Poor oral hygiene can lead to health problems. So why not start your children on the road to happy teeth and a healthy body?

It is never too early to start caring for your children’s teeth. Proper dental care should begin even before the first tooth erupts.

Did you know that infants have a full set of fully formed teeth beneath the surface of their gums? You should gently wipe their gums with gauze or a damp cloth after feedings.

Diabetes is a disease that has a tremendous effect on the eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and other organs of the body. Apart from that, did you know that gum disease and diabetes are linked? It’s time that you are aware that people with diabetes are at high risk of developing gum disease, compared to the average person who does not have diabetes.

We all usually follow certain things like brushing, flossing, visiting dentist etc. to keep our teeth healthy. However, we don’t usually put much focus on the fact that there are a few habits which can leave wreck our teeth. The following article will help us to realize that certain lifestyle & regular habits can ruin our teeth, so it’s time to change.

Ice Chewing:

We have a misconception that ice is sugar free so we can have it as much as we want to. However because of chewing ice cubes your teeth can easily get cracked. On the other hand chewing hard objects for a long period of time can irritate the soft tissue of the inside of your teeth & instigates toothaches. Cold or hot food can easily provoke the pain, which can linger for a long period of time. So try to get some sugar free gums as a substitute for ice cubes.

Piercing Your Tongue:

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Tongue piercing is a current fashion trend, especially among young people. Nevertheless if you by mistake bite on the metal, then there is possibility of cracking your teeth. Experts have revealed that long term tongue jewelry can enhance chances of gum ailments, which could even result in losing your teeth. This sort of jewelry not only leads to gum problems, it could even abate gum tissues too. Lip piercing is equally dangerous. As we know mouth is an area where bacteria can easily grow, these short of piercing just instigates more infections in your mouth.

Fruit Drinks Along With Sodas:

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Majority of fruit drinks & sodas are full of sugar. So make sure you have gone through the label before buying it, otherwise you are going to expose your teeth to these extreme sugary drinks. In addition to regular sodas, soda diet or sugar free sodas are a rich source of phosphoric acid, tartaric & citric acid, which can also decay your teeth. If you are really having a hard time to stay away from these sugary drink, then at least try to brush or use water to clean your mouth just after having those sugary stuff. According experts, there are very few differences between the bad impacts from diet & regular sodas.

Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard:

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Sports like hockey, football or any other any other sports, where people comes in each other’s close physical contact, you should wear mouth guard before getting into the field. It’s a kind of plastic mold, which can protect the teeth of your upper row. In case you are not wearing it, there is a chance that when the action gets rough your teeth might get damaged, knocked off etc. If you are an athlete then you can get help from your dentist in getting a customized guard.

Using Teeth As A Tool:

When you are using your teeth in more ways than just chewing food, like opening bottle caps or tearing plastic bags then only you are responsible for your teeth’s injuries. As per dental experts you need to stop these wreck less habits as early as you can otherwise it could even lead to cracking of your teeth.

Brushing Your Teeth Extremely Hard or Not Brushing Enough:

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Sometimes we feel so tired at night that we simply ignore the brushing & go to sleep. According to experts we should not skip brushing at night. In fact we need to spend at least two minutes twice to brush our teeth & it will help us in keeping our teeth healthy.Sometimes we think that brushing hard would clean our teeth well, but in the reality brushing extremely hard can disturb our gums & even lead to teeth damage too.

Using Cough Drops Often:

Thinks twice before using cough drops as a remedy for cough or dry mouth. According to Dr. Doan it contains so much of sugar, that it can aggravate your tooth decay quite easily.

Clenching or Even Grinding Your Teeth:

Sometimes it becomes really hard to stay away from such wreck less habit, because people tend to do this during their sleep too. This repetitive motion results in wear and tear of your teeth and causes pain in your teeth and jaws. So you need to consult with your dentist for any kind of night time support.

Tobacco Chewing:

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We all knew about the effects of such habits. It not only ruins your teeth, it can even lead to cancer as well. So do whatever you need to do to stay away from this deadly habit.

Providing Bottles During Bedtime:

Providing a juice or milk bottle during your baby’s sleep time is quite common. However this is nothing but pushing them towards the path to teeth problems. Your baby might prefer this kind of sleeping & for you also it’s an easy task to put them in bed. It will leave their teeth sugary the whole night. Though it could be really difficult during the initial few days, but you need to stay focused to keep bottle away.

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Who doesn’t love a dazzling smile? But tooth decay can come in the way of you and your beautiful smile. It does not only destroy the enamel (outer layer of tooth) but also the dentin layer of tooth. Here are 6 simple ways you can prevent tooth decay and keep your oral hygiene game strong!

1. Make a Habit of Brushing Regularly:

   

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Brushing regularly (twice a day) is a recommended practice. Make a habit of brushing after each meal, especially before going to bed to prevent the food particles from forming a biofilm over the enamel. At early stages, this sticky film doesn’t gather enough bacteria to harm the tooth, but over a long span it causes decay and gum diseases. Electric toothbrushes provide complete attention to each tooth making sure that no contamination stays behind. They also make sure your arms don’t have to work much if you feel lazy early in the morning.

2. Use Fluoride to Strengthen your Teeth:

   

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Fluoride is an essential mineral for your teeth. It strengthens the teeth and prevents them from decaying. Make sure you opt for fluoride-rich toothpaste, so that your teeth get a pint of fluoride each day. Drinking fluoridated water is also a good practice for healthy teeth. Besides, fluoride mouthwash is another way to avoid tooth decay. Rinsing with fluoride mouthwash is not only a source of fluoride for your teeth, but also contains antiseptics to remove plague that results in tooth decay.

3. Be Honest During Dental Checkups:

   

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Let’s admit we’re not completely honest about our oral habits with our dentists. Many of us are just embarrassed so we simply start flossing and scrubbing our teeth a week before visiting the dentist to create a good impression. Having regular dental checkups is a healthy habit, but your dentist may not be able to help you if you’re not completely honest with them. Talking to your dentist about your actual oral habits can motivate you to do better. Your dentist may even suggest fluoride supplements and good mouthwashes to overcome any oral problem.

4. Introduce Flossing to your Daily Routine:

   

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Flossing is as important as brushing your teeth. Brushing alone may not be able to capture food particles stuck in the crevices of your teeth which can ultimately leave you with sore gums. So, it’s better to use a dental floss after every time you brush. Flossing get between your teeth to give them the care they deserve.

5. Avoid Sugary Foods and Acidic Drinks:

   

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Your teeth can decay faster with the excessive use of sugar. Starchy foods are also some serious culprits of tooth decay. When the starch is combined with amylase (enzyme present in saliva), it creates an acid that promotes tooth decay over the time. Always brush after intaking foods that are bad for your teeth. The use of acidic drinks like sodas, energy and fruit drinks (with high sugar content) that have pH below 5.5 should also be reduced. Coffee, milk and brewed tea are a bit acidic too, but not much harmful. Water is the best drink to consume with its neutral pH.

6. Try Out Oil Pulling Technique:

   

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Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic technique that requires swishing of 1tbsp of coconut oil in your mouth for a couple of minutes. This process not only used to reduce tooth decay but also reverse tooth cavity naturally!

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You probably already know that too much refined sugar isn’t too great for your teeth. We all learn that early on, sometimes even in preschool. If you’re a ‘90s kid, you might remember The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth, the slightly creepy puppet show that taught us about cavities.

There are various steps a person can take to prevent cavities from forming. The most common form being brushing our teeth after each meal. And we also know to not skip out on dental services to avoid cavities. But have you ever considered that there might be foods that could help prevent cavities? Read on for 5 foods you can eat that will help fight tooth decay as you chow down.