How to Keep Your Smile Looking Young and Healthy

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Everyone wants to be Healthy and Healthy Teeth Are Part of the Equation

Most of you have teeth.  Teeth are good especially if you like food and food is necessary if you want to stay alive.  There will come a time in life when eating will be your greatest pleasure.  So you want your teeth to last and to last you need to make a little effort to help them survive.

Your teeth want to be cleaned on a daily basis.  Think of each tooth as a little square box.   There is a top front, back and sides.  The bottom or basement is in your jaw so this part may not seem apparent.  Tooth brushing gets the top, front and back.

All the bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic, meaning without oxygen.  When you brush your teeth you bring air into your mouth which contains 20% oxygen.  The oxygen destroys the bacteria helping you to prevent dental decay. 

However, your toothbrush cannot get to the sides of most of your teeth unless you have a missing one.  These areas also need to be cleaned so you need to floss.  You know that thin little string that can get in between your teeth.  Just like the toothbrush the floss pulls air between your teeth and the oxygen within helps to destroy the bacterial colonies always present in your mouth.

Bacteria like warm, dark places with food.  So to keep your mouth and teeth healthy you need to floss and brush in the morning and at night.  Before you go to sleep by cleaning your mouth you decrease the bacteria present and upon waking you remove the buildup that has occurred while you’re asleep. Everyone knows the experience of morning mouth.

What you consume also plays a part in keeping your mouth healthy.  The outside of your teeth are made of enamel, the strongest substance in your body but even this material can become damaged by eating too much sugar or acidic foods such as citrus fruits.  Calcium rich foods such as cheese, milk and nuts protect tooth enamel.

Also, drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Water also serves to wash away foods recently eaten within your mouth.  If you have dry mouth due to aging and/or medications you are on, chewing gums stimulates saliva keeping your mouth moist which is a good thing.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit we want you and your teeth to be healthy.  If your teeth are facing some challenges and even if they are not, give us a call at 212 517 9000.  We are here for you even if all you need is a cleaning.    It is always better to be proactive versus reactive.   So call today; your teeth will thank you.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!