The small, seemingly insignificant decisions that we make every day, can make a huge difference for our smiles over time. Our Saint Louis dentists are here to help you understand how your daily routine can affect your oral health. We know that the more information you have about how dental problems develop, the better equipped you are to care for your smile.
Keep reading to learn more about prioritizing your oral health day to day!
- Choose Water
The first thing that you can do to optimize your oral health is to choose to drink water as many times a day as possible. Water helps to promote saliva production in your mouth, and saliva helps to re-mineralize your dental enamel. Additionally, every time that you choose water, it means that you are not drinking something sugary and/or acidic.
- Limit Harmful Substances
Speaking of sugary and acidic substances, foods and drinks with these qualities will take a toll on your oral health over time. Sugary treats feed harmful oral bacteria, and increase your risk of developing dental cavities as well as gum disease. Acidic things—like fruit juices, wine, coffee, soft drinks, and citrus juices—weaken dental enamel as well as gum tissue. The more that you are able to limit the consumption of these things the better, and when you do indulge, try to do so in short, specific periods of time.
- Be Kind To Your Enamel
Certain habits and behaviors, when engaged in consistently over time, will damage your enamel. Try not to chomp on hard candies, mints, and ice, for example, as this will cause micro-cracks in your enamel. And stay alert for signs of bruxism—chronic dental grinding and clenching—as this can lead to TMJ issues as well as dental damage. If you think that you’re dealing with bruxism, it is crucial that you seek treatment in a timely manner.
If you want to learn more about how to make good decisions for your smile, our Saint Louis cosmetic dentists are here to help! You can always reach our team by calling our office, or by using the Contact Us page on our site in order to submit a question. We look forward to speaking with you!