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If you want to have a healthier smile, follow the rules of your dentist. Your dental provider is a highly educated medical professional who specializes in oral healthcare. He or she attended dental school after four undergraduate years at a university, just like a medical doctor. Your practitioner graduated with a doctorate degree called a DDS or DMD. The DDS stands for Doctor of Dental Surgery; the DMD stands for Doctor of Medical Dentistry. These professionals have also completed hands-on-training in clinics before becoming licensed to practice dentistry. This practitioner has rules that are based in practice and knowledge so it would be smart to listen up. Watch What You Eat and Drink The foods and beverages that slide past your teeth impact them more than you might realize. Sugary drinks and snacks can play havoc with your enamel and lead to tooth decay. Soda pop is high on the list of no-nos. If you can't live without your Big Gulp, at least drink it through a straw. Straws allow the beverage to bypass your pearly whites and go directly to your digestive tract. Beware: these drinks are calorie laden with no nutritional value. Eating candy and baked sweets can be hazardous to oral health, too. Especially detrimental are chewy caramels that stick in all the cracks and crevices between molars, bicuspids, and incisors. Hard candies such as jawbreakers are, as the name implies, dangerous. Is that round nugget really worth breaking a tooth? Your dentist says: watch what you eat and drink. Brushing and Flossing It's important to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, and even more often if you have lots of snacks. Some individuals may think that brushing is crucial but that flossing is optional and only needs to be done when something gets stuck between teeth. That would be wrong. Your dentist would tell you that flossing is as important as or even more so than brushing. Do both and have a healthier smile. Make and Keep Regular Appointments You should see your dentist twice a year or more often if you have any problems with your teeth and gums. It's wise to schedule checkups and cleanings well in advance so you don't forget. Some dental practices will send you reminder cards, or call you to remind you that it's time to schedule an appointment. You can mark your calendars to help you remember to schedule your cleanings. If you listen to your dentist, your teeth will be healthier over the long haul. Follow these rules: Watch what you eat and drink, floss and brush, and make regular appointments. Taking good care of your oral health will give you something to smile about for years to come. When you want to find a new dentist, Rocky River, Ohio has Greg DeVor, DDS, to turn to. To learn more, visit http://www.gregdevordds.com.
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