Good Oral Hygiene Can Save Your Life, as Well as Your Smile
By Avanti Vadivelu
Sure we all want gleaming, healthy white teeth… but when you’ve got soccer games to attend, job priorities, moving hassles, etc. making those “mandatory” visits to the dentist’s office all of a sudden doesn’t seem so mandatory. If you’re like most people, you may just visit the dentist when you have a toothache -or worse- ignore toothaches altogether. Depending on how hectic your life is you may not even allow yourself time to brush your teeth at least twice a day, let alone floss everyday.
Well, good oral hygiene isn’t only important for preventing cavities. It can also help prevent a myriad of other more life-threatening diseases including gum disease, heart disease, or even chest, throat or brain abscesses. If just knowing this isn’t enough to get you to pay more attention to your teeth, consider this: In Winter of just last year, twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver of Maryland died after bacteria from his tooth spread to his brain. According to MSNBC, a routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him. Unfortunately, this case isn’t alone.
It’s especially important to teach our young children the importance of good oral hygiene. According to researcher Evelyn Crowley of University College Cork in 1997, the then
Mid-Western Health Board carried out dental examinations on 608 twelve-year olds and found that 37% had no decay, fillings or missing permanent teeth. In 2002 and 2003, the survey was repeated among some of the same children (now at 18 years of age). This time the number had fallen to 18%, clearly showing a worsening of the children’s oral health.
So, whether you’re 10, 40, or 100 years old, here are some tips on how to help you keep your pearly whites pearly and white:
- Avoid foods with a high concentration of sugar (or at least limit your intake!)
- Make sure your take in and use the necessary quantities of fluoride (fluoride helps to protect your teeth.)
- Remember that sodas not only contain high amounts of sugar you should avoid, it also contains acid that may assist in eroding your tooth’s enamel. Avoid it whenever possible.
- Choose fruits and vegetables that contain a high volume of water, such as pears, melons, celery, and cucumbers as 'healthy snacks' instead of sweet snacks.
- Bring on the meats! Meats and other tough foods are the safest because they increase the saliva production and help to the self-cleaning of teeth.
- Aim to brush your teeth after every meal. If that proves to be too difficult at least aim for no less than twice a day.
- The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth, allowing you to reach all areas easily.
- When choosing any dental product, look for the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance.
- Use these tips from the American Dental Association on how to brush your teeth effectively:
o Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.
o Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
o Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
o Use the "toe" of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.
o Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
- Rinsing your mouth with Listerine not only provides you with fresh breath it significantly reduces the amount of bacteria that causes gum disease.
- See your dental hygienist for a cleaning at least twice a year.
- Replace a worn toothbrush promptly.
Sources: Web Dental Office
American Dental Association
Dr. Susan Block of Prior Lake, Minnesota
Remember, we only get two sets of teeth. Once we get our second set, that’s it! So take proper care of the teeth you’ve got. You certainly don’t want to give the toothfairy a reason to visit you during adulthood!
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Avanti,
Well written as usual, however I must take issue with a few lines:
"Bring on the meats! Meats and other tough foods are the safest because they increase the saliva production and help to the self-cleaning of teeth."
While this statement may hold true in the context of this article related to good oral hygiene, I believe it misses the mark on the larger picture of good overall health. Diets high in animal proteins have been shown to promote higher levels of cholesterol, a preponderance for heart disease and a variety of cancers (see The China Study by Colin Campbell). One of the problems with Western Medicine is that it isolates one circumstance, but often disregards the rest of the body.
“Rinsing your mouth with Listerine not only provides you with fresh breath it significantly reduces the amount of bacteria that causes gum disease.”
Listerine contains alcohol which has been shown to aggravate certain problems in the mouth (cold sores, ulcers, etc…) my dental hygienist recently recommended Biotene as an alternative.
Finally, there should be an emphasis on flossing. The key to good oral hygiene is keeping the gums healthy, not keeping teeth white. In the absence (or in addition) to flossing, one should use an irrigator like a WaterPik.
Finally, there was a post on MyHealthGate a while back on Oil Pulling, this has proven to be an effective method to actually whitening teeth (without using harsh bleaches or abrasive whiteners that a dentist may normally use).
http://www.myhealthgate.com/remedy/90/oil-pulling-purification-healing-home-remedy
here’s a video clip of a Oil Pulling:
http://www.khemani.com/oilPulling.html
I recently started flossing all of my back teeth, which I never used to do because it took time and it was difficult to reach. I really think it's worth the extra time to floss, because I recently heard that their is a link between not flossing to heart disease. Since hearing that report, I've become much more attentive in my daily dental routine!
I hate flossing, and when I fall out of the habit its always a bit painful to start again.
At what age should kids start flossing?
I find that using a product like Plackers makes flossing much easier. A waterpik is a very good device too. I think kids under age 10 need adult supervision while flossing.