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.

Gum Assessment

What Do Your Gums Say About You?

Our gums are the roadmap to our health. If they are unhealthy it can mean problems for your entire body. Once periodontal disease takes hold, it can impact your heart, liver, and other body systems. So, how do you know when your gums are unhealthy and when they are fine and just need a good cleaning. “Take this short five question quiz for more information,” suggests Dr. Denine Rice.

1.     Do your gums bleed when you floss?

2.     When you brush do your gums bleed?

3.     Do you have sensitivity when brushing?

4.     Are there are black or dark spots on your gums?

5.     Do your teeth wiggle?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you are in need of at least a visit to Dr. Rice and her team. They can help complete an oral exam to determine what support your smile needs today.  Don’t wait too long for your consultation. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to lose your teeth. And once you have lost one tooth, you are more likely to lose more.  Schedule your appointment with a periodontist for a comprehensive exam to determine what level of support you need.

Brushing Your Tongue

While you chew food particles build up on the surface of your teeth. "You may remember to brush twice a day, but if you are not brushing your tongue you’re doing an injustice to your mouth and potentially risking your overall health,"says Dr. Denine Rice.

Food particles, and other bacteria from the air can stick to the tongue causing your breath to smell, and plaque to build-up. Plaque is a soft sticky substance that accumulates on your teeth and tongue. Plaque is dangerous because it contains millions of bacteria. The bacteria turn into acid and acid attacks the enamel on your teeth.

A more complicated affect of not properly brushing your tongue happens over time. Continual build-up of bacteria on the tongue can cause you to loose taste buds. "You can also end up with tongue related sores that can make it difficult to eat or talk," suggests periodontist Dr. Rice.  

Build-up on your tongue is the leading cause of bad breath.  Bacteria that stays stale in one place it can cause your breath to repel those around you even if you are taking the time to brush and floss everyday.

Good oral hygiene can prevent bacteria causing gingivitis and periodontal disease too. Another good reason to remember your routine and practice it daily.  

How Do I Prevent Bone Loss?

Bone loss occurs when bacteria, over time, continue to attack the gum tissue and the pocket between your tooth and gums becomes deeper. The gums in a healthy mouth are like a tight sleeve that fit around your teeth.  “When you have advanced periodontal disease your gums pull away from the teeth,” says Dr. Denine Rice, the  periodontist at Rice Periodontics and Implant Surgery in Riverside, CA. “Once this occurs, your tissue will not fit tightly and you may begin to loose some of your teeth.”

Your jaw is a bone that’s growth is stimulated by chewing movement. According to one of Inland Empire’s top dentists, Dr. Rice, “Once you have lost some of the teeth the amount of stimulation that your jaw has also begins to decrease.” On average an individual loses more than one tooth at a time due to advanced periodontal disease, this causes even less stimulation for the jaw. This decreased stimulation leads to bone loss in the jaw, which not only means tooth loss, but may also impact you ability to comfortably wear dentures or be a candidate for implants.  

To prevent this from occurring begins with proper oral care. Brushing your teeth twice a day is critical to the prevention of bone loss. As bacteria build up on the teeth it hardens and becomes tarter. Tarter that stays on the teeth attacks the enamel. By brushing your teeth twice a day, food is removed from the surface of the teeth preventing this build-up.

Flossing is the second most important habit. While at first when you are flossing your gums may bleed, over time your gums will become tougher. As they toughen up and you fight early signs of gingivitis, they will stop bleeding and become healthy again.

Dr. Denine Rice says, “You want to make sure to keep your six-month cleaning appointments.” At these visits your dentist can check for more serious conditions however, they also are able to provide a more thorough cleaning to scrape off any tarter build-up you may have missed.

Prevention is the key to preventing bone loss~