Your teeth are made of sturdy stuff, but they’re not immune to disease, infection or damage. If you want to enjoy a bright and healthy smile for years to come, it’s important to take good care of your teeth and minimise the risk of dental problems. Here are five of the biggest risks for your teeth to bear in mind:

1. Smoking: Smoking is harmful for almost every part of your body. Smoking stains the teeth and increases the risk of gum disease. It’s also the most significant risk factor for mouth cancer.
2. Sugar: We all enjoy a sweet treat now and again, but excessive sugar consumption is one of the biggest threats to dental health today. When you eat sugary foods, bacteria feed, and this results in them producing harmful acids, which erode the tooth enamel. This puts you at risk of cavities, dental injuries, infections and gum disease.
3. Snacking: You may think the most important consideration when it comes to your diet and dental health is the amount of sugar you eat, but the frequency with which you eat is actually even more important. This is because your enamel becomes weak when you eat. At this point it is vulnerable, and it takes time to recover. If you’re snacking all the time, your enamel never has a chance to recover, and there’s an elevated risk of cavities and sensitivity. If you are hungry between meals, stick to sugar-free snacks.
4. Poor dental hygiene: If you neglect oral hygiene, you have a much higher risk of developing gum disease and dental decay. Every morning and night, devoting just two minutes to oral care will stand you in good stead to enjoy a healthy, attractive smile for the foreseeable future. We recommend using fluoride toothpaste, and setting an alarm to make sure you brush for long enough.
5. Missing dental appointments: Research suggests that if you attend regular dental appointments, you can reduce your risk of developing cavities and gum disease by up to 60 percent. If you haven’t been to the dentist in the last 12 months, we strongly recommend booking a check-up. Call us today, and we’ll arrange an appointment for you.

If you have questions about oral health or you’d like some pointers, our dental team will be happy to help.

Tags: Advice, Smoking, Sugar, tooth decay

This entry was posted on Friday, February 3rd, 2017 at 1:00 pm and is filed under tooth decay. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.