Brushing your teeth in the morning and at night is ideal, but let’s face it… sometimes that just doesn’t happen. If you brushed only once a day, which would be better: in the morning or before bed?
Think about all the things you eat and drink during the day. Some are worse than others. It is pretty well known that carbonated soft drinks are not good for your teeth. But what about carbonated water? The carbonation increases the acid content like it does in sodas which raises the question about the effect of that enjoyable sparkling water.
Top McKinney Orthodontics Researchers tested this effect against regular water and found that sparkling water does have an increased acid content, but ultimately was no worse than plain water on tooth enamel. That is good news for people who love the bubbly stuff as long as you do not branch out into flavored carbonated waters and there are many on the market. Waters with added citrus flavoring do have enough of an elevated acid content to harm teeth. Additionally, some waters have added sugar for flavoring at which point it’s not just water anymore. The best beverage for your teeth will always be plain water.
It is probably obvious that sticky foods and candies are not good for your teeth. These sticky treats can grab onto your teeth and hold that sugar there for hours especially if you are already having trouble finding time, or remembering, to brush. Even something that sounds as healthy as dried fruits can stick to and in-between teeth. Fresh fruit is a much better alternative for your teeth over dried fruits.
Bread can also be hard on your teeth. When you eat bread, the saliva breaks down the starches in the bread into sugar so when bread sticks to your teeth, it’s like pasting sugar onto your teeth. Whole grain bread is much better than white bread because there is less added sugar to break down. Potato chips cause a similar issue with the breakdown of starch that gets trapped between the teeth.
The particles left behind, on and between your teeth and gums are an all-you-can-eat buffet for the bacteria in your mouth. If left alone, that bacteria creates plaque on your teeth which can calcify and become tartar which in turn can cause cavities. If you can’t brush after eating, rinsing your mouth with water is very helpful in removing the acid that coats your teeth and remnants of food hiding between teeth.
Worrying about cavities is not the only reason to watch what you eat and drink for tooth and gum health. Bacteria in the mouth and the associated inflammation it causes can wreak havoc on the human body. Oral bacterial infections can travel through your bloodstream contributing to heart disease, lung infections, Alzheimer’s and memory loss, kidney disease, and some cancers, especially of the blood.
If all that is not enough to encourage regular Top McKinney Orthodontics tooth-brushing, there is a decidedly social angle to regular tooth-brushing. GQ magazine published an article about men who don’t brush their teeth, or at least not very often. The piece ran the gamut from tongue-in-cheek efforts to get a garlicky-breathed boyfriend to brush his teeth to relationships actually ending over the “nagging” required to encourage a partner to brush regularly. No matter the age, no one enjoys being told that their breath stinks. Periodontal disease from lack of dental care will definitely give someone dragon breath.
For those who ignore regular Top McKinney Orthodontics dental hygiene, the road to gum disease can be a swift one. Dr. Crise of Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics gives presentations to school children every year about taking care of your teeth and shows an enlarged, close-up color photograph of the mouth of a former patient of hers when she was in dental school (with his permission, of course). This patient had not taken care of his teeth and his mouth told the whole story at one glance.
The children always gasp and a chorus of “ewwww” and “gross” can be heard. That picture does a great deal for bringing home the concept to elementary children that teeth must be cared for or there will at some point be consequences. Sometimes words go right over and around young children, but this photo will stay with them a good, long time. As mentioned in this article, the consequences can be social, health-related, as well as financially unpleasant.
Fortunately brushing, flossing and regular dental checkups are easy ways to prevent Top McKinney Orthodontics problems. But even for those who have already begun to experience issues related to not taking care of their teeth, it’s never too late. Dentists and orthodontists are well aware that some people have aversions to getting their teeth evaluated.
This brings us back to the original Top McKinney Orthodontics question. If you could only brush once a day, is morning or night better? The anti-bacterial effect of your saliva is one way to combat bacterial growth, but we can’t leave the job to saliva alone. At night, the production of saliva naturally decreases and if you sleep with your mouth open, you know your mouth is even drier! This gives bacteria time to do its dirty work on your teeth. A simple 2-minute brushing of your teeth before bed can remove the plaque and food particles which can lead to bigger issues later. Gum, mints or mouthwash don’t count. They may make your mouth feel “fresher”, but to remove the plaque on your teeth requires brushing and flossing.
If you aren’t already brushing your teeth before bed at night, it’s easy to make that part of your routine. Anytime is a perfect time to release bad habits and replace with good Top McKinney Orthodontics ones. Warding off troublesome and costly dental issues by doing something as easy as brushing before bed can be a great start!! Good dental hygiene is important to having a Beautiful Smile and creating gorgeous smiles is what we do best at Smiles Hollywood Orthodontics in McKinney! For Braces, Invisalign or teeth whitening, call us at 972-529-9700 or visit us online at SmilesHollywood.com.