Make These Conscious Choices to Maintain a Healthy Smile As You Age
Good oral health is essential for a happy family. Many people do not give their oral health the attention it deserves, especially as they age. However, more and more research is emerging that connects good oral health to good overall health. Keeping your family healthy by modeling good oral health practices is important. You should have a plan in place to maintain and improve your oral health.
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Living By Design
You are likely to plan a lot of areas of your life to ensure success. You probably make time for exercise, family fun, work obligations, and more. Having a plan for every area of your life is important to ensure that all that you want to achieve and get done is achieved and done. The same is true of good oral health.
Good oral health does not just happen. Did you know that tooth decay is more common than childhood asthma and is 20 times more prevalent than diabetes? Tooth decay can lead to serious illness when not treated. Living a lifestyle that is designed to promote good oral health is essential. There are three areas that you can improve when it comes to oral health.
Your Diet
A healthy diet is key to good oral health, and essential to keeping your smile looking its best. A tooth-healthy diet can improve your oral health and keep cavities away. Providing food options to your family that are focused on good oral health is not only good for their teeth and yours, but tooth health diets are highly nutritious as well.
Sugary sweets, especially the type that will stick to your teeth, can feed the cavities. In some cases, the sugar content is not immediately apparent. For example, even natural fruit juices can be chockful of natural sugars that are bad for your teeth. Making water the “go-to” drink will better care for your teeth and your body.
Designing your diet to include foods that are healthy for your teeth and eliminating foods that are not good for your teeth, is an easy, conscious way to better protect your teeth. Some foods you should incorporate into your diet include crunchy veggies like carrot sticks and foods that are rich in calcium, like dark green vegetables.
Tea, red wine, coffee, and dark sodas are the drinks that are most often associated with teeth staining. Blueberries and other dark foods can also stain your teeth. Limiting these staining foods can help to keep your smile sparkling and white.
Regular Checkups Are a Must
Every family member should see the dentist once every six months. Regular checkups are essential to your oral health. Partnering with a good dentist to manage your oral health care will ensure that if any oral health problems do arise, early intervention is available. Professional dental care will provide preventive services, early interventions, and restorative care.
At-Home Oral Health Care
According to the American Dental Association, you should be brushing your teeth at least two times a day. Actually, after every meal is best. While it may not be possible to brush every time you eat when you are away from home, you can drink some water with every meal to help flush away debris. Brushing and flossing are vital to the health of your teeth.
Speak to your dental hygienist about proper brushing techniques during your next visit to the dentist. A dental hygienist has a wealth of knowledge about which type of toothbrush to use, how to properly brush, and what other oral health tools your family can use.
It is estimated that about 65% of the adult population has some degree of periodontal disease, and many of them do not know it. Make an appointment to see a dentist soon and come up with a plan to give your oral health the attention it deserves.
