5 tips to achieve an excellent Oral Health

Humans have two sets of teeth. The deciduous teeth, also known as primary, baby or milk teeth is the first one and becomes visible during infancy. The permanent teeth are the second set, and the first permanent tooth to become visible is the lower molar around 6 years old. When this happens we called it mixed dentition – because the child has both teeth, primary and permanent in their mouth.  For all intents and purposes, we really get only one shot to take care of our permanent teeth.

The good news is that science and research have taken a front seat in dental education, making today's dentists savvy on "prevention" dentistry rather than the "drill, fill and bill" mentality of decades ago.

New dental materials and new techniques combined have given dentists more options than they have ever imagined before. But for many patients, it's a lot of information to process. So how can you maintain a healthy mouth focusing on prevention?

Here are five ways you can ensure that you will keep a smile smile as you age:

Education

Educate yourself on dental care. Dentistry today has taken a much more conservative approach than that used to be a while ago. But it can be hard to know what your options are, and to understand whether what your dentist is talking makes sense. Here are some key points that you should know about dental treatment.

The tooth tissue can be recalcified if the tooth does not have cavities. Usually dental caries first show as a white stain on your tooth surface – they can be hidden in the fissures on your tooth as well. When this happens there’s a decalcification process in which the tooth loses minerals. However, the outer surface of the tooth is the strongest one and if you get treatment before a cavity appears you may be able to remineralise it. Strong doses of fluoride, or something called MI Paste, applied directly to tooth surface can actually recalcify the enamel, removing the need for a filling.

That said, the key to recalcification is early detection. Regular dental visits and staying on top of your annual X-rays are crucial to early detection.

the American Dental Association recommends that fillings, crowns or any dental restoration should be replaced or heavily scrutinized every eight years. Some patients are of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" era. But the reasoning behind this advice is to eliminate the possibility of recurrent cavities that lurk under dental restorations. The longer you wait to replace dental restorations that are not in good shape, the more problems you can run into. If the decay spreads undetected, it may eat up too much healthy tooth structure and need the support of a crown or reach the nerve and need a root canal.

Make sure your children are getting the appropriate brushing before bed. Kids, especially, consume a lot of sugar, which breaks down into a by-product of acid that may erode teeth causing cavities. Fluoride is a great treatment in reinforcing enamel and fighting the acid producing bacteria. However, if you are not a big fluoride fan make sure you brush your kid’s teeth. In fact, using fluoride or not you are the one responsible for your kids’ oral health. They do not have the motor coordination needed to perform a good brushing. So you can let them brush by themselves during the day but before bed you should be the one doing all the job.

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Bruxism

Bruxism is the act of grinding or clenching your teeth. If you do that wear a night guard.

Do you feel really tired every morning? Do you feel like you didn’t sleep well at all or that you were hit by a truck? Has your partner complained that you don’t stop making weird noises with your teeth during the night? Or during the day you feel that you are sliding your jaws against one another? You may have bruxism.

Grinders can wear away a millimeter of tooth structure per year if undiagnosed. Clenchers may not see any immediate signs of wear on their teeth, but the pressure that clenching puts on your teeth is destructive. It slowly breaks down the supporting bone around the teeth and may lead to bone loss and inevitably tooth loss. Also, grinding or clenching your teeth makes you feel tired in the morning.

If you feel that you may fall into either of these categories, you should be wearing a night guard. It may not be sexy, but it's much sexier than missing teeth.

Know what oral hygiene regimen is right for you

Today, there has been a lot of money and research into better oral care products. But understand that there is an actual regimen of toothpaste, mouth rinse and "extra-care" products that's right for you.

The first step is defining what "type" of patient you are. Your dentist will certainly be able to tell you this. Are you a more cavity-prone patient? Or do you present sensitive teeth? Maybe you have problems with your gum or maybe with stains from coffee? Ask your dentist what you should use. Each product in the sea of dental products in the drugstore has key ingredients tailored for each category of patient. Using the right oral care products can make a big difference in the longevity of your teeth.

Take your vitamins

Several studies have shown a tight correlation between vitamins and oral health, especially in kids. The vitamins and minerals are essential for the maintenance of cell structure and metabolism. Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and infancy contributes to the development of enamel hypoplasia and caries in primary teeth. Also, researches show that vitamin K and vitamin D together result in a far greater reduction of tooth decay than does either vitamin alone. So, know what you are eating and make sure you are getting the right amount of vitamins.

Choose the right dentist

Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- your dentist has a lot to do with the preservation of your teeth. Make sure your dentist is up on all current research and his office is updated and state-of-the-art, but most important, make sure your dentist is taking time and looking after you. It sounds simple, but it's probably the most important item on your checklist.