Your dentist wasn’t lying when they told you that taking care of your teeth is important. Believe it or not, having good oral health is associated with better overall health. That means you don’t have to spend as much on healthcare, and you can have a better quality of life.
Your mouth is full of bacteria, both good and bad. A tooth’s surface area acts as a perfect breeding ground for the bad kind of bacteria and plaque production. Plaque accumulation is the first step toward tooth decay if left untreated.
Therefore, everyone needs to maintain a proper oral health regimen. A crucial part of that regimen is strengthening your teeth. Your Grande Prairie dentist can help you with all your oral health needs.
Why Is Oral Healthcare Important?
With most oral health conditions, a proper regimen to strengthen and protect the teeth can act as a preventive measure. You can probably guess that brushing, flossing, and abstaining from sugary treats are important priorities, but there are more steps you can take to ensure oral health and stronger teeth.
A good oral health regimen is necessary because numerous things affect your teeth. The foods and beverages you ingest, your smoking habits, certain medications, and your water source affect your oral health.
What Can You Do to Strengthen Your Teeth?
A good oral health regimen should consist of the following.
Brushing Twice Daily With a Fluoride Toothpaste
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry shows that fluoride toothpaste (or remineralizing toothpaste) was more effective than conventional toothpaste at hardening tooth enamel damaged by sweetened, carbonated drinks. While there’s also fluoride in tap water and some seafood, if you’re taking the time each day to brush, make sure there’s fluoride in your toothpaste.
Maintaining a Healthy Diet
To support your daily brushing habit, eating fruits and vegetables rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, potassium, iodine, and zinc are vital. Minerals and vitamins help strengthen your teeth and maintain the production of saliva. Foods such as legumes (full of zinc and potassium), cheese (full of calcium), and fish (full of vitamin E) are some examples of essential foods.
Some fruits and vegetables also act as “scrubbers,” reducing plaque and food debris build-up as well as stains from coffee and food dyes. Crunchy produce such as carrots, apples, celery, and radishes are excellent scrubbers.
Making Regular Visits to the Dentist’s Office
Don’t wait to visit the dentist until you feel pain in your teeth. Most experts recommend visiting the dentist twice a year for a regular dental cleaning near you. A visit not only allows you to get a proper assessment of the state of your mouth, but it also helps the dentist spot and tackles potential issues before they develop into full-blown health conditions. Maintaining healthy teeth and good oral health requires deliberate action. You have to be intentional about your eating and brushing habits. Healthy teeth are strong teeth, so make oral health a priority!
Contact us if you’re looking to receive dental cleaning in Grande Prairie. Our team at Northern Dental Centre is here to help!