5 tips for keeping your mouth healthy, white and bright between cleanings

5 tips for keeping your mouth healthy, white and bright between cleanings

Twice yearly dental visits are an important part of your overall healthcare regimen, and how you take care of your teeth and gums will set you on the right course for better check-ups. Here are some tips for what you can do between dental visits to keep your mouth healthy and your smile pearly white.


1. Healthy eats mean healthy teeth
A well-balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables will help keep your body and mouth healthy. “High fiber, crunchy foods scrub your teeth and stimulate saliva,” says international speaker and registered dental hygienist, Cindy Kleiman. Carrots, celery and broccoli are foods that can act as natural abrasives. They are also better for your overall health than foods high in refined sugars, which have low nutritional value.
Eating healthy also includes drinking more water. Soft drinks, sports drinks and flavored coffee creamers contain high amounts of sugar, which can lead to cavities. “Even diet sodas contain carbonic acid, which erodes teeth enamel,” explains Kleiman. Replacing carbonated beverages that are high in sugar with healthier alternatives, like no-sugar-added juices and water, will be beneficial to your teeth, as well as to your waistline.


2. It’s just as much about timing as it is about technique
Brushing your teeth at least twice a day for a full two minutes is necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Timing isn’t everything though; technique also plays a role. When brushing, tilt the brush at a 45-degree angle to massage the gums and to remove plaque and bacteria that can lead to decay.
According to Dr. Mark E. Hyman, renowned speaker, educator and practicing dentist, using a power toothbrush can make a “staggering difference in how well you clean your teeth” A power toothbrush can also take the guesswork out of technique and timing. One that Dr.Hyman recommends is the new Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum, which has an intuitive Pressure Sensor to help guide proper brushing technique, in addition to a built-in SmartTimer that helps you reach the optimal two-minute cleaning. It has also been proven to remove up to seven times more plaque between teeth than a manual toothbrush.*

3. Flush with fluoride
Historically, science has shown that fluoride has contributed to the prevention of tooth decay. There are multiple ways to add fluoride into your at-home oral care regimen, including using toothpaste with fluoride and a fluoride rinse on a regular basis. Also, drink tap water, as most city water systems add fluoride to the water.

4. Clean between
Cleaning your teeth means more than brushing the surfaces; it also means doing what you can to remove food particles and bacteria from the areas between your teeth. According to Kleiman, a high percentage of dental decay occurs between teeth. “Using dental floss, an interdental pick or other tools, such as Philips SonicareAirFloss—which uses quick bursts of air and water droplets to remove plaque—can help prevent gum disease,” says Kleiman.
Gum disease has been linked to other serious health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. “Cleaning between your teeth daily keeps your breath fresh, prevents tooth decay and is important for your overall health,” explains Dr. Hyman.

5. Keep your mouth in check

In between dental visits, Kleiman suggests that you monitor the health of your teeth and gums by examining them yourself. “We each have a personal responsibility to monitor our own health,” she says. Be proactive. Look for any changes in the appearance of your gums, shifting of your teeth and never ignore oral pain. If you notice any abnormalities, call your dental professional right away and book an appointment. “Early detection is the key,” notes Dr. Hyman.

Serving Waukesha, Oconomowoc, and Hartland Wisconsin, Bailey Family Dental is most concerned with your comfort. Drs Terese and Richard Bailey and their friendly staff will explain treatment options and give estimates before you begin your treatments. To learn more, feel free to go to our website at www.bailyfamilydental.com, or call us at 262-369-8633. Our office is located at 557 Cottonwood avenue, Hartland Wisconsin.

Best and worst Food and drinks for teeth | Bailey Family Dental

Here is a list of some of the best and worst staining food and drinks for your teeth.  Bailey Family Dental of Hartland Wi offers teeth whitening services for you and your family.

Coffee

You know those stubborn brown stains that accumulate on the inside of a coffee mug? Those give you some idea of how coffee drinking can stain your teeth over time. Coffee stains appear to be even more persistent than tobacco stains, in fact. According to one study that compared the two types of stain, coffee-stained teeth were more resistant to toothbrushing and more likely to become discolored again following a bleach treatment.

In addition to being unsightly, teeth with heavy coffee stains tend to be sticky and apt to attract food particles and bacteria.

Sugarless Gum

Sugar-free gum helps clean teeth by stimulating the production of saliva. Saliva is nature's way of washing away acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth, and it also bathes the teeth in bone-strengthening calcium and phosphate. In addition, many varieties of sugarless gum are sweetened with xylitol, an alcohol that reduces bacteria.

You might want to stick with mint flavors, however. One 2011 study suggests that the acid used to create certain fruit flavors could damage teeth, though only slightly. "Anything we taste as sour is more acidic, but we're getting so much good out of the saliva flow


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Serving Waukesha, Oconomowoc, and Hartland Wisconsin, Bailey Family Dental is most concerned with your comfort. Drs Terese and Richard Bailey and their friendly staff will explain treatment options and give estimates before you begin your treatments. To learn more, feel free to go to our website at www.bailyfamilydental.com, or call us at 262-369-8633. Our office is located at 557 Cottonwood avenue, Hartland Wisconsin.

Mouth guards for children to protect from injury

 If you have a child in sports it would be a good idea for you to have a mouth guard available to them.

You can help your child prevent oral injuries by closely supervising him during play and not allowing the child to put foreign objects in the mouth.

For younger children involved in physical activities and sports, mouth guards are strongly encouraged, and can prevent a whole host of injuries to the teeth, gums, lips and other oral structures.

Mouth guards are generally small plastic appliances that safely fit around your child's teeth. Many mouth guards are soft and pliable and mold to the child's teeth when first inserted.

If a tooth has been knocked out, try to place the tooth back in its socket right away. Remember to hold the dislocated tooth by the crown-not the root. If you cannot replace the tooth into the socket, then place the tooth in a container of cold milk, saline or the victim's own saliva. Call our office immediately.
For a fractured tooth, please look and find the pieces that have fractured off.  We can often use them to repair the tooth.  Call our office at 262-369-8633 immediately.
Irritation caused by retainers or braces can sometimes be relieved by placing a tiny piece of cotton or gauze on the tip of the wire or other protruding object. If an injury occurs from a piece of the retainer or braces lodging into a soft tissue, contact our office immediately and avoid dislodging it yourself.

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Serving Waukesha, Oconomowoc, and Hartland Wisconsin, Bailey Family Dental is most concerned with your comfort. Drs Terese and Richard Bailey and their friendly staff will explain treatment options and give estimates before you begin your treatments. To learn more, feel free to go to our website at www.bailyfamilydental.com, or call us at 262-369-8633. Our office is located at 557 Cottonwood avenue, Hartland Wisconsin.