February is here bringing us two important issues this month,
Dental Health and Heart Disease. As
everyone gets ready for Valentine's Day by making plans for a special
"date night", they are forgetting the most important couple their; teeth
and heart. Your teeth and heart go
together like Mickey and Minne Mouse, Brad and Angelina, Babe Ruth and
Baseball, Wayne Gretzky and Hockey, Luke Skywalker and Dark Vador... Ok I think
I made my point. Researchers have found
a surprising number of links between the state of your mouth and the state of your
heart. In fact, we now know that people
who develop gum disease (either gingivitis, a milder form that results in
inflammation and infection of the gums, or periodontitis, which develops when
the inflammation and infection spread below the gum line) are at nearly twice the
risk for heart disease. Proper oral
hygiene is a necessity to allow the body to work at its best performance. Patients tend to over think their oral hygiene routine and make it more stressful. Life in general is stressful enough; let’s
not make brushing and flossing one of them.
Going back to basics is where to begin.
Here are some simple steps that will fit in your busy schedules:
1. Brush - Twice a day, use a soft bristled toothbrush and toothpaste
that contains fluoride. Wait 30-45 minutes after you eat or drink, so the acids
in your mouth drop to normal levels. Brush after breakfast, and again before
bed – after you’re done eating and drinking for the day.
2. Floss - Once a day, use dental floss to clean the tight
spaces between your teeth. Floss before you brush – that way the fluoride in
your toothpaste can coat more of the surface of each tooth. Choose a time of
day when you aren’t rushed, so you can take your time and clean each tooth
carefully.
3. Rinse - Talk with your dentist about what kind of
mouthwash you should use, and how often. Some kill bacteria, some contain
fluoride, and some do both. After you use mouthwash, don’t eat, drink, or rinse
your mouth for 30 minutes.
4. Chew gum -After you eat, pop in a piece of sugar-free gum
sweetened with xylitol. Xylitol kills the bacteria that cause cavities, and gum
in general makes more saliva in your mouth, which helps to bring down acid
levels. Chew gum for about 20 minutes after you eat.
5. Rinse again -If you’re out and don’t have gum or a
toothbrush, rinse your mouth with water to loosen food particles from between
your teeth, and reduce the acids in your mouth.
Easy huh?!?!
