5 foods you didn't know were ruining your teeth

Brushing is not the only way to keep your teeth free from damage. To have perfectly healthy and sparkly teeth, you should avoid certain foods as well, especially those high in sugar and acid content.

Fruits rich in sucrose (such as cherries, mangoes and pears) are like food to the bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria give rise to plaque build-up; and produce lactic acid, which causes the erosion of your tooth enamel.

As for foods containing acid (like meat, cashew nuts and peanuts), their acidic content is chiefly responsible for tooth decay. In fact, these foods eat away at your enamel and cause your teeth to chip and break.

Which are the foods that spell danger for your teeth?

1. Apples: sadly, an apple a day doesn't keep the dentist away. Apples have high acidic content and are very harsh on your enamel. Remember to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water just after having apples.

2. Pickles: pickles are either made of sugar or vinegar and can be sweet and sour, depending on what's used. While the vegetables and fruits used in these pickles may do you good, it's the brine that brings about tooth decay. Make sure to brush your teeth after an hour of having pickles to prevent any sort of damage.

3. Bread: processed white bread that you have at breakfast every morning is loaded with sugar. It's quite sticky as well and easily gets lodged between your teeth, giving rise to cavities.

4. Popcorn: working in the same way as bread, popcorn can get easily stuck in the lines between your teeth, leading to a rise in the level of bacteria in your mouth. You can indulge yourself in a bit of popcorn as long as you floss and brush after an hour or two of eating it.

5. Diet sodas: just because sodas contain no added sugar doesn't mean they are healthy for your teeth. The acidity of diet sodas is very high, making it one of the worst things out there for your teeth. The only thing you can do is to cut down your consumption of diet sodas.


If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on consult.

5 Foods that Ruin Your TEETH Without Your Knowledge, Every Day!

How Garlic CURES Bad Breath

It’s a little known fact that Garlic is very effective when it comes to battling bad breath. Garlic is a natural cleanser and an antibiotic. It helps the body to push out the decaying food particles stuck to the intestinal walls while also killing the harmful bacterium present therein. Food stuck in your gut generally makes your breath smell foul. It’s your body’s way of telling you to clean your stomach. 

To get rid of bad breath, simply mince 3-5 cloves of Garlic and swallow with a small glass of milk. You can also add a pinch of parsley to the mix for added effectiveness.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.


Surprise! Garlic CURES Bad Breath.

Everybody loves a bright white smile, and there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the look of yours. 

Many people are satisfied with the sparkle they get from daily brushing and regular cleanings at your dentist’s clinic, but if you decide you would like to go beyond this to make your smile look brighter, you should investigate all of your whitening options.

Start by speaking with your dentist. He or she can tell you whether whitening procedures would be effective for you. Whiteners may not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellow-ish hued teeth will probably bleach well, brownish-colored teeth may bleach less well, and grayish-hued teeth may not bleach well at all. If you have had bonding or tooth-colored fillings placed in your front teeth the whitener will not affect the color of these materials, and they will stand out in your newly whitened smile. You may want to investigate other options, like porcelain veneers or dental bonding.

If you are a candidate for whitening there are several ways to whiten your smile:

•	In-office bleaching. This procedure is called chairside bleaching and usually requires only one office visit. The dentist will apply either a protective gel to your gums or a rubber shield to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching agent is then applied to the teeth, and a special light may be used. Lasers have been used during tooth whitening procedures to enhance the action of the whitening agent.

•	At-home bleaching. Peroxide-containing whiteners actually bleach the tooth enamel. They typically come in a gel and are placed in a specially made bleaching trays. Usage regimens vary. There are potential side effects, such as increased sensitivity or gum irritation. Speak with your dentist if you have any concerns.

•	Whitening toothpastes. All toothpastes help remove surface stain through the action of mild abrasives. "Whitening" toothpastes have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Unlike bleaches, these products do not change the color of teeth because they can only remove stains on the surface.


Whitening / Bleaching

You look your best when you wear a smile on your face. Everyone prefers a smiling face over a frowned one. Since we are talking about smiles, one can never underestimate the role that teeth play in the beauty of a smile. Dental hygiene and care is mandatory if you wish to secure your beautiful smile for years to come.

However, the global statistics for dental care suggests that we do not care enough for our teeth. 60-90% of children who are in school and almost every adult suffer from dental cavities. Dental cavities are pretty common nowadays. And yellowing of teeth can now be seen in almost every other person. It spoils the smile and makes people conscious. By ensuring a few dental care habits in your daily routine lives, you can avoid yellow teeth. Let us discuss the tips and tricks to avoid yellowing of teeth.
 
1. Say no to specific foods: Yellowing of teeth is caused by food choices including coffee, red wine, sodas, juices, sports drinks, white wine, coloured candies and other artificially coloured foods. It will help if these foods are consumed in less quantity and frequency as they are the major contributors towards discoloration of teeth.

2. Water after every coloured drink: Here is a habit that you must inculcate in your routine, whenever you consume any of the above mentioned food items. Post every drink or food intake which can cause tooth-staining, top it up with a glass of water. When you swirl or gargle the water in your mouth, you remove the acids that get accumulated in your mouth. It is one of the simplest preventive measures one can implement to avoid tooth stains.
 
3. Dental Hygiene: Our parents and dentists kept reminding us all the time to brush twice a day and gargle with water post every food intake but did we listen to them as kids? No we did not. Proper brushing, flossing and going for dental checkups at regular intervals are sure shot ways to keep your teeth healthy for majority of your lifetime. One must develop these habits quite early in life to gain benefits from it.

4. Whiten those Yellow teeth:  You might be at that stage of your life where inculcating the above mentioned habits won't do much good. The damage might already have been done. Your teeth are probably yellowish already and you have a history of dental cavities. In this 21st century, there are ways to whiten your teeth artificially with the many alternatives available in the market. One can opt for a solution, which can be done at home itself or go for a laser whitening which is now possible at a dentist clinic.
 
So there is still hope for those who are unable to share that smile with the world due to the yellowing of teeth. Nothing is irreparable here and the health of your teeth lies in your hand.

How to Avoid Yellowing of Teeth

What you must know before you get root canal treatment

Root canal treatment also known as endodontics is performed to treat and heal an infected or badly damaged tooth rather than removing it. When your teeth start decaying, you do not feel any pain for a very long time. However, gradually the darkening of your tooth color may become prominent which could mean that the tooth nerve is dying or has died. That's the time you will need root canal treatment which involves cleaning of the canals inside the roots of your tooth.

Why you may need the root canal treatment

Teeth consist of a soft core known as dental pulp. This pulp goes beyond the crown &#x2013; the noticeable part of your tooth to the root tip inside your jawbone. The pulp contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. So when your tooth is damaged or has a severe cavity, bacteria can easily make their way through the pulp. Symptoms and signs of a sore tooth include a hole in your tooth, a swelling around the regions of your face and neck, gum swelling, tooth pain or a toothache and temperature sensitivity. If it is left untreated, the decaying material and bacteria can cause a tooth abscess or severe infection, resulting in a bone loss, pulp death and even loss of the tooth itself. The root canal treatment is the best way to save the damaged teeth and escaping the painful process of extraction.

What does the treatment involve?

The purpose of the treatment is to free your root canal from every possible infection. The root is then cleaned and filled to avoid any further infection.


	
	Root canal treatment is a skilled procedure which is time-consuming and usually requires from 2-3 visits to your dentist.
	
	
	In the initial stage, the infected pulp is isolated to drain out abscesses (if any), followed by the cleaning of your root canal which is then prepared for a temporary filling.
	
	
	Your tooth is then left to settle down.
	
	
	In the next visit, your tooth is checked to see whether it&#x2019;s free from all forms of infection so that it can be permanently filled. 
	


If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Related Tip: Only 6 Basics That Beat Bad Breath

What You Must Know Before You Get ROOT CANAL Treatment

Nasal congestion (blocked nose) can give you nightmares. The condition often results in people breathing through their mouth. Mouth breathing, once a while (due to factors that affect the nasal breathing) is understood. The main problem arises when people, especially kids continue to breathe through their mouth even under normal conditions. Nasal breathing is what we have learned and practiced all along. Breathing through the nose is a healthy practice that has many health benefits. Any alteration in this habit can have a deleterious effect on the health in the long run. It can alter the body dynamics and mechanisms, necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Though cold and nasal congestion are the most common causes of mouth breathing, other conditions that often contribute towards this unhealthy postural habit include:
  Severe respiratory infections.
  Allergies which tend to block the nasal airway (either partial or complete).
  Kids who have a habit of sucking their thumbs or fingers are often found to breathe through their mouth.
  Sinus, enlarged adenoids or tonsils, hay fever, can also result in mouth breathing.

Harmful effects of mouth breathing
In mouth breathing, there is less absorption of oxygen into the bloodstream as compared to the nasal breathing. This oxygen deprivation can give rise to serious consequences and health problems.

Snoring and sleeping disorders (sleep apnea, often resulting from oxygen deprivation) are common among people who breathe through the mouth. Many people wake up with a terrible headache, feeling tired, irritated, and fatigued (in spite of having their full quota of sleep) in the morning. Unable to have a sound sleep often interfere with the overall performance of the affected person. Low levels of oxygen in the bloodstream can also result in hypertension and cardiac problems. Some people also suffer from brain fog (mental fatigue resulting in confusion and at times, hallucinations).
Dry mouth along with cracked lips is one of the harmful consequences of mouth breathing. Under normal situations, the saliva (in the mouth) prevents the bacteria from thriving within the mouth and causing infections. When the mouth becomes dry (less saliva), bacteria can easily thrive inside, resulting in infections (throat and ear), cavities, bad breath, Gingivitis (gum inflammation brought about by a bacterial infection).
A person with mouth breathing may suffer from digestive problems such as acid reflux, gas, and stomach upsets.
Believe it or not, but mouth breathing can give rise to skeletal and facial deformities (especially in children). The face may appear narrow and long, the chin and jaws lower, and the cheekbones often suppressed. There is also an improper alignment of the teeth (teeth appear crooked).
Mouth breathing can also lead to speech impediments, especially in children between the age group of 4-12 years. 

Mouth Breathing - Did You Know How It Is Bad For You?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Dental Bleaching online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Dental Bleaching - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES