Cosmetic Dentist, Mt. Kisco NY Discusses The 20 Things That Can Ruin Your Smile Part 2
Here are the final 10 things that can ruin your smile. While reading, you can learn tips and tricks on how to make sure your teeth stay sparkling white!
Hot Drinks
Your hot-drink habit may be one reason
your teeth look a little dingy. Black tea and coffee contain stain-promoting tannins that lodge into the pits and grooves of the tooth enamel, producing a rough, stained surface, which is sticky and can retain decay-producing bacteria.
Consume such beverages in moderation, drink more water every day, and add milk to your coffee or tea to help neutralize the acids.
Aging
As you age, you’re more susceptible to decay near old fillings or root surfaces unprotected by receding gums. But there’s no reason you can’t keep your teeth. Oral disease—not aging per se—is the danger. Increasing your fluoride protection is key. And if you have arthritis, there are dental products that can make brushing and flossing less painful. Seniors who brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste or use fluoride rinses or gels regularly have fewer cavities.
Birth Control Pills
Because oral contraceptives mimic pregnancy, they can also lead to gum inflammation and infections, including gingivitis.
Additionally, some studies have shown that women who use birth control pills may have more trouble healing after tooth extractions and are twice as likely to develop painful dry sockets where the tooth used to be.
If you use birth control pills, it’s not a bad idea to discuss their effect with your dentist before major procedures.
Not Flossing
Although many of us are much more diligent about brushing than flossing, they are equally important.
Flossing every day is one of the best things you can do to take care of your teeth. It’s the single most important factor in preventing periodontal disease, which affects more than 50% of adults.
Flossing helps remove plaque and debris that sticks to teeth and gums, and gives you a brighter smile by polishing the tooth’s surface; it even helps control bad breath.
Brushing At The Wrong Time
Although we’ve been taught to brush after every meal, depending on what you eat or drink, that’s not always the best advice.
After consuming high-acid food or drinks, like wine, coffee, citrus fruits, and soft drinks, rinse with water to neutralize the acids, but wait an hour before reaching for the toothpaste.
Brushing teeth immediately after drinking carbonated drinks and acidic foods can cause erosion.
Overzealous Whitening
It is not clear whether bleaching erodes tooth enamel, but it can increase sensitivity, especially when done too often. Even at-home whitening treatments should be used in moderation, and always under a dentist's supervision, as some whitening toothpastes and gels contain abrasive ingredients that can increase tooth sensitivity, and possibly harm the enamel.
Soft Drinks and Carbonated Beverages
Soft drinks are chock-full of sugar, which puts you at a risk for cavities, root decay, and gum infections. Dark colas can also stain your teeth, leaving you with a lackluster smile. We recommend drinking soda through a straw and rinsing with water or chewing sugar-free gum after consumption to neutralize the acids.
We also recommend waiting at least an hour before brushing.
Citrus and Acidic Food
Although lemons, grapefruits, and citrus juices don’t directly cause cavities, like soft drinks, they contain acids, which cause erosion of the tooth enamel, weakening the tooth and making it prone to decay.
Waiting to brush, rinsing your mouth with water, or chewing sugar-free gum can help. In particular, consider xylitol, a natural sweetener found in plants and fruits that was FDA approved as a food additive in 1986. Found in sugar-free gum, mints, and toothpastes, xylitol can inhibit the cavity-causing oral bacteria. Dentists will often recommend patients chew at least two pieces per day if they are at high risk for developing cavities.
Tobacco
Smoking turns your teeth yellow and brown, but it can be much more damaging than that. It can cause throat, lung, and mouth cancer, and even death. Additionally, the tar from tobacco forms a sticky film on teeth, which harbors bacteria that promote acid production and create irritating toxins, both of which cause gum inflammation, tooth decay, and loss.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can affect your jaw, cause pain, and even change the appearance of your face. People who have otherwise healthy teeth and gums can clench so often and so hard that over time, they wear away their tooth’s enamel, causing chipping and sensitivity.
Stress and anger can increase nighttime teeth grinding. Finding ways to alleviate these feelings can help, but it’s also important to see your dentist, who can recommend solutions like a custom night guard.
To improve YOUR smile we offer FREE teeth whitening to all new patients after their first dental hygiene appointment. ($600 Value) Call Amy for details at: (914) 241-2242 We can help you have that pretty smile you’ve always wanted.
