Here at South Burnett Dental Group in Kingaroy we have put together a heap of tips to help you steer clear of oral concerns such as decay, tooth loss, root canal infection and gum disease.
By following our guide to positive oral health habits, we may be able to save you a few future trips to the dentist.
How to keep your smile healthy for life
Aside from your obvious brush twice a day and floss once a day hygiene routine, there are a number of other measure you can take to keep your teeth, gums and tissues healthy for a lifetime.
#1 Avoid grazing on food throughout the day
Grazing refers to eating food consistently through the day rather than taking the time to eat main meals. What was once thought to be a breakthrough method of losing weight, grazing has since been linked to an array of negative health affects for the body.
According to Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University, the main problem is that instead of eating healthy foods, most people were caught snacking on high-sugar and high-fat junk food that basically just added calories to the count.
Even for those who were eating healthy foods, the theory didn’t seem to add up. This is because when we eat, our body releases insulin – a hormone that helps carry sugar into the cells to burn as energy. This sugar energy will keep us going for around three hours, after which our bodies will start using energy from our fat stores. By eating between meals we are often cancelling out the body’s ability to burn fat.
#2 Drink plenty of water
You can’t simply brush your teeth every time you eat or drink something. Drinking water after consuming just about anything from coffee and wine to general meals greatly increases your chances of a healthy smile.
This is because every time you drink water, you flush away debris from your mouth. Now with the addition of fluoride in our local water catchments we are able to not only clear away the debris but also help to repair damaged teeth.
It isn’t just about your mouth either. Drinking water particularly in these warmer months helps keep your skin and body hydrated, flushing out the toxins from your body. Water is brain food – it helps you think, focus and concentrate better.
#3 Limit your sugar intake
As we discussed back in august with our article “Are you harbouring a sugar bandit?” Australians are no strangers to sugar consumption with an average of over 34 teaspoons of sugar consumed on a daily basis per person a day.
Sugar consumption is the leading cause of decay in children and can often lead to the need for root canal treatment, tooth loss and even periodontal (gum) disease. To counter these effects, stick to a healthy diet. Fresh produce has loads of benefits for you and your family.
#4 Go to the dentist every six months
During your regular 6 month check-ups there are a bunch of different things that we can monitor and assist you with in order to help you keep your smile healthy:
- Identify decay
- Monitor your teeth and gums
- Remove build-up from the surface of your teeth
- Clear away debris from the gum line
- Assess jaw development
As a dental practice, we know that the need for dental appointments every 6 months is an essential factor in keeping your smile healthy and beautiful. In the same breath, we don’t want our patients to have to undergo costly and time consuming dental work because they don’t quite know all the different factors that can help keep your smile healthy.
For more healthy teeth tips, book in a consultation with our team at South Burnett Dental Group in Kingaroy, servicing Dalby and Nanango and the surrounding regions.
