The smile: it's one of the first things we notice about a person. Even youngsters know the basics to a movie star smile.But sometimes things happen that can land you and your teeth in a painful spot.
“Teeth break down due to acids and sugars,” said Dr. Matt Hansen, of Central Park Dentistry. “The bacteria feed off of the acids and sugars and create holes in the teeth.”
We're talking about tooth decay. Dr. Hansen tells us that consuming certain foods--like pop, candy, even sports drinks, can contribute to it. “The result is a cavity,” said Dr. Hansen.
But your chompers can start to break down even before a complete cavity. “Cavities that get started in the teeth get progressively worse,” said Dr. Randy Winter, of the Mason City Free Dental Clinic for the Under and Un-insured. And if left untreated: “They become involved in the nerve and the nerve will die,” he said.
The decay can do some serious damage. “Teeth will become abscessed, you'll get swelling and a lot of pain and when it gets to that point then the only solution is to either do a root canal to save the tooth or if it isn't possible then you have to have the tooth extracted,” said Dr. Winter.
Enjoying cavity contributing foods and drinks in the right amounts can help keep you from landing here--and there's an easy and every day way to fortify yourself against tooth decay.
“Helps strengthen areas that have started to break down,” said Dr. Hansen.
But what if you're depriving yourself of it...
“It can even reduce sensitivity in our teeth,” he said.
Without even knowing it?
“It will also help small areas of breakdown on the teeth stop dissolving and rebuild and re-mineralize the tooth,” said Dr. Hansen.
In recent years Americans have consumed more than 8 billion gallons of bottled water, every year. It's often marketed as a healthy alternative to other beverage choices--because of its lack of sugar and calories. Despite its clear benefits--there's one thing that some bottles don't have--and it could be costing your teeth.
Some types of bottled water lack something your tap already has: fluoride. It's protecting your incisors, canines and molars against cavities and other forms of decay.
“If you've been more prone to cavities in the past you're going to want to seek out sources to have that fluoride in contact with your teeth to try and prevent future cavities,” said Dr. Hansen.
And even though the bottled water doesn't cause cavities or decay...the American Dental Association's website says consistent use can result in "individuals missing the benefits of optimally fluoridated water."
Dr. Hansen says adults can usually get the needed fluoride by brushing several times a day with fluoride infused toothpaste and mouth rinses....but for kids, subsisting strictly on bottled water could be costing them developmentally. Hansen says up until the age of 12 our teeth are building and developing--and fluoride is essential to that process. “I think especially the younger we are if we're drinking only bottled water and we don't really know what the fluoride content of that water is we could be missing out on essential nutrients to build our teeth and strengthen our teeth for a lifetime,” he said.
Dr. Hansen says that doesn't mean kids have to completely cut out bottled water--but parents should make sure they're supplementing it with H2O from the tap--and brushing regularly.
