Dentists in Colorado Springs Explain 10 Smile-Preserving Changes You Could Make Today, PART 3

This four-part article series explains 10 changes anyone can make to their daily routine, lifestyle and habits that can help to extend the life and beautiful appearance of their teeth and gums.

Welcome to the final installment of this four-part article series on the changes you could make today to preserve long-term oral health. In our previous post, Part 2, dentists explained the following two changes that Colorado Springs residents should all make to their daily routines and habits:

1. Chew sugar-free gum after meals and when you want to freshen your breath. Try to choose sugar-free gum that contains Xylitol, because this helps to strengthen teeth and neutralize pH levels in your mouth after eating.

2. If you have a sweet tooth, eat chocolate instead of hard, sticky or very brittle candy.

We’ve covered half of the tips that could prevent you from needing new teeth earlier in life, so let’s take a look at the remaining five of 10…

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 6: If You’re Thirsty, Drink Water

Soda, fruit juice and energy drinks should NOT be viewed as thirst quenchers, say Colorado Springs dentists. They are packed with sugar and highly acidic, so if you find yourself thirsty, grab a cold glass of water. It’s much better for your body and it’s much better for your teeth. These beverages are treats and should be indulged in sparingly if you care to preserve smile health.

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 7: Floss Your Teeth!

Flossing removes the food, bacteria and plaque that accumulate between your teeth every day. It is an essential part of keeping your teeth clean and healthy and yet we see very few patients doing it frequently enough. It is then no wonder that the most common location tooth decay sets in is between the teeth.

“If you don’t floss your teeth you are leaving 35% of your tooth surfaces unclean and this can have serious long term consequences for your oral health,” say dental implant dentists. “Floss your teeth every day or else you run the risk of eventually needing new teeth!”

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 8: Stop Chewing Ice!

Whether you’re one of those people who, on a hot day, purposefully fish ice out of the freezer so that you can suck on it, or you like to crunch and chew your way through the ice in your soda, you’ve got to give this habit a rest! According to Colorado Springs dental implants surgeons, chewing ice does tremendous damage to the biting surfaces of your dentition and can actually end you up needing new teeth.

“We’ve seen the kind of damage ice can do to teeth and have had to perform several root canals and other restorative procedures to repair hairline cracks, fractures, chips and cracks caused by biting down on ice,” say dental healthcare professionals. “Your teeth are not intended to be able to manage something as hard and brittle as ice, so try to avoid chewing it as far as possible.”

Stay Tuned for Part 4

To read more about the small changes you could make today - changes that could keep your smile beautiful and help to prevent you from needing new teeth – stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part article series.

Colorado Springs Dentists Explain 10 Smile-Preserving Changes You Could Make Today, PART 2

This four-part article series explains 10 changes anyone can make to their daily routine, lifestyle and habits that can help to extend the life and beautiful appearance of their teeth and gums.

Welcome to the second installment of this four-part article series on the changes you could make today to ensure the long term health of your teeth and the long term beauty of your smile. In our previous post, Part 1, Colorado Springs dentists explained the following three changes that we should all make to our daily routines:

1. Brush your teeth for just a little bit longer each day. 20 Seconds per brush is just not sufficient enough to keep your teeth and gums free from the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

2. Brush your tongue or make use of a tongue-scraper to remove bacteria and food debris from its tiny cracks and crannies. This will also help to keep your breath fresher for longer.

3. See your oral hygienist for a professional teeth cleaning at least once per year. It’s an investment that will help to keep your teeth beautifully clean and your mouth healthier.

Let’s continue looking at the various lifestyle changes you could make to prevent you from needing new teeth.

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 4: Chew Sugar-free Gum

If you don’t have time to brush your teeth after lunch, or you work closely with colleagues and clients and are self-conscious about the quality of your breath, you should keep a pack of sugar-free gum close at hand.

“Chewing gum doesn’t only camouflage bad breath; it actually plays a role in busting it altogether,” say Colorado Springs dental implant dentists. “By stimulating the production of saliva, chewing gum helps to wash away food debris that might otherwise encourage the growth of oral bacteria and taint your breath.”

Chewing gum that contains xylitol, in particular, is great for oral health because it helps to remineralize your teeth after an acidic meal. Acid softens your dental enamel, leaving it more vulnerable to erosion and so, chewing gum that contains xylitol helps to neutralize the PH levels in your mouth and strengthen your teeth.

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 5: Avoid Certain Candies

We all know that a diet high in sugar really isn’t for our oral health, nor is it great for our general health. But if you’ve got a sweet tooth there are certain compromises you can make to limit the impact upon the long-term health of your teeth and gums…

If sugar is your Achilles’ heel, opt for chocolate instead of hard candy, boiled sweets and chewy, sticky treats. Chocolate molecules are covered in fatty compounds, which reduces adhesion and helps your saliva to wash them off your teeth. Chewy, sticky candies – such as caramel, toffee and taffy – can get stuck in the cusps of your molars for much longer and where they can fuel bacterial growth. Hard candy and boiled sweets, on the other hand, can actually damage the enamel of your teeth if you bite down onto them.

“A lifelong addiction to this kind of candy can actually cause tooth decay and, eventually, the need for new teeth,” warn dental healthcare professionals in Colorado Springs.

Stay Tuned for Part 3

To read more about the small changes you could make today - changes that could keep your smile beautiful and youthful for much longer – stay tuned for the third installment of this four-part article series.

Dental Implants News, Colorado Springs: 10 Smile-Preserving Changes You Could Make Today, PART 1

This four-part article series explains 10 changes anyone can make to their daily routine, lifestyle and habits that can help to extend the life and beautiful appearance of their teeth and gums.

Your teeth are more than just tools for eating; a healthy smile is what makes you YOU! Unfortunately, as is most often the case, you don’t truly appreciate what you have until you lose it, which is why Colorado Springs dentists urge patients to take good lifelong care of their teeth. You don’t want to have to lose one or more of your pearly whites to appreciate just what a difference good oral health makes to your smile.

And so, in this four-part article series, we will be exploring the small changes we could make to our routine, lifestyle and habits today. These changes, while small, could help to ensure that we keep our teeth and gums in the best possible condition for life.

Let’s get started!

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 1: Brush Your Teeth for a Little Longer

“Most Colorado Springs residents only brush their teeth for a total of 35 seconds per day, when in fact you should brush your teeth for a full two minutes at a time,” say dental implants dentists. “The logic here is simple. The longer you brush your teeth for, the more plaque, food debris and bacteria you will remove, which won’t only help to keep your breath fresher for longer, but will also keep cavities at bay. Even if you find yourself pressed for time, try to brush your teeth for at least 30 seconds longer than you usually do. It could make a world of difference.”

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 2: Brush Your Tongue

“Stick your tongue out and have a good look at its surface. It’s very textured and full of small cracks and crannies where opportunistic oral bacteria can hide out. It is therefore just as important to give your tongue a good brush as it is to brush your teeth thoroughly,” say Colorado Springs dentists. “You can either make use of your toothbrush or invest in a specialized tongue scraper. Both will remove the bacteria and food that accumulate on the surface of your tongue throughout the day. This will improve your breath considerably and prevent oral bacteria from gaining a foothold in your mouth!”

Small Changes for Bigger Smiles # 3: Go for a Professional Cleaning

Pick up the phone, give your dentist’s office a call and book yourself in for a professional teeth cleaning with your oral hygienist. Even Colorado Springs residents with the most rigorous of home oral hygiene habits will require the far more thorough services of a hygienist at least once per year. Plaque, if left in place for too long, eventually solidifies to become what we call tartar.

While brushing and flossing can remove plaque from your teeth and gums, tartar needs to be scraped off using professional dental tools, because it’s a lot like cement. Tartar causes cavities, gingivitis, gum disease and eventually the need for dental implants. So, if you haven’t seen your oral hygienist in more than a year, it’s time to pick up the phone.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To read more about the small changes you could make today - changes that could keep your smile beautiful and youthful for much longer – stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.