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It’s possible to develop tooth decay even when you take great care of your teeth. Brushing and flossing may not be enough to keep your teeth healthy, depending on your diet. Cavities, discoloration, and decay are still possible when certain foods feature in your daily intake. Keep an eye out for foods that will damage your enamel and cause the very issues you’ve been trying to avoid.

What causes enamel damage?

Tooth enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth that is made of various minerals. Tooth decay results when the acids in your food react with the minerals in your enamel. Strongly pigmented foods may also cause unsightly discoloration on the surface of your teeth. Avoid wreaking havoc on your beautiful smile by identifying the foods that can harm your enamel.

Acid

Acidic food is your teeth’s worst nightmare! This is the greatest cause of enamel damage, even if you brush and floss regularly. To avoid damaging your teeth, make sure you can determine whether a food is acidic or not.

The pH levels are a way to determine acidity on a one-to-seven scale. This defines the relative acidity or alkalinity of a food or substance. Foods with high pH levels are not as likely to harm your enamel.

It’s wise to avoid or minimize foods that are high in acids. Highly acidic food can include fruits such as lemons, grapefruit, strawberries, grapes, and apples. Moderately acid foods may surprise you; they include tomatoes, maple syrup, pickles, and honey.

Not surprisingly, eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese contain the least amount of acid. Red wine and coffee can also discolor your enamel if they’re drunk in excessive amounts.

What can I do to prevent enamel damage?

There are plenty of ways to avoid discoloration and decay of your enamel. The best thing to do is limit the amount of high-acid foods, including sugary juices and soda, in your diet.

Another way is to brush and floss regularly, an hour after each meal. If you can’t make time to brush, an easy solution is to swish your mouth with water or mouthwash to rinse away any leftover acidic particles.

Damaged tooth enamel may be common, but is avoidable when you know which foods to stay away from and the steps to take after you do eat highly acidic foods. Take our advice and you’ll be sure to slow down any future discoloration and decay that happens in your mouth.

For more advice on protecting your enamel, give our Livingston a call to learn more!

While modern dental science has made remarkable advances in treating oral diseases, prevention is always better than cure. To keep our mouth, gums, and teeth their healthiest, there are some simple practices we can follow to reduce dramatically the risk of developing some of the most common oral diseases.

Tooth Decay

We don’t usually think of tooth decay as a disease, but it is, in fact, the most common chronic disease in older children and adolescents. A great majority of adults have had at least some experience with decay. Left untreated, tooth decay can lead to pain, infection, tooth loss, and even loss of nearby bone in the jaw. Luckily, there are several time-tested ways to prevent cavities:

• Brush properly at least twice a day. Ask Dr. Rothstein for the best toothbrush for your individual needs (usually, a soft brush is best), the best technique for angling the brush to reach all of each tooth’s surfaces, and the amount of time you should spend brushing.
• Floss daily. Even with perfect brushing form, you are going to want to use floss to clean between the teeth and around the gum line.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste. Study after study has shown that the risk of cavities is reduced with regular use of a fluoride toothpaste or rinse.
• Watch your diet. Foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates give cavity-causing bacteria the fuel they need to produce the acids which weaken enamel. On the other hand, a diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals is beneficial not only for your teeth, but for your whole body!
• See your dentist for regular checkups to find small problems and prevent them from becoming major ones. Your dentist can also give you tips on better oral hygiene if your brushing and flossing habits aren’t doing the job.

Gum Disease

Preventing gum disease is a lot like preventing tooth decay—your daily habits really make a difference. When plaque builds up around the teeth and gums, the bacteria in plaque cause gum tissue to become inflamed, swollen, and painful. Left untreated, the gums pull away from the teeth, leaving pockets where bacteria collect and lead to infection. Infections harm not only gum tissue, but can destroy the bone which supports the teeth. What can you do to prevent gum disease?

• Use proper brushing technique. Remember to angle the brush toward the gums to gently clean around and below the gum line.
• Floss daily—flossing removes particles and plaque between the teeth, and it also helps remove plaque from the area under the gum line.
• Smokers are at higher risk for gum disease, and smoking has been linked to slower healing. Giving up tobacco products of any kind is always a good way to protect your dental health.
• Regular dental exams will catch gingivitis (early gum disease) while it is still reversible. Periodontitis (serious gum disease) can require treatment by Dr. Rothstein. Certain diseases such as diabetes increase the risk of developing gum disease, so checkups are especially important.
• Having your teeth cleaned every six months, or as recommended, will remove plaque that brushing alone can’t handle. If there are signs of more serious gum disease, a periodontal cleaning will remove plaque and tartar from both above and below the gum line.

How Can Your Periodontist Help?

Periodontists like Dr. Rothstein have the advanced education and training not only to treat oral diseases, but to help repair the damage they can cause. A periodontist has experience in:

• Treating all forms of periodontal disease
• Periodontal cleanings such as scaling and root planning to remove plaque and tartar
• Regenerative treatment to restore bone lost to periodontal disease
• Implant surgery to provide a permanent, natural looking replacement for a lost tooth
• Regenerative procedures, if needed, to make sure the jawbone has the necessary size and density for a successful implant
• Gum surgeries to remove or reshape excess or damaged gum tissue
• Soft tissue grafts to treat exposed roots, receding gums, and gum tissue loss

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and when it comes to your dental health, there’s a lot you can do to prevent oral diseases. But should you need treatment at our Livingston office, we have the knowledge and experience to help restore the health of your mouth, teeth, and gums. After all, you can’t weigh the worth of your oral health—that’s priceless!

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a chronic bacterial infection of the gums, periodontal ligament, and bone that surround and support the teeth. Gum disease includes gingivitis (the early stage of gum disease) and periodontitis (a more advanced stage of the disease). The condition, which studies have indicated afflicts nearly 80 percent of Americans at some point in their life, causes a chronic inflammation of the gums and surrounding tissue. You can prevent periodontal disease by brushing and flossing regularly, visiting your dentist twice a year for exams and cleaning, and sticking to a healthy, balanced diet.

Making sure that you practice good dental habits is one of the simplest things that you can do to avoid gum disease. These include:

• Brushing your teeth twice a day with toothpaste containing fluoride. Make sure to brush all sides of your teeth, including brushing your tongue as plaque can cause bad breath, also known as halitosis. We recommend chewing sugar-free gum, especially one containing xylitol, a sugar substitute.
• Using an electric toothbrush removes plaque more effectively than a regular toothbrush. Look for one that has the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Approval or ask Dr. Rothstein during your next visit.
• Using an antiseptic mouthwash such as Listerine. Fluoride or antiplaque mouthwash is also helpful at killing off bacteria in the mouth.
• Flossing once a day helps get rid of particles of food wedged in the crevices between your teeth. Simply curve the floss around each tooth into a U-shape, and slide it gently under the gum line. Move the floss firmly up and down several times to scrape off the plaque. If you’re not sure which floss to buy or how to floss, ask Dr. Rothstein during your next visit.

To learn more about preventing gum disease, or to schedule your next visit with Dr. Rothstein, please give us a call today!

Did you know the actions leading to the beginnings of Valentine's Day were actually centered on the avoidance of war? A Catholic priest named Valentine defied the orders of the Emperor Claudius II and secretly married young men and their brides after the emperor had declared it illegal because only single, young men could be sent to war. Rather than lose potential soldiers to fight his war, Claudius attempted to hoard them by proclaiming marriage illegal.

Valentine continued to marry young couples anyway and, eventually, was put to death for it in 270 AD. Before his death, he sent a letter to a secret love and signed it “From your Valentine”. Nearly 1,800 years later, people are still signing letters and cards in this manner. This year, carry on the tradition started long ago, while adding your own twist. Here are a few suggestions.

Simple and Creative Valentine's Day Ideas

• Memorialize it with a Photo. Couples often have photos taken around Christmas, but Valentine's Day photos allow you to capitalize on romance. Famous couple Julia Child and her husband, Paul, had their picture taken together every Valentine's Day and included their sense of humor with silly props.
• Return to Your First Date Location. Even if your first date together was at a local hotdog stand, its sentimental value can make it a fun part of your Valentine's Day agenda. Be creative and make a treasure hunt with clues that lead your partner to the original date location, where you can express your love with flowers or a gift.
• “From Your Valentine” Messages. Deliver your message in a creative way to make this Valentine's Day stand out from the others. Bake your partner's favorite treat and write a message on it with a tube of icing, or draw a note on the steamed up mirror so it shows up when your partner takes a shower.

Although Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, it doesn't have to be a special day only for couples. If you're single, use this special day to shower yourself with love, because you're worth it! After all, the priest Valentine believed so strongly in the sanctity of love that he was willing to risk his life for it. Whether you're in a relationship or single, young or old, romantic or not, Valentine's Day is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from the Periodontist office of Dr. Rothstein.