Your Oral Health: What You Ought to Avoid

26 October 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Most people will strive to keep their teeth healthy in an attempt to have an attractive smile. You may believe you are doing the best for your teeth by opting for extensive dental treatments such as whitening treatments, when the reality is you could putting them through undue stress, abrasion, and more. Conversely, you may be neglecting some crucial aspects of your oral hygiene, and this could also lead to severe dental problems.  Below are a couple of the things that you ought to avoid when it comes to your oral health. 

Avoid seeking orthodontic treatment merely for perfectly straight teeth

One of the more common reasons why people will pay a visit to a family dentist is to look into orthodontic treatment options that would make them have perfectly straight teeth. However, orthodontic treatment should not merely be about cosmetics. If you are considering orthodontic treatment in the form of metal braces or Invisalign aligners, there are some signs that you should look out for. The dental problems that would require the need for orthodontic treatment include:

  • Crowded teeth
  • Protruding teeth
  • Having an overbite or an under bite
  • Bruxism
  • Speech problems
  • Chewing problems
  • Extra spacing between your teeth

Take note, though, that correcting these ailments does not automatically translate into perfectly straight teeth; instead, the treatment strives to ensure your teeth are better aligned, to prevent you from experiencing dental problems. Therefore, if you were seeking perfectly straight teeth merely for aesthetic reasons, you could be missing other important issues that should be addressed.

Avoid neglecting care and maintenance of your gums

As some people focus on gleaming, white teeth, they can forget to pay just as much attention to their gums. Yet your gums should be one of crucial areas to focus on as part of your oral hygiene. Healthy gums are what will determine whether you have healthy teeth. If bacteria begins to breed in your gums, it poses the risk of complete tooth loss. Nevertheless, gingivitis happens to be one of the more common ailments that people will suffer from because they are not giving their gums the attention they need. Other than keeping your gums healthy to prevent tooth loss, you should also maintain their health as they could determine whether or not you can have some dental procedures performed. If your gums are not in good health, you would not be able to receive dental treatments such as implants, veneers, dental bridges, teeth whitening, and more.