A Walk a Day Can Keep Your Smile Healthy

If you are looking to hang onto your pearly whites for longer, healthy dental habits along with a daily walk can help to strengthen your teeth and keep them healthy for longer. As you get older the risk of bone loss becomes even greater and a lifetime of poor dental habits can negatively impact your smile. By implementing a walk a day and/or taking Vitamin D supplements can help to decrease the risk of bone loss.

But just taking a walk or supplements isn’t going to save your teeth, you will also have to engage in positive dental habits to ensure your smile stays healthy for a lifetime. The research study conducted by WebMD showed that individuals who flossed, took a supplement or walked and utilized a medication that lowered blood pressure were 40% less likely to lose a tooth compared to people who didn’t.

Increasing water consumption and decreasing your chance of a dry mouth can also help to decrease the build-up of bacteria in your mouth. There are multiple medications and climates that can increase dry mouth, consuming fruit infused water, or sugar free gum can help to decrease the impact of bacteria.

For more information on vitamin D and how vitamins can improve your smile contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

A Dry Mouth is a Bacteria Filled Mouth

Dry mouth may not seem like a big deal but it is a problem, especially during the summer time as the weather heats up. Staying hydrated can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy mouth. Saliva helps to neutralize acid and protect against cavities, ulcers, bacterial and viral threats.  Saliva also contributes to a person’s ability to taste certain foods. Dr. Rice recommends these 4 ways to keep your body hydrated and avoid a dry mouth during this summer season.

1.     Drink water. For those of you who do not enjoy drinking water try infusing your water with strawberries, cucumbers, or other fruit and vegetables to increase the flavor. It is important to drink 1 oz for every pound you weigh. This amount goes up if you live in an area that is warmer.

2.     Enjoy fruits and vegetables as a snack instead of reaching for the chips and salty food. Salty foods dry out your mouth even more. Fruits and vegetables not only remove food from the surface of your teeth throughout the day, and in between brushing, they also help to keep your mouth moist.

3.     Chew sugar-free gum when you do not have water available. Sugar-free gum can help to build up saliva in your mouth when you are running low on water.

4.     Reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol decreases saliva in the mouth contributing to dry mouth.

For more information on keeping your gums healthy and your mouth hydrated contact Dr. Denine Riceand her team today.

6 Foods That Are Good For Your Gums

With the weather warming up and the heart of the summer upon us, you may want to reach for whichever cool drink you can get in your hands. But drinks and food high in sugar or high in carbohydrates are worse for your smile and can contribute to a dry mouth. A dry mouth can create bacteria, ulcers, and other problems for your gums. Here are 6 foods from Dr. Rice that can help your gums.

1.     Watermelon, is one of the best foods for your gums. It helps rinse food from your gums that is left from other meals. It also helps to keep you hydrated.

2.     Reach for an apple when you are hungry. Not only do apples help remove plaque from your gums they are also high in water.

3.     Milk is a great way to neutralize the acid in your mouth from plaque buildup. Drink a glass of milk after dinner to help build-up the calcium in your teeth and to keep your gums healthy.

4.     Eat green leafy foods. The greener the better they are for the health of your gums.

5.     Cheese, while it does not have the same benefit as drinking a glass of milk, the dairy in the cheese can help to strengthen your teeth and decrease the impact of bacteria.

6.     Carrots are a fantastic food for the teeth and gums. While there are hundreds of other vegetables that have the same benefits for your smile. Carrots have tons of water and help to rinse food from your gums between brushing and flossing.

The food you eat can directly impact your smile, for more information on how to improve your smile and how to keep it healthy, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Create A Flawless Smile

If you think achieving a cosmetically beautiful smile is out of your reach, periodontist Dr. Denine Rice and her team are here to help. There are lots of ways you can achieve the smile of your dreams. Here are 4 Tips from Dr. Rice on how to create a flawless smile.

1.     Floss. There is no other way to say it and no single piece of dental activity that helps you achieve the smile you were born to have. While millions of individuals say they floss, they in fact don’t. If you are struggling to floss regularly, Dr. Rice recommends you do some research to find floss that suits your needs and helps you create this necessary regime to your dental routine.

2.     Drink water. Drinking water helps to reduce bacteria in the mouth. A dry mouth is a breeding ground for dental problems. The more water you consume the less opportunity bacteria has to reek havoc. Water can also reduce the food left on your teeth from high carbohydrate foods.

3.     Consume healthy fruits and vegetables. This advice has as much to do with improving your overall health as it does in creating a healthy and flawless smile. The more fruits and vegetables you consume with a high water concentration the more food that is stuck to the teeth is removed. It also decreases bacteria that causes decay. Fruits and vegetables do not tend to stick to the teeth.

4.     Check out if you are a candidate for a laser periodontal procedure to reduce your risk of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease not only impacts the look of your smile, but your overall health as well.

Don’t live with a smile you don’t love, implement these 4 tips and create the smile you want for a lifetime.

Dry Mouth

“Xerostomia or dry mouth is a condition that affects many, especially those who are on certain medications or who breath through the mouth,” explains Dr. Denine Rice of Rice Periodontics and Implant Surgery in Riverside, California.

Saliva is a necessity as it helps the mouth stay clean while digesting food. Without saliva the bacteria found in the food deposits is not washed away, but instead clings to the tooth. The bacteria are what causes decay and disease.

Xerostomia is generally the challenge when you notice any of the following conditions:

a.     A dry or sticky feeling of your oral tissues.

b.     Feeling thirsty

c.      A dry or red tongue

d.     A sore throat that feels dry

e.     Difficulty speaking, tasting, or swallowing

f.      Cracked lips

The good news is that there is help for those with dry mouths.  “There are many products on the market that can assist with producing more saliva. Also you can find gum and candies that contain xylitol,” adds Dr. Rice. Xylitol is a natural sweetener that prevents decay.  Remember as we head into the summer season to drink plenty of water.

If you feel you may be one of those who suffers from xerostomia the best course of action may be to see your dentist. They can make additional specific recommendations that will help you keep your smile bright and healthy.