Useful tips for the hygiene and protection of your teeth.

 

1. Frequency of checks from the dentist

     Even if you firmly follow a proper oral hygiene at home, frequent monitoring by the dentist is required. The dentist can recognize signs of incipient caries, gum disease or other dental problems and prevent any problems.

Also, by cleaning the teeth, the dentist removes the resorption plate from the teeth, called calculus (stone) which is formed in inaccessible areas.

Finally, the dentist can identify cases in which oral problems can be a symptom of a general disease.

In normal cases, a check every six months is enough. Of course, there are special cases that need frequent monitoring, quarterly or every four months.

 

2. Smoking and dental health

     Smoking affects oral health. It not only causes bad breath and pigments on the teeth and the tongue, but it has been also found to increase the risk of severe periodontal disease, oral and throat cancer. Thus, smokers are 7 times more likely to develop periodontal disease than nonsmokers. It takes 10 years after quitting smoking, to stop running this risk.

 

3. Food and caries

     Foods that contain sugar cause development of caries and this is reinforced if these foods are sticky and thus, leave a lot of residues in the mouth. This is the main reason why they should be avoided at times when we cannot brush our teeth, e.g. at work or at school in the case of children. In such cases, we prefer more "innocent", sugar free and non-sticky foods, such as fruit (e.g. apple).

In addition, it is beneficial to consume dairy products every day, because milk contains casein, a protein which helps teeth.

Acidic foods can be dangerous for causing erosions on teeth when consumed in large quantities. Acidic foods include lemons, vinegar and many fruits, such as oranges, tangerines, nectarines especially when they are unripe. Also, carbonated beverages are very dangerous, because they are not only acidic, but also sweet. You can protect teeth after consuming acidic foods by immediately rinsing the mouth thoroughly with water. You can then brush your teeth after half an hour.