Learning and using the proper techniques for flossing and brushing your teeth are important. Developing a routine to effectively take of your teeth and mouth will be beneficial for long-term dental results. Here’s an infographic illustration which shows all the different ways that we should be cleaning our teeth.
Do you need some dental advice, or would like your children to learn about how to properly care for their teeth? Call the Atrium Family Dental office to book your next appointment.
Rinsing out your mouth with mouthwash is an important step to your dental hygiene regimen. The mouthwash aims to kill any leftover bacteria which may continue to develop into plaque or other dental problems. However, the ingredients of each mouthwash may vary. There are many different mouthwashes with different special functions depending as to how they were formulated. This is why there are mouthwashes that sting if you gargle too long, while others don’t. So what is the right mouthwash for you and what should you look out for? Here some pointers to remember.
If you find that using mouthwash is an unpleasant experience because of the stinging sensation when gargling and that nasty unpleasant taste, then be sure to stay away from mouthwash products with alcohol as one of their ingredients. Alcohol has negative effects in the mouth like drying out your mouth and killing your own cells apart from the bacteria and germs. Alcohol also has some correlation with oral cancer if you continually use this kind of mouthwash. There are many alcohol-free mouthwashes available and be sure to check for different flavours as well.
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What is the color of your teeth? Natural teeth are rarely bright white in color. In fact, your teeth are more often than not light gray or light yellow in shade, and over the years, you can expect your teeth to change in color due to the food, beverages and even bad habits you might have such as smoking and drinking. You could also expect a build-up of surface stains which will only hinder you from really smiling.
The perception of others whenever they look at your teeth matters but you yourself should be aware of the changing color of your teeth, especially because it is an indication of a growing tooth problem. While you can claim that you can never have bright white teeth or really want to use tooth whitening, the truth is that first impressions matter, and a white smile can make you look more approachable, employable and successful.
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As we age, many of us may lose a tooth or two to some accident or dental complication. While there is little we can do to save the tooth, there are things available to us that can restore the function and aesthetics of our smile. Here we discuss the positives and negatives of two possible solutions if you lose a tooth – dental implants and dentures.
Dentures are sets of false or fake teeth that you place on the space of the missing tooth using some dental adhesive. Dentures require a much shorter time span to prepare compared to dental implants and less time in the dentist’s office. Dentures work best for people who have fragile gums or a weak jaw. However, the problem with dentures is that despite dental adhesives, there’s still the chance that dentures can become dislodged from your mouth which can be an embarrassing experience. You also can’t use dentures to bite into hard foods as they may break. Dentures also feel somewhat unnatural and can make speaking clearly difficult.
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Did you know that plaque formation is happening inside your mouth as you read this article? The thought of it might be scary but that is really what happens, especially if you don’t work to maintain proper oral health care. The existence of plaque in your mouth is not only due to the lack of proper maintenance; it also concerns the food you eat every day. Plaque loves sweet foods, so if you’re a fan of sweet foods, you may be at higher risk for gum disease.
If you are not taking any action to ensure that your dental care is in top shape, you may begin experiencing toothaches. Toothaches are caused by the acids which form on teeth and attack/erode the tooth enamel that protects your smile. Once the enamel has been broken down, the bacteria penetrates into the softer tissues inside every tooth. When this condition, the start of gum disease, is not treated in its early stages, you can expect to have a broken tooth due to plaque in less than a month or two.
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