How to Keep your Natural Teeth

People often think it is natural to lose our teeth as we get older. In the previous century, maybe, but these days there are wonderful treatments to help us keep our teeth until old age.

Dentures are not a definite these days. Our grandparents might have all ended up having their teeth pulled, but they also believed in hard scrubbing with bicarbonate of soda as a good daily dental regime. That messes up tooth enamel. These days, we know better.

No need to scrub

Today, we know soft brushes are much more effective, and brushing in soft circular movements using toothpaste rich in fluoride is the better option. We also know that having regular checkups and flossing gently daily keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Hard toothbrushes and baking soda corrode the enamel to leave teeth vulnerable to cracks, chips, and cavities. Our grandparents also didn’t mind if their gums were bleeding as it meant they were scrubbing really hard and it was working well.

Bleeding gums

Today, we know that bleeding gums are bad news. They’re a sign that urges us to make an appointment to go and see our downtown dentist. Bleeding gums could be the very first sign of gum disease – and the next thing on from gum disease is tooth loss.

Pros of keeping teeth

Keeping our teeth healthy for as long as we possibly can is important for a few reasons. Firstly, people with their own teeth live longer according to statistics. There could be a few reasons for this. People chew better with their own natural teeth, which means they absorb more nutrition from the food they eat.

They are also more sociable and interact more with people. Older adults with dentures become afraid of accepting social invitations because they are scared of eating in public, and most social occasions involve eating.

It is much easier to maintain natural teeth than it is to replace missing teeth. There may be better tooth-replacement options than dentures, but nothing beats the real thing.

Here are a few golden rules to ensure you keep your own teeth:

• Brush and floss is an old-fashioned regime, but essential to keep teeth healthy and happy. Brush twice a day with a soft to medium bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Also, floss gently daily.
• Have a check-up and a cleaning session every six months to get rid of the tartar build-up, which causes tooth decay, and to spot problems early on while they can still be rectified easily.
• Keep your mouth moist. Oral bacteria flourish in a dry mouth. Chew sugar-free gum when you have a dry mouth from medication, and drink ample water to flush bacteria and toxins from your body.
• Cut down on sugar and carbohydrates that make your mouth acidic, eating away at the enamel of healthy teeth. Avoid sugary drinks altogether.

Why not make it a goal to live a full, happy and sociable life without ever needing dentures? It is as easy as following four easy steps. Get yourself into the right habits, and there’s no reason why your teeth shouldn’t last a lifetime!