Oral Health Tips

We instinctively know that dental problems such as cavities and gum disease can cause pain, tooth loss, bad breath, impair our ability to eat or speak propery, not to mention the associated cost, so we'll start below with the lifestyle and hygiene tips, focused on prevention.  What follows that includes more detailed information about diseases associated with poor oral hygiene and symptoms that signal a trip to the dentist.

• Start oral hygiene as soon as a baby's first tooth appears, cleaning it twice a day.  For children 3 and younger, use fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice.  After age 3, increase the amount of toothpaste to pea size.  It is still important to care for baby teeth because diseased teeth can affect how children eat, talk, and even learn.
  
  
• Brush your teeth twice a day for about 2 minutes each time, with fluoride toothpaste.  Use a brush that fits your mouth and that has soft bristles of varying height.  Remember to clean your tongue.  Don't brush too overzealously, as you can scrape away tooth structure or damage gum tissue.
  
  
• If you have just had something acidic to eat or drink, wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.  This gives your mouth time to produce enough saliva to neutralize the acidity and help your teeth absorb more calcium, which then acts like a coat of armor.
  
  
• Keep your toothbrush clean and replace it every 3 months, when the bristles fray, or after you have been sick. 
  
  
• Gently and thoroughly floss your teeth daily.
  
  
• Keep your dentures and dental appliances clean.  Follow your dentist's recommendations for cleaning them.
  
  
• Don't use tobacco (to reduce the risk of periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease) and eat a healthy diet (to help suppress inflammation).
  
  
• Visit your dentist at least once a year.  Dental offices in Arkansas are now open and have COVID-19 infection control protocols in place.  Know the symptoms that suggest oral health problems so you see a dentist before they worsen.
  
  
• If your medication causes dry mouth, ask your pharmacist and doctor if there might be a different medication that doesn't cause this condition.  If dry mouth can't be avoided, drink plenty of water and chew sugarless gum, which helps to promote saliva production.
  
  

Our mouths contain about 700 species of bacteria, mostly harmless, although some can cause disease.  Of course, our mouth is the entry point to our digestive and respiratory tracts.  Normally, the body's natural defenses and good oral health care keep bacteria under control, but where the latter is lacking, bacteria can reach levels that can lead to oral infections such as tooth decay and gum disease.

As well, studies suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontal disease can be associated with diseases such as endocarditis (infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers or valves), chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and birth complications, dementia, arthritis, and pneumonia.  Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis, alzheimer's, and diseases that may reduce the amount of saliva produced (and often causing dry mouth) may also be associated with periodontal disease. 

So it makes sense to work on prevention by maintaining good oral health habits, outlined in the tips above.  Knowing the first signs of dental problems is also useful, to be able to take action as soon as possible.

If you or a loved one has any of these symptoms, it's time to contact your dentist:

While waiting for your appointment with your dentist, you may have to administer self-care.  In such situations, use caution with over-the-counter (OTC) antiseptic products containing benzocaine, which has been linked to a rare and serious, sometimes deadly, condition called methemoglobinemia, which decreases the amount of exygen that the blood can carry.  Talk with your dentist, doctor, or pharmacist before using an OTC antiseptic containing benzocaine.

Oral hygiene takes a bit of work, but your beautiful smile is worth it!

We wish you a fabulous summer, full beautiful smiles and free of dental problems!

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15.  https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/adult-oral-health/tips.html