A healthy smile can transform your face. It can make you appear more attractive, boost self-confidence, and open doors. Although it may seem complex, you can maintain a sparkling healthy smile with a dentist in Burnaby through regular cleanings and by following a few simple steps for self-care.
A healthy diet and lifestyle go a long way in helping maintain a healthy smile. Smoking is not just unhealthy; it’s also hard on your teeth. Smokers are at an increased risk for gum disease, which can cause a wide variety of issues. In addition, it also stains teeth and can cause bad breath, while causing a steady buildup of plaque and tarter. Oral cancer is another very real concern. Smokers are six times more likely than non-smokers to develop oral cancer, which includes cancers of the tongue, cheek, lips, throat, and more.
Another healthy habit to embrace is to ditch regular and diet sodas. Both types of drinks encourage tooth decay. The acidic artificial sweeteners and carbonation in diet sodas can also erode your teeth. Stick to water to maintain a sparkling healthy smile. In the same way, try to avoid sugary foods. Choose nutritious foods, such as plain yogurt, cheese, fruit, or raw vegetables. Some vegetables, such as celery, can help remove food from in between your teeth and can also help your saliva to neutralize plaque-causing acids.
Although it may be tempting to use your teeth to open packaging, just don’t. Instead of risking chipping or cracking a tooth, rip or cut packaging and save your healthy smile.
Obviously, brushing and flossing your teeth regularly are integral to keeping those pearly whites shining. Brush twice a day, be sure to use a soft-bristled brush, and brush using circular motions in order to avoid damaging tooth enamel. Deep clean below the gum line and rinse your mouth out with mouthwash.
Do you get frequent headaches or migraines? Do you wake up with a sore jaw or experience increased sensitivity? If so, you may be grinding your teeth. A mouth guard can help by preventing further damage caused by grinding.
Although they might dazzle the eye, tongue and lip piercings can cause cracked teeth or cut gums. You can bite down on the metal by accident and damage your healthy smile.1
Lastly, to ensure you maintain a sparkling healthy smile with a dentist in Burnaby, make time for regular dental checkups. Prevention is the best and most comfortable treatment and can be accomplished through regular checkups. If you wait until you start to have pain, it may already be too late. Most dental issues don’t cause pain right away. For example, before cavities become deep, they are painless. Gum disease is also painless in the beginning, with pain only happening once there is an infection. Through regular dental check-ups, a dentist can catch an issue before it becomes a bigger problem.