24 Best Practices to Keep Your Teeth for Life

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that about 25 percent of Americans age 65 and up have zero teeth. Of those that do have teeth, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research estimates that most of them have less than 21 teeth. Consider that the adult mouth should have 32 teeth—or 28 without wisdom teeth—and tooth loss can cause serious health complications.

Even the loss of a single tooth can make you more prone to gum disease because the gums will recede, which will lead to periodontal pockets that encourage bacterial growth. The chronic inflammation that is untreated gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. Gum disease has also been linked to:

• Dementia
• Osteoporosis
• Type 2 diabetes
• Premature births
• Low birth weights
• Erectile dysfunction
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Respiratory infections
• Cardiovascular diseases

Preventing Gum Disease and Tooth Decay

On a positive note, gum disease is preventable, and tooth loss is not inevitable. You can keep your real teeth no matter how long you live, and here are 24 tips on how to do just that:

1. Brush twice a day. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing twice a day for two to three minutes each time. Brush in the morning after breakfast and again before going to bed.
2. Brush with fluoride toothpaste. The ADA recommends a toothpaste that has the ADA Seal of Acceptance, which will contain fluoride as part of that approval. Fluoride helps to avoid cavities because it remineralizes your tooth enamel and makes your teeth less prone to plaque buildup. For additional protection, be sure to speak to your dentist about in-office fluoride treatments as well as fluoride rinses for home.
3. Brush your tongue whenever you brush your teeth. Your tongue harbors oral bacteria as well. If you brush and floss but skip your tongue, that bad bacteria can get recirculated as soon as you finish. Brushing your tongue is great for avoiding bad breath too, and if brushing your tongue makes you gag, consider using a tongue scraper, which is an inexpensive tool available at practically any pharmacy.
4. The ADA advises flossing at least once a day, and most dental professionals recommend flossing whenever you brush and even more often. As long as you employ the proper technique, there is no concern about damaging your gums. If you find regular dental floss to be unwieldy, there are alternatives, including devices to hold your floss, pre-strung floss picks, and even water flossers.
5. You may not need to brush after lunch, dinner, and snacks, but you should still be conscious of food particles. Often, rinsing vigorously with water is enough to dislodge food particles, eliminate bacteria and acids, and promote saliva production. You can also floss as needed if you have food stuck in your teeth.
6. You can use a mouthwash as well, but it is generally not advised that you use an oral rinse after every meal or even more than twice a day. Be sure to choose a nonalcoholic mouthwash. You may opt for therapeutic oral rinses as well, but you should discuss these options with your dentist first.
7. Eat a well-balanced diet, which is essential not only to your longevity but to the health of your teeth and gums. The ideal diet varies from one person to the next, but you should generally emphasize balanced portions of dairy products, fruits, grains, lean meats, nuts, and vegetables. Minimize your sugar intake and balance acidic foods with alkaline foods.
8. Stay hydrated. Most adults do not get enough water, and water is essential to washing away food particles, bacteria, and acids as well as producing saliva, which does the same. Water should be your main drink. You should sip it throughout the day whenever you are thirsty or eat something. Milk is a fine option when you want a change of pace, but you should avoid soft drinks and other sugary or acidic beverages as much as possible.
9. Balance your diet with the recommended levels of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous. Calcium is essential to the health of not just your bones but your teeth, and phosphorous and vitamin D are integral to calcium absorption. Science also suggests that vitamin D is important in its own right by reducing bacteria levels in the mouth, which may be why vitamin D deficiency is linked to tooth loss. People who get enough calcium and vitamin D are statistically much less prone to gum disease.
10. Drink milk. Milk and milk products are high in both calcium and phosphorous and, in countries like the United States and Canada, fortified with vitamin D. Often, one glass a day is enough to get your recommended levels. If you do not like milk, you can consider alternatives such as cheese and yogurt. Milk, cheese, and yogurt also provide the added benefit of neutralizing acids in the mouth.
11. Snack well. Most common unhealthy food habits are related to snacking. Snacking tends to introduce a lot of sugars, starches, and acids that are not only terrible for oral health but can undermine an otherwise balanced diet. Snacking should be kept to a minimum. When you do snack, you should eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and the like, and when you treat yourself, be mindful of how these treats affect your teeth and gums and what you can do to avoid or at least mitigate those effects.
12. Cleansing workouts are great for your teeth, and snacks are an excellent time for this. Crunchy vegetables, fruits, and nuts are perfect for stimulating your teeth and promoting saliva production. Crunchy foods are also effective for helping to fight plaque and remove stains from your teeth.
13. Vitamin C is crucial to oral health and, in particular, maintaining and regenerating gum tissue and fighting off infections. A recent study performed at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people who consume less than 60 milligrams of vitamin C are 25 percent more likely to suffer from gum disease. If you ensure a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet, you should get plenty of vitamin C, and if you want to target it, brussels sprouts, peppers, kiwi, and guava are strong options.
14. Ensure that your diet is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A number of scientific studies, including a high-profile study by Harvard Medical School, found that people who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids or supplement their diet with fish oil are 30 percent less prone to gum disease. The best natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, mackerel, and other fatty fish, as well as walnuts and flaxseeds.
15. Limit your sugar intake. While your body needs sugar to create energy, you get all that you need from the healthy foods you eat. You never have to supplement your diet with sugar. Sugar leads to acids that break down tooth enamel as well as plaque, which is the main cause of gum disease and tooth decay.
16. Alcohol is terrible for your teeth for many reasons, including sugar, starches, acids, and carbonation. Gum disease, tooth decay, and oral sores are all much more common among heavy drinkers, and the CDC recognizes alcohol as one of the highest risk factors associated with oral cancer.
17. Maintain your toothbrush. A toothbrush can be a breeding ground for germs, and you can introduce and reintroduce a lot of bad bacteria into your mouth. Rinse your toothbrush well before you use it and after. Store it in an upright position but not in an enclosed container. Bacteria thrives in dark, moist environments, so you want to avoid that, and airflow will help to keep the brush dry.
18. Swap out your toothbrush, or brush head if you use an electric on a regular basis. The ADA recommends changing it about every three months or as soon as the bristles are frayed. Worn bristles are less effective at removing plaque with a gentle brushing action. When you are sick, you can continue using your current toothbrush, but you should change it out as soon as the illness is over.
19. Make teatime me time. Not all teas are good for you, but drinking the right tea on a regular basis can be beneficial to your health, and it provides a planned part of your day where you can sit down and relax. Green and black teas contain antioxidants that are good for your health in general and help to stave off infections in the mouth and inhibit the formation of plaque. The Journal of Periodontology published a study in which it was found that gum disease rates are lower among regular tea drinkers! It is believed that antioxidants disrupt the inflammation associated with gum disease. It has also been found that green tea is better than mints at improving breath and avoiding bad breath.
20. Exercise regularly. Not only is regular exercise important to your longevity, but it also does wonders for your oral health as well. In fact, a paper published in the Journal of Periodontology revealed a higher occurrence of periodontal disease among people who lived a sedentary lifestyle. Intense workouts are great, but even activities as low-key as a 15-minute walk can make a big difference.
21. Manage your stress. Stress is a fact of life, but unmanaged stress can undermine your health in so many different ways, and that includes your oral health. Stress not only makes you more prone to the infections that lead to gum disease, but studies show that people who are regularly stressed are more likely to skip their daily oral care. Exercise is an amazing way to relieve stress. You can also manage it with deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, and so forth.
22. Avoid dry mouth—also called xerostomia—because it makes you more prone to gum disease and tooth decay. If you notice that dry mouth is a frequent problem for you, discuss it with your dentist. Ensure that you are properly hydrated since dehydration is the leading cause. Also, monitor your medications, which can cause dry mouth, and whenever you are prescribed a new medication, discuss it with your dentist.
23. Avoid tobacco use. You know that smoking leads to cancer and many other horrible diseases, but what you may not know is that even occasional use can undermine your oral health. This goes for cigarettes, cigars and pipes, and all manner of chewing tobacco. These substances can permanently stain your teeth, cause oral tissue damage, make you more prone to gum disease, and cause oral cancer. In addition, tobacco users are twice as likely to lose their teeth than people who have never used.
24. Visit your dentist twice a year to have your teeth professionally cleaned, and your teeth and gums examined. Not visiting a dentist because your teeth and gums look and feel fine is a common mistake many younger adults make. Oral health issues are often asymptomatic in the initial stages, but your dentist can identify those issues and correct them before they become serious and expensive.

Choices for Better Lifelong Oral Health

It has been said that life is not a dress rehearsal. This wisdom applies to your teeth and gums too. You only get one set of permanent teeth, and if you lose them, they are gone for good. You do not have to be perfect. Just be aware of your choices and emphasize oral health as you aim for good overall health.

Be mindful that someone can brush and floss every day and still end up with gum disease or tooth decay. There are genetic factors and unavoidable health conditions that can lead to these problems, which is why regular dental care, even when you feel great, is so very important.

Brushing and flossing twice a day every day is your foundation for great oral health, but these are not the only strategies to ensure that you enjoy your teeth even in your golden years. The lifestyle choices that you make today are going to shape your oral health in all of the years ahead of you.

Keep Your Natural Teeth Throughout Your Life

Preventive dental care is essential to lifelong dental health because many oral health issues are asymptomatic in the early stages. Through biannual visits, Jeffrey D. Clark, DDS, can help you avoid gum disease and tooth decay and provide early diagnoses of even more serious health issues. During a routine cleaning and checkup, Dr. Clark can give you other tips for healthy teeth as well as tweak your oral hygiene routine for optimal results. Call Scottsdale Cosmetic Dentistry Excellence at 480 585 1853 to schedule your appointment.