When I say your eating habits affect your smile, I don’t mean the faces you make while chewing your food! The food you eat and the way you eat it determine how your dental health is. First, let me acquaint you with the nutrients that are important for healthy teeth.

Let’s start with calcium. Calcium forms the backbone of teeth and bones, you were told this when you were a kid. So, you know, it is important to consume calcium on a daily basis. You can consume dairy products such as milk and yogurt or eat salmon and sardines. If you are vegan, go for soybeans, soy products, and green vegetables such as spinach.

Calcium is not absorbed in our bodies if we don’t get enough vitamin D. The best way to get vitamin D is to get a regular dose of sunlight. Spend a few minutes in the sun everyday. Vitamin D can also be found in fish, egg yolk, milk, soy drinks, and liver.

Fluoride is also important for your teeth. In the US, fluoride is available in the water we drink. Some other sources of fluoride are tea, gelatin, fish and other seafood.

You need Vitamin C too if you want healthy gums. Go for citrus fruits such as lemon, guava, mango, and pineapple. Tomatoes, cauliflower, and papaya are also rich sources of vitamin C.

Include all these nutrients in your meals everyday. Develop good eating habits like the ones mentioned below.

• Consume milk and milk products on a daily basis.

• Eat green and leafy vegetables everyday.
• Eat a fruit or two everyday.
• Bite into a fruit instead of gulping down its juice. If you have to drink juice, use a straw.
• Eat a cube of cheese to end a meal.
• Bite into an apple or a carrot if you want to have a quick snack.
• Avoid drinking carbonated drinks or other sweet beverages.
• Avoid snacking on sweets and sugary food between meals.
• Buy cough syrups that are sugar-free.

Happy smiling!

Tags: eating habits, food for dental health

Everyone loves giving advice and providing information. You may hear a lot about dental health too. Do you believe everything you hear? Listen to what your dentist has to say. About everyone else, hear them out but don’t take their information to heart.

I say this because I hear a lot of people coming with these weird things about dental health. Take for example the belief that dental health is hereditary. The truth is that your genes are not responsible for great teeth. Dental health is completely dependent on the way you treat your teeth and mouth.

People will also tell you that milk teeth don’t need dental care. The truth is that it is important to take good care of the milk teeth as they lay the foundation for wisdom teeth. They may also tell you that too much brushing is not good for teeth. You know what I and your dentist would say. Brushing is extremely important for dental health. It cleans your teeth. It does not harm your teeth in any way.

Some people think that one set of dentures cannot fit you for a lifetime. The truth is that dentures need to be changed regularly. The tissue beneath your teeth changes over time; the teeth can adjust itself with the changes, the dentures cannot.

Another big misconception is that tooth loss is inevitable with age. Your dentist will tell you it is not. The truth is that with age, we tend to stop taking care of ourselves, thus resulting in various ailments as well as dental problems. It is important that you take care of your teeth no matter how old you are.

Happy smiling!

Tags: dental myths, misconceptions

If you have cracks in your teeth, don’t panic. And don’t be embarrassed. You can get your teeth restored on your next visit to the dental clinic. Don’t worry even if fillings haven’t worked for your teeth. You dentist will suggest inlays and onlays in such a case.

An inlay is a restorative treatment for cracked or broken teeth. Inlays are used for a tooth that is not too damaged to require crowns. An inlay is made of porcelain, gold, or composite resins. An inlay is typically applied to the chewing are of the tooth.

Onlays are the same as inlays except that they cover more than one tooth. Onlays are spread over the chewing surface of multiple teeth.

Inlays and onlays are avaialble in two forms: direct and indirect. The direct inlay/onlay is fixed directly in the tooth. It is then taken out and hardened and then fixed again. The indirect inlay/onlay is prepared in stages: first a mould is prepared by using a soft material on the tooth; next, the mould helps prepare the actual inlay/onlay in the laboratory. The patient is given temporary filling while the inlay/onlay is being made.

Thanks to advancements in dentistry, the restoration of your teeth can be done in only one visit to the dental clinic. Your dentist will numb the area around your tooth using anesthesia, and the treatment will be carried on.

So, don’t worry about those ugly cracks on your teeth. Just seek an appointment with the dentist.

Happy smiling!

Tags: cracked teeth, inlays, onlays

Bad breath may take a while to reach the one in front of you but stained teeth will make him/her judge you instantly. Yes, discolored teeth bring down your personality in an instant. And what does it take to keep the stains at bay? Just a little care.

There are many factors that cause stained teeth. At times, your stained teeth are a symptom of an underlying dental problem. Yes, tooth decay or a dental injury could be one of the factors leading to those dirty stains on your teeth.

Let us look at some of the factors that cause teeth discoloration.

• Absence of proper dental care
• Smoking and consumption of tobacco in other forms
• Consumption of colored food
• Consumption of carbonated drinks
• Excessive consumption of tea and coffee
• Consumption of red wine
• Certain medication

You can prevent the stains from appearing on your teeth by following a good dental care routine, eating right, and visiting the dentist regularly. But if you have already got stains on your teeth, don’t panic. A visit to the dentist can help clean stained teeth. You can go for a professional cleaning session to prevent discoloration of your teeth. Your dentist can recommend you a whitening treatment that will bring out your teeth’s sparkle almost in a flash. Zoom whitening, for example, is a fast and convenient whitening procedure. Apart from cleaning and whitening, bonding, enamel micro-abrasion, and veneers can also treat stained teeth.

If you want white teeth, you have to take care of your teeth. Happy smiling!

Tags: stained teeth, teeth whitening

I have six simple words for you: take good care of your teeth. That’s the only way you can prevent your pearly whites from decaying.

Drink water after every cup of coffee, tea or a glass of juice, coke etc. Water cleanses our mouth apart from cleansing our systems, thus making sugar and starch do less damage to our teeth.

Brush after every meal. Yes, we all know this one but rarely follow it. Remember, adhering to this simple rule will go a long way in keeping that perfect smile. So, brush regularly and properly.

Floss everyday. Flossing helps remove food particles from between teeth, thus making them less prone to damage.

Drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Yes, you must have heard this all the time, even for body care and skin care. Water is a panacea for a lot of things. It even avoids obesity!

Use fluoride-based toothpaste. You may not need this if you have fluoride in your drinking water.

If you notice tarter on your teeth, seek immediate professional help. You dentist will cleanse your teeth, making it less prone to cavity. Tarter will not vanish even with you brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. Leave this part to the experts.

Make sure you go to your dentist to get the cavities removed even if they have just started building. You need not wait for the cavities to grow before making a visit to the dentist.

What you simply need is to pay attention to your dental health. And keep all your appointments with the dentist.

Happy smiling!

Tags: Dental Care

Take care of your teeth on a regular basis. That’s the best way to make your teeth sparkle. And if you are looking at impressing your date on Valentine’s Day, here are a few more things you can do.

• Get your teeth bleached! Bleaching is the most popular whitening procedure. Done in one sitting, this procedure shows immediate results. Ask your dentist about the ideal frequency of bleaching.

• Whiten your teeth with Zoom. A technological advancement, Zoom whitening is a quick whitening procedure. It is considered more effecting than other whitening procedures. A special light and gel is applied to the teeth in this treatment. Walk into Wayzata for a relaxing Zoom experience.
• Get your teeth revitalized with revitalizing trays. Clear trays with a whitening material are fixed on the teeth and worn for a day or two. Though the results may take a week or two to show, it is becoming popular with people.
• You can use whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpastes and other whitening solutions are sold over the counter. These may take continued usage for a long period of time to show any results. However, the use of these products must be accompanied by proper dental care.

While dental procedures are alright, you cannot go for them every now and then. You should attend to your teeth everyday. Practice good oral hygiene and eat right. Also, keep all your appointments with your dentist and you won’t have to worry about your dental health.

May you have a great V-Day! Happy smiling!

Tags: Dental Care, Whitening

Valentine’s Day is just 12 days from now. I am sure you are making preparations. But how prepared is your smile? Are you sure your smile can win your date’s heart? You can follow a few simple steps and make your smile shinier.

• Brush at least twice a day. Make sure you brush before you hit the bed. If you can manage brushing after all your meals, you will definitely boast of good dental health all your life.
• Wait for at least an hour after a meal before you pick up the toothbrush.
• Floss immediately after you brush. This helps clean your teeth thoroughly. Floss at least once a day.
• Clean you tongue using a scraper once a day. Do this immediately after you have brushed and flossed. Don’t be too hard on your tongue while cleaning it.
• Rinse your mouth after eating or drinking anything. Since brushing is not possible every time you pop something in your mouth, rinsing is a good option.
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. This will not only keep your mouth hydrated but also clean. A hydrated mouth prevents gum and dental diseases.
• Change your toothbrush every three months, even if it appears new. If it looks tattered sooner, change it right away.
• Don’t eat something sweet just before hitting the bed. Ending the day with a dessert may sound like a good idea but if you do indulge in one, make sure you follow it up with through brushing.

Take good care of your teeth and keep smiling!

Tags: Smile, Valentine's Day

Take good care of your teeth. Simple! Yes, that is the only way you can prevent dental cavities. Dental cavities give you pain and discomfort and eventually lead to tooth loss. If a few simple steps can help to prevent dental cavities, why not try them?

Make it a point to brush after every meal. Make sure you brush before you hit the bed. This will keep bacteria at bay while you are asleep. Follow brushing immediately with flossing once a day. Use the tongue scraper to clean the tongue everyday.

It is important to keep your mouth hydrated. Drink plenty of water, around 8-10 glasses a day. This will keep your mouth clean and hydrated. Rinse your mouth well after you have eaten or drunk something.

Sweet beverages wash away the enamel of your teeth. So, replace the fruit juice with whole fruits. Use a straw if you have to drink juice. You should also pay attention to the kind of food you eat. Eat balanced meals.

Even if you have allowed cavities to come in your mouth, don’t panic. You just need to visit your dentist, and he/she will provide the necessary treatment.

It is important that you pay attention to your dental health after the treatment. Don’t rely on dental procedures for good dental health. And start taking care of your teeth.

Plaque leads to cavities. So, if you have plaque on your teeth, go for a cleaning session. A session of professional teeth cleaning will ensure that your teeth not only look white but remain healthy.

Take care. Happy smiling!

Tags: cavity, dental cavities

Stress is omnipotent. It has great power – to damage, destroy, and disturb. Do you know that stress can damage your smile too? Not sure about it? Let me explain.

What do you do when you are stressed? You do a lot of things but it almost always begins with ignoring your health. You ignore regular oral care. This makes the mouth susceptible to various dental problems and gum diseases.

Some people grind their teeth when stressed, This, as you know, is a bad dental habit. It causes you teeth to chip or break.

Many take to smoking and drinking in order to de-stress. This increases the chances of being affected by gum diseases and other dental problems.

Now, let me talk about some direct affects of stress. Stress causes dry mouth, attaracting bacteria. Stress is also responsible for canker sores, burning mouth, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), and myofacial pain dysfunction (MPD).

If you have been stressed for too long, you body loses the power to fight infections, making you prone to the gum diseases – gingivitis and periodontitis.

Even the typical cure from stress can cause problems. Some anti-depressants and stress-relieving medicine can cause dry mouth. One of the side effects of such medication is vomiting which can cause erosion of the teeth enamel.

I know avoiding stress is not easy but you have to learn to fight it back. Try smiling at people when you are stressed. Your smile will not only help you feel better but also help others smile.

Keep smiling!

Tags: stress

If you are having problems while sleeping, there are chances the solution lies with your dentist. A sleep disorder call sleep apnea has roots in your mouth. Sleep apnea refers to the discomfort and breathing problems that a person experiences while sleeping.

How will you find out if you have sleep apnea? Watch out for the following symptoms:

• Bad taste in the mouth

• Excessive and loud snoring
• Perspiration during sleep
• Insufficient sleep
• Restlessness while sleeping
• Headache on waking up
• Waking up to breathe
• Exhaustion and depression

More often than not, we ignore these symptoms and carry on with our lives. Sleep apnea causes insufficient sleep. This can make you unproductive at work and cause you to become irritable and depressed. It is, therefore, important that you inform your dentist if you notice one or more of the above-mentioned symptoms.

Your dentist will examine you to find out if you have sleep apnea. Don’t panic if you have been diagnose with the disorder. Sleep apnea is caused by a misalignment of the jaw. Your dentist has the solution to rectify the problem.

Now, it is also important that you don’t treat every case of insomnia as sleep apnea. When you go to your dentist, make sure you tell him/her about each and every symptom you have noticed.

And yes, don’t curse your partner/spouse is you find him/her snoring and disturbing your sleep. He/she may just need a visit to the dentist.

Keep watching this space for more information about dental and oral health.

Happy smiling!

Tags: sleep disorder