will prevent your teeth from coming together and will help to preserve the protective enamel covering them.”

Healthy Enamel Tip # 8: See the Dentist Every Year

The preventative dental healthcare provided by your dentist and oral hygienist will ensure that your teeth are kept in the best possible condition and that any problems – such as enamel erosion, cavities, decay and gum disease – are diagnosed well before they have a chance to do permanent damage.

Colorado Springs residents should see the dentist once every six months, unless he or she has been told that they are in peak dental health and can return again for an appointment in one year. Routine fluoride treatments are also essential for good enamel health and should your dentist believe that you could benefit from any additional hygiene measures, he or she will make the necessary recommendations.