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Dental Health

Dental_Health

Understanding Dental Hygiene & Health

Your oral health plays an integral role in your whole-body wellbeing. It’s best to stay on top of your oral health routine, but you should also know what negatively affects your smile to avoid dental health problems altogether. 

Learn more about dental health care at home and in our Kalispell office by exploring our guide below.

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Healthy Eating & Dental Health

The healthiest teeth also happen to look the best. Unfortunately, one of the most common causes of wear and tear to your smile is excess sugar in your diet. Reducing the amount you eat helps keep decay and bacteria from your teeth. Although sugar is an essential component in many of life’s most luxurious treats, we always want you to consume it in moderation.

Avoid:

Sticky candies, starchy foods that get stuck in your teeth (bread and chips), soft drinks, and energy drinks.

Good Foods:

Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, cheese, milk, plain yogurt, and sugarless gum.

Others:

Wine, dark berries, coffee, soda, and tea can all leave dull-colored stains on your teeth. It’s best to enjoy these foods in moderation.

Conditions That Affect Your Dental Health

While your diet plays a significant role in your oral health, multiple medical conditions can affect your smile as well, including:

  • Diabetes: Diabetes reduces your body’s resistance to infection, making gum disease more common.
  • Alzheimer’s Disease: Patients with Alzheimer’s lose their ability to effectively and consciously care for their teeth.
  • Eating Disorders: These disorders limit the nutrients your teeth receive. Additionally, patients who have the eating disorder bulimia often engage in self-induced vomiting, which frequently covers the teeth in erosive stomach acid.
  • Osteoporosis: This disease causes your bones to become bones weak and brittle, and is linked to tooth loss.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: RA causes severe inflammation that can affect your jaw muscles, which makes opening and closing your mouth difficult.
  • Sjogren’s syndrome: Inflammation blocks the salivary glands and causes severe dry mouth, which can lead to cavities.

How to Protect Your Oral Health

The best way to defend your smile from damage is to practice good oral hygiene habits. Strong oral hygiene habits include brushing twice a day and flossing after meals. However, there’s more you can do to protect your smile.

One way to protect and strengthen your teeth is by choosing to eat a healthy diet and refrain from snacking between meals. Healthy foods such as leafy greens and nuts act as natural toothbrushes, cleaning the surfaces of your teeth as you chew while providing essential nutrients for your teeth.

Other oral care tips are as follows:

  • Replace your toothbrush every three months. Frayed toothbrush bristles aren’t effective and leave plaque and bacteria on your teeth.
  • Schedule routine visits with Montana Dental Works. The more often you can get a professional cleaning, the better — it also gives our doctors time to examine your mouth for signs of other dental issues.

Learn More About Dental Health Care with Dr. McAllister

Your smile is one of your greatest assets. That’s why Dr. McAllister and our whole Montana Dental Works team want to help you maintain it, both in our Kalispell office and in your own home. 

Contact us today at (406) 752-1166 or fill out our online form to meet our expert dental staff. We’ll give you all the tools and information you need to maintain your smile for life.

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