3 years since seeing a dentist

The fact is that I am not a young buck anymore.  I am getting in my middle aged years and I still don't go to the dentist on a regular basis.  In fact, it has been about 3 years.  I am realizing how my actions years before actually end up affecting my life now.  Injuries I ended up with in high school are affecting how I live and am able to be with my family.  This is why I am starting to rethink a lot of how I approach my health.  I have put off many things in my life and I am realizing that it is not too late to start working really hard and overcoming things I have let slide for years.  One of those areas is my dental health and visiting my dentist.  Since I usually keep a pretty good routine I usually feel like I don't need to see a dentist but when I have an emergency. It is pretty obvious that I am not doing the right thing and I am going to start working on that this year.

All the mask-wearing and regulations really got me into thinking about this.  The fact that we are all wearing face masks made me think about my breath and it has also drawn attention to my face due to working at home.  It sounds crazy but thanks to all the Zoom calls my teeth are starting to get noticed more and I am starting to think about them even more.  Now all people see is your face and on Zoom your teeth are a big part of some people's screens. Being healthy and having a whiter, brighter smile is starting to get noticed and I like it.

So to me, it was more than key to get back on a dental schedule for not just brushing my teeth and flossing, but seeing an actual dentist.  I have decided that it will most likely not only be less expensive but also less painful in the long run.  I see people with big surgeries and dental procedures that are just as costly and painful as a major surgery.  I am starting to believe that adding dental insurance to my plan and going twice a year for a few extra hundred dollars is simply worth it.  To be honest, now I have scheduled a time with my dentist for the first time in a long time.

With people eating more and more due to the pandemic the dentists are busy because after all the sweets and treats the dentist will see my mouth at its worst and give me a solid plan for the next six months.  That is why I am planning on getting my mouth back on track professionally.  If there is something that can be prevented I want to make sure I am ahead of it.  Getting a custom preventative plan for your mouth is probably the smartest way to prevent issues and it goes much further than just normal brushing.  If you are leaning towards cavities it could be something in your diet that they can suggest swapping out as well.  There is a lot more than just brushing when it comes to dental care. Just go ahead and find a local dentist and give him or her a call. It is time to take care of yourself.

Having a proper diet for Your Dental Health

There are so many things that we all know that we need to do in order to stay healthy. When it comes to our dental health most of us know that we should brush and even do the ultimate not cool thing and floss regularly.  But not everyone really realized or at least consciously knows that their diet is responsible for a lot of their dental health.  Plaque actually creates acid that builds up and is the reasons we get damage to our tooth enamel. This in turn then causes cavities and sets the preverbal stage for the dreaded gum disease.  So what are some extra steps we can take to help our mouth take care of itself?  There are lots of good foods that research has suggested can help aid us in this task and those are the ones I want to be focused on today.

I have tried to work on my own life and analyze what diet changes I can make.  My mornings were ripe with need and I decided to start adding in tea into my morning routine.  Teas especially black and green teas are loaded with polyphenols which can help slow the growth of bacteria.  This in term helps slow the creation of cavities and gum disease.  So taking the time to boil some water and drop in a bag of tea can be more than just a yummy treat.  It can actually help your health.  Nowadays it is much easier than boiling water in the kettle.  There are electric kettles that can boil water in seconds not minutes and get you right on the healthy path super fast!  In general, most people who drink tea have fewer dental issues and lots of studies can back that up. It is mostly because of what they are not drinking by drinking tea.  It also reduced the plaque that they already had and made it easier to brush off.  Think about adding that into the morning or evening routine.

One of the best things that I like to eat and that is actually healthy is cheese.  I know that is a bit shocking. Not kidding though, and there have been many studies done on it to prove it.  One of them, the General Dentistry journal found that teenagers who eat cheddar cheese ended up with fewer acid levels in their mouth than those who ate yogurt or drank milk.  After the test, each teen would rinse their mouths with water and then measured them at different intervals.  The cheese was found to lower acid and neutralize plaque acid.  So the next time you are at the grocery store, yes practice social distancing but also pick up a brick or a package of cheddar cheese.  Chewing a little bit of this can really help bring those acid levels down and keep you from visiting the dentists nearly as much.  

I think it is a really smart idea to start thinking about good foods to eat in order to maintain really high dental health.  Since the main thing we can do to harm our teeth is what we are eating and drinking, it is important to be proactive on what we are doing on a daily basis. I hope my thoughts on this topic help you and your dental journey.

Why I Brush my teeth

It is very important to ensure you are brushing your teeth every day and night. I do this on a regular basis as I do not wish to deal with any of the adverse effects of neglecting to brush and see the dentist. A few of these negative effects I spoke of include cavities or gingivitis. Making sure to brush my teeth every night and day helps me prevent oral issues. I believe it is essential for everyone to brush their teeth every day, or they can risk the chances of getting one of the previously mentioned oral health problems.

Every day when I get up, one of the first things I do, after getting dressed is to make sure to brush my teeth and rinse with mouth wash. The mouth was is just a little extra, by choice of course. The benefit of adding the mouth wash is that I can get my gums as well if I could not get it when I was brushing. Additionally, I will be able to get any lodged food in my teeth out with the mouth wash. I also make sure to go to the dentist every scheduled appointment so they can check if I have gotten any oral health issues that need to be addressed.

One oral health issue that is relatively common is cavities. Cavities form when plaque or tartar build-up on teeth do not get addressed. Plaque is a sticky substance that can develop over the teeth; it is usually yellow in color. Plaque is a bacteria that can penetrate the protective enamel on teeth and attack the more vulnerable areas under the enamel. This is how cavities form. If a cavity is not taken care of, then more disastrous health concerns will arrive. Those being a possible dental infection or, worse, tooth loss. However, all of that can be prevented. An excellent way to help avoid this catastrophe is to ensure you are brushing your teeth every day and night and also seeing your dentist on a regular basis. 

Another kind of oral health problem that can come to light is gingivitis. Gingivitis is a kind of oral gum disease. Plaque can do more than attack the tooth enamel causing cavities. It can also weaken the gums, which leads to this form of gum disease. The bacteria in plaque can also inflame and irritate the gums. This causes the gums to become very sensitive, inflamed, puffy and makes it highly likely that they will bleed when brushed. An excellent way to help this is if you use mouth wash like I do, as it is another way of making sure my gums get a superb cleaning despite being brushed already. I like to do this for some peace of mind, really.

Brushing your teeth is very important. I recently found out the adverse effects it can have if you do not brush your teeth on a regular basis. I do not want to take the risk of getting some kind of oral disease that will require a lot of work. I am not that big of a fan when it comes to going to the dentists, but I make sure to go so they can really check out my mouth and see what is going on in there, as I don’t know. 

Coffee Stains and Teeth issues

Staying healthy and looking your best in 2021 is key.  Your smile can be the difference between a job and an unemployment line.  It is pretty shocking. The fact that we are wearing a mask outside now does not change the fact that people are always hyper-focusing on your teeth.  It is an incredible thing that can be worked on and improved constantly.  I love the idea that you can actually keep your teeth whiter by doing consistent things.  There is also a big issue with the browning of your teeth that are brought on by our own habits.  The things we do daily can have big impacts not only on looks but also long-term health.  But when it comes to looks we can also really step up our tooth whitening by cutting down on some areas and expanding your dental skills.

Doing the right thing early on can have a big impact during the day. The morning routines that we have may have a large impact on how we look.  Not only by what we are ingesting but also the cleaning products we are using in order to try and overcome brown or yellowing teeth. The shocking thing is that your teeth stain just like clothes do.  That means some things that are touching your teeth on a daily basis can actually stain them long term and short term. Your favorite morning coffee can be staining your teeth and the fact that you are using toothpaste beforehand actually can open up your teeth to being more stainable.  Just be careful there are other things that can be more complicated.

I love coffee from the bottom of my heart and don't think you should stop drinking it.  There are indeed alternatives to the browning effects of coffee but you can most definitely keep drinking coffee.  The biggest way to help get rid of staining is by having a biannual cleaning.  Your local dentist can not only get rid of stains but give you tips and habits that can keep you from needing to get those teeth cleanings simply for the yellowing of teeth. So make sure to get the best and most qualified help. 

Don't forget to try some new things too. Another way to break those yellowing teeth down is to add some whitening toothpaste at night or even some charcoal toothpaste.  Now it is always suggested to use an ADA approved paste, but there are some amazing products out there that can fight those stains at night and help to provide some protection from the staining during the day.  This is a great way to cut down on those yellowing effects.  Now there are some other options such as whitening strips. 

Whitening strips tend to be a painful thing in my experience so be careful.  Personally, I am unable to use them due to the pain they provide.  The unfortunate pain that is caused by this form of whitening keeps many people from using any other products, but that is usually not the case for toothpaste with whitening. I am more fond of whitening toothpaste than strips.

So think about drinking less coffee. I suggest that most people drink coffee for the caffeine boost and I prefer to swap out my coffee cups with caffeine pills because that makes the headaches happen less and my teeth stay white.

Ever Thought of Using Natural Whitening Toothpaste?

We are all figuring out our new normal and when it comes to working in the dental realm of healthcare I think we all have things to learn.  For myself, I am now at least excited about something that has come from the dreaded year of the pandemic.  One huge thing that happened was the rage of charcoal has taken off. It popped up on TickTock and people started using it everywhere.  It is most definitely possible I am a few years behind the times, but it seems like dental hygiene has really been pushed during the pandemic.  It is honestly been a fun trend to see on social media and the use of charcoal as a tooth whitener has been one of the craziest trends and something that is actually useful too.  So I want to dive into how I got into it.

No joke it was the TickTock trend that my wife found that set me off on my own journey. People would jump in and out of view and show their mouths blackened by charcoal.  It was pretty wild and pretty nasty. People took things way too far, but the trend was that it seemed to work.  There were countless videos showing blackened smiles and what was fun to see was the aftermath.  The Instagram posts and before and after views from one to two months were actually shocking.  It seemed that normal people were actually getting their teeth really white by blackening them down with charcoal every day.  It was a wild sight and in all honesty, I didn't believe this was a possibility and was just paid to advertise.  So it finally won me over.

The cost was just about the same and I searched a lot of different places to find a good charcoal toothpaste for me.   I wanted one that still protected my teeth.  It looked like a basic draw between the brands and I was not really sure if  I was going to buy this as a long-term solution. My honest worry was that this was simply a gimmick and was not going to protect my teeth.  That means that I was truly afraid to purchase this and use it on a regular basis. It looked like it was successful after months of use, but having a better smile for the cost of bad teeth is simply not worth it to me. The risk was still there so I decided to only brush half the time with it. 

I think safe is better than sorry so it only got my nighttime brush.  So it has been a process for me and each morning I brush my teeth with my normal toothpaste and then at night I get to see my mouth go black.  It really is fun, but be careful where you spit the toothpaste. It is black and it seems to stain things if not washed quickly. This is a big deal if you have kids.  Make sure to not let them ruin your home by brushing their teeth. It is an easy way to get them to brush due to the fun blackness that it causes, but wow can it be a mess. So take that with a grain of salt. I hope you get to use this and see if it works for you as it did for me. 

Don't let your daily lunch harm your mouth

Things are rapidly changing in 2021.  Most people are working from home and taking more zoom calls than ever before.  If it is not directly important underlying psychology is always that judging how you look and how you view others.  This year a focus has been brought to your teeth because it has been a hyperfocused topic in 2021.  The mask mandates that have been brought to the country have somehow made people focus on their breath and teeth much more than normal.  The reality is that many of us have noticed that our dental health is something that we need to focus on even more.  The average person simply works on brushing their teeth more and maybe adding in some whitening products.  But it is not the thing that may be hurting or helping your teeth the most.  It may actually come down to what you are eating and drinking that are impacting your body and dental health the most over time.  What you are eating every day is important and your daily lunch could really be hurting or helping you. 

Let's jump into the different foods that can be hurting or helping you. These foods are usually part of our daily routines and that is not entirely a bad thing.  The goal may simply be to cut down on some of these foods to keep our teeth brighter longer. The shocking food that may be leaving behind that yellowish huge is berries.  Indeed some of our favorite breakfast additions that we think are healthy can be leaving a bad look and feel in your mouth.  The blueberry or blackberries many of us add to our cereal in the morning may be staining your teeth and causing the yellowing effects that can lead to other tooth decay issues over time.  This is something that many of us do every single day and maybe we should cut back a little on the staining berries that we like to eat. I know that may seem crazy to cut back on but it's worth it. 

Did you know tomatoes can be an issue?  This is actually a fruit and not a vegetable and we use it in tons of foods.  We have sauces that are made of this and are found in most pizzas.  It is all throughout the food world from soups, tacos, to most sandwiches.  It is an item to keep an eye on because it can cause your teeth to yellow as well. This is not the only food that can stain teeth, but it is one to keep on your radar for possible tooth yellowing issues. 

Red wine can be an issue and it is important to think about the quantity you drink.  We can easily see this in a mirror of most red wines that may end up really causing consistent yellowing of teeth. Since we are told the older we get that a glass of red wine is good for us each day it is something to know that it may be harming your teeth. In order to fight the yellowing issues that may occur it is good to see your dentist twice a year for a cleaning.  They can help clean those yellowing stains and give advice on whitening products to help in between. Best of luck as you go through 2021 and try and stay healthy.