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6 Lifestyle Choices that Improve Dental Health

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Taking care of your oral health is an essential part of everyday life. If you are like most people living in this modern world, you have likely been taught the importance of brushing your teeth every day. While this is a good rule to live by, it’s often the case that people don’t do much else to care for their dental health.

6 Lifestyle Choices that Improve Dental Health

While we certainly want to see you at our downtown LA dental office for regular checkups and cleanings, we don’t want you to suffer from poor dental health that results in cavities or tooth loss. That’s why we are using today’s article to list the top 6 lifestyle choices that improve dental health.

Eat More Vitamins and Minerals

The things you put in your body can greatly determine your overall health. Food is the most powerful drug, and your gut has a great effect on the calcium and bone in your teeth. In particular, vitamins C, A, D, and K all promote a healthy mouth while strengthening your immune system overall. These vitamins can come from leafy green vegetables, salmon, nuts, and some dairy products.

Drink More Water

You may have heard about the importance of drinking at least 8 cups of water per day. Not only is water necessary for keeping you hydrated and healthy, but it also promotes a healthy mouth by allowing you to wash away bacteria that would otherwise get stuck on the teeth. Water also contains fluoride, which is a helpful ingredient for strengthening your enamel against harmful bacteria and decay.

Visit Your Dentist Often

Even if you are struggling to maintain good dental health habits on your own, you can still invest in oral healthcare by taking regular trips to your dentist’s office. We typically suggest that patients visit us once every 6 months, getting a deep cleaning twice a year while being screened for possible oral health issues. This is also a great time to get treatment for cavities before signs of decay transform into a full-on infection.

Balance Out Your Diet

Back to the topic of food, it is important that you are balancing your diet by eating more healthy foods and cutting down on unhealthy options. Items high in processed sugar contain harmful bacteria that can infect your teeth and gums, leading to serious dental health issues as time goes on. Certain sticky foods can make it difficult to remove these bits of bacteria from the teeth as they quickly stick to the enamel. If you are craving something sweet, try a piece of fruit or a sugar-free snack instead.

Stop Drinking Soda, Too

In addition to sugary foods, sugary drinks should also be reduced in your daily life. Soda pop, fruit juice, sports drinks, and wines can all contain way more than the recommended amount of daily sugar intake. Not to mention, sugar in liquid is easily delivered straight to your teeth, where it will stay and build up until you brush it off. Save these kinds of drinks for special occasions.

Quit Smoking and Drinking

Cutting tobacco or alcohol out of your life is probably much easier said than done. You don’t need to be preached about when it comes to the negative effects of these drugs, but a reminder to cut back on these harmful substances can help you shift focus back to your dental health. Smoking increases the likelihood that you will develop gum disease, cancer, and other oral health issues. Alcohol makes it more difficult for your body to heal, allowing infection to spread more rapidly.

Improve Your Lifestyle with Our Family Dental Services Today

Whether you want to prevent falling into a cycle of poor health or you are trying to come back after years of neglecting your teeth, you can find the perfect treatment with us at Samaritan Dental Arts. Get top-notch testing and treatment for cavities while we work with you to establish a lifelong plan of care. Turn your life around and feel better about your oral healthcare options when you contact us today!

Graphic of bruxism, high angle of lower jaw, teeth are worn down by grinding

How to Stop Grinding My Teeth!

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One of the biggest reasons why our adult patients schedule visits with us is because they are experiencing pain in their teeth or jaw. While many issues could lead to symptoms of pain, one of the most common is bruxism: the grinding of the teeth. You might ask: how do I stop grinding my teeth?

First, you may be grinding your teeth every day without even knowing about it. For many people, grinding the teeth is a way to deal with stress subconsciously. Some people also grind their teeth while they sleep.

It’s not surprising that this excessive grinding can lead to pain and tension throughout the teeth. If not stopped, it can also damage teeth. At Samaritan Dental Arts, we want our patients to understand how serious teeth clenching can be, and some of the best ways to stop this subconscious habit.

Why We Grind Our Teeth So Much

The biggest reason why someone would grind their teeth so much is due to stress and worry. An NHS study states most people grind their teeth while they sleep, so it can be difficult to tell whether you are a tooth-grinder.

While some people with bruxism are asymptomatic, it is common for people who grind daily to feel symptoms of pain in the head, neck, jaw, and face. Bruxism is a common disorder, but it can lead to more serious such as TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder).

How to Stop Grinding Teeth – Even During Sleep

What are some of the best methods to stop grinding your teeth? How can you get rid of this bad habit if you aren’t even conscious when you’re doing it?

Thankfully, there are a few methods you can employ to try and stop yourself from grinding your teeth so much. Try out some of our dentist-approved ideas below:

1. Avoid Stimulating Foods and Drinks Before Bed

Try not to consume anything stimulating for a few hours before your bedtime. This includes drinks like coffee, alcohol, and soda, as well as foods that contain chocolate and other sugar-filled treats.

These items can severely affect your sleep since their ingredients make your body want to burst with energy. You want to start focusing on things that can help your mind and your body wind down before it’s time to go to bed. Better quality sleep can help prevent you from tossing, turning, and grinding your teeth at night.

2. Invest in a Mouth Guard

One of the best possible solutions that can have the best results involves scheduling an appointment with your trusted local dentist. During your appointment, you can be fitted for a custom mouth guard or mouth splint. This is something soft that you would wear at night to prevent your tooth-grinding habits from having such a negative effect on the rest of your body. It doesn’t get rid of the bruxism, but it provides a shield to keep the rest of you from getting hurt.

3. Get a Muscle Relaxer

In more severe cases where the bruxism has developed into some symptoms of pain for your mouth, you may need to get a muscle relaxant to relieve all of that tension building up in your jaw. You can consult with your dentist to get a medically-prescribed relaxant. There may be some other muscle-relaxing solutions that you can work with your dentist and your primary care doctor to acquire.

What Can Bruxism Lead To?

If you have already been grinding your teeth for a long time without any intervention, you may be suffering from a myriad of symptoms. Most commonly, you will feel headaches and tension in the jaw all along your mouth. Your teeth may also become sore and loosened over time. Cracks can appear in the teeth if you clench down for too long.

Other symptoms of grinding your teeth can include:

  • Disruption of regular sleep patterns
  • Tired jaw muscles
  • Jaw locking or not being able to open and close all the way
  • Damage on the inside of your cheek from biting down
  • Worn down tooth enamel
  • Fractured or chipped teeth
  • Increased pain in the mouth
  • Headaches in the temples
  • Soreness in the face, neck, or jaw

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or if you notice yourself grinding your teeth during times of stress, it’s important to seek dental care right away.

Take Care of Your Teeth Before It’s Too Late!

Your grinding habits may seem harmless at first, but they can have some devastating long-term effects. It can be challenging to break this habit, especially since so much of it happens while you are asleep. But with help from our friendly experts at Samaritan Dental Arts, we can come up with a solution that will reduce the effects of grinding and help you get your daily life back on track. For more information, contact us online or give us a call at (213) 986-2933 to schedule a consultation.