Make sure to eat properly Because Your body cannot grow more permanent teeth, so it is important to protect them.
Other sources of tooth erosion include those suffering from bulimia; constant vomiting or reflux causes acidic contents to be in frequent contact with the teeth.
Flavored waters should also be treated with care; those containing sugar or other additives may be as acidic as a soft drink.
Most of us know the feeling of fuzziness on our teeth after consuming cola.
Baby teeth are very vulnerable to acid erosion because the teeth have softer enamel than adult teeth.
Eating for Your Teeth (not just with them)
• Eat healthy foods to reduce the cavity-causing germs in your mouth.
• Brush your teeth with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• Do not put anything in your baby’s mouth that has been in your mouth including spoons or a toothbrush, do not
blow on your baby’s food
• Do not use your spit to clean your baby’s pacifier – use water instead.
• If you have bleeding gums or cavities, you should visit your dentist as soon as possible.
Your diet is crucial to oral hygiene. Before your body can use the food, it needs to be chewed up by your teeth. A diet full in nutrients from all the food groups can help protect your teeth.
Sugar, especially in sodas, can cause cavities on your teeth. Limit sugar intake by eating healthier snacks. And, if you do have a lot of sugar in your diet, try and have your sugary foods during a meal, rather than as a snack.
Eating sugars during a full meal is better than during snacking because a full meal produces more saliva, which helps wash away the sugars and break down plaque. Choose healthier snack alternatives such as fruits, vegetables, or cheeses to help protect your teeth between meals.
Avoid chewing on hard objects such as ice or even the ends of pencils. Not only can this weaken the enamel of your teeth, but it can also put you at risk for breaking or cracking a tooth. Your teeth may be strong, but they were really only intended to chew food, so try and break the bad habits of chewing objects that are not edible.
Tobacco Damage
Tobacco in all forms can cause damage to your mouth and teeth, as well as your entire body. This includes cigars, cigarettes, chew, and dip.
Tobacco can cause tooth discoloration, gum disease, tooth loss, and cancer of the tongue, lips, gums and lungs. Cancer in your mouth from chew can lead to a partial or complete removal of your jaw. (I have seen pictures, it is not a pretty sight.)
The best way to prevent problems is to Stay away from tobacco. If you already use tobacco, there are patches and gums to help you quit. Talk to your doctor about the best options for you.
Mouth Guards
If you play contact sports, make sure to use a mouth guard to protect your teeth from getting chipped, broken, or knocked out. A mouth guard absorbs the force of contact – either from an elbow to the face, or even biting your teeth together.
If you grind your teeth while you sleep, you can use a mouth guard to keep your enamel from breaking down. A dentist or a sporting good store can provide a simple mouth guard for your protection.
Oral Piercing
Oral piercing usually starts as a fashion statement, but can cause a lot of damage if not taken care of properly. If you decide to get some “mouth art,” make sure to protect your mouth.
The first step you can take is making sure that the studio you go to is continually sanitized and any instrument used on your body is sterile. You can tell if the place is sterile because the instruments will usually come straight out of a package or will be placed into a little machine (kind of like a mini-dishwasher) that can deep clean them. This process is also used by dentists to sterilize their equipment, so keep this in mind when you are looking at studios.
Complications during the initial piercing can lead to an infection of your mouth. If a piercing is set improperly, for example, it can lead to chipped teeth or erosion of the teeth and gums.
Surgical grade stainless steel is also recommended for the jewelry because it is least likely to cause infections or allergic reactions.
If you have a tongue piercing, make sure to clean out the piercing every time you eat to prevent bacteria from building up in between your tongue and the piercing. Remove the jewelry so you can clean it and your mouth separately without interference.
Surprisingly, even those on a healthy diet are prone to acid wear of teeth. Unfortunately, acid-worn tooth enamel is being seen more and more frequently by dentists in their young patients, a worryingly escalating trend
We are going to discuss few steps for your help
1-Be aware of the causes. Instigators of acid wear on teeth include:
Regular and prolonged consumption of wine, fruit juices, soft/pop drinks and vinegar-based salad dressings.
Frequent grazing through the day on veggies and fruit
Imbalanced eating patterns, for example, not eating something that counterbalances the acidity of fruit, such as nuts, at the time of eating the fruit
Snack foods – many of them are acidic.
2-Cut down on acidic beverages.
Reduce or eliminate your consumption of soda pops and soft drinks, fruit juices and wine. Large amounts of these beverages are not healthy for you for many reasons, so not only your teeth will benefit from reduced consumption, but also your nutrition status and your body's overall health. So-called “sports drinks” in particular contain large amounts of citric acid.
3-Avoid grazing through the day.
If you enjoy nibbling on food all day long, you may be endangering your teeth. The best solution is to ensure that the foods that you consume are either low in acidity or are combined with foods able to counteract the acidityand reduce your need for the acidic food. For example, consuming nuts with fruit or cheesewith carrots may be one way to reduce the effects of acid wear. Nuts and dairy foods are considered helpful balancers to acidic foods
4-Avoid brushing your teeth for one hour after consuming acidic food and drink.
While this may seem counter-intuitive, acidic foods and drink soften the tooth enemal and leave it prone to damage from brushing. Wait an hour before brushing.[4] It is also very important not to over brush your teeth any time; too much brushing is abrasive and wears down your teeth. Rely on dental floss and toothpicks in between morning and evening brushing.
5-Rinse your mouth with baking soda.
To reduce the acidity in your mouth, rinse thoroughly and gargle with a spoonful of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) in water.
6-Use a straw.
Reduce the contact of juice and soda drinks with your teeth by drinking through a straw. This is only a minor help, so don't rely on it as a major solution! The best approach is to reduce your overall consumption of fruit juice and soda drinks.
A Few Tips For Your Baby
1-Before your baby’s fi rst tooth becomes visible in the mouth, you should wipe the mouth
every day with a soft, moist washcloth. As soon as teeth become visible in the mouth,
brush the teeth with a small soft bristle toothbrush that contains a pea-sized smear
of fluoride-containing toothpaste.
2- Encourage your baby to spit out the toothpaste.
3- You should brush your child’s teeth at least twice each day – once in the
morning and once at night. Remember, the most important time to brush your
baby’s teeth is right before bedtime.
4- Talk to your baby’s pediatrician or pediatric dentist about the right amount of
fl uoride for your baby. Ask if your child should be brushing with toothpaste that
contains fluoride.
5- Avoid giving your baby sticky foods and unhealthy snacks like candy, soda or juice
in between meals. Instead, give your baby healthy snacks like cheese, yogurt or fruit.
Only give your baby treats or juice at meal times.
6- Establish bedtime routines that do not involve using the bottle fi lled with milk or
juice to soothe the baby to sleep. Also avoid having the baby sleep with a bottle
fi lled with milk or juice as the natural sugars in these liquids will get changed
to acid, which will rot or decay the teeth and lead to dental infection and
pain. Avoid having your baby drink from a sippy cup fi lled with juice
between meals.
7- Do not give your baby juice until he is 6 months old. Do not give your
baby more than 4-6 ounces of juice per day.
8- If you see white spots developing on your baby’s teeth, then take your
baby to a pediatric dentist right away. A white spot is often the fi rst sign
of a dental cavity.
9- Schedule your baby’s fi rst dental visit with a pediatric dentist when she is one
year old. Pediatric dentists have additional training beyond dental school working
with babies and young children. Remember – fi rst tooth, fi rst birthday, fi rst dental
visit!
