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Tagged: preventative dental care

Want the Secret for a Lifetime of Dental Health?

Healthy teeth all during your lifetime is not as complicated as people make it out to be. Dental health is really a simple recipe – with only three key ingredients.

Lifetime Healthy Teeth Solution #1:  Treat dental problems immediately

Get cavities, infections and dental problems treated as soon as you become aware of them. Waiting for dental problems to fix themselves will never make things better.

Cavities are more easily treated when they are small. If left too long, the cavity will inevitably progress to an abscess. The filling that would have treated the cavity, will not fix the abscess. Treatment becomes more costly and possibly more radical, such as taking teeth out rather than saving them, or root canals rather than fillings.

Gum infections spread deeper and eat away at the jawbone that holds your teeth in. This bone, once eroded will never grow back – leaving your teeth unsupported and mobile. What could have been treated with a routine cleaning now requires gum and bone surgery, or even extractions.

Lifetime Healthy Teeth Solution #2:  Eat healthy for your teeth

When talking about healthy eating habits for our body, experts commonly suggest a balanced diet – rich in lean meats, fruits and vegetables with several small meals each day rather than the three big meals, which our parents and grandparents recommended.

While a balanced diet is good for your body’s general health, the manner in which food is eaten during the day can have a big influence on whether your teeth develop problems or not.

When we eat, the bacteria in the plaque on our teeth and in the mouth use the food particles to produce acids, which then eat away at the teeth. Compounds present in saliva act to neutralize these acids and minerals in saliva then act to repair the damage done by the acid attack after eating. It commonly takes ninety minutes to two hours to neutralize an acid attack after eating.

Researchers have shown that eating or drinking anything other than water on more than five different occasions each day lessens the time for saliva to neutralize the acids between each acid attack – and may not be adequate. This means that the teeth may be under acid attack for most of the day and this will inevitably lead to enamel damage, decay and tooth loss.

Lifetime Healthy Teeth Solution #3:  Regular 6 month dental check-up and clean

If you want to keep your teeth for life, being reactive and waiting for dental problems to manifest before seeking professional help just won’t do it.Mason and Jaime

Good health for your teeth and gums, just like any other body system requires being proactive, not reactive. You never hear cardiologists recommend their patients waiting for their arteries to clog to the point where you have a heart attack and then having surgery to have the diseased arteries ‘bypassed’. Common sense would say this approach is obviously inferior to a program of regular exercise and a healthy diet.

It’s the same with teeth. Waiting for teeth to abscess and having root canals does not make sense compared to regular six month visits, yet only half of the population have a regular dentist and not even all of those have regular check-ups every six months. Common sense just doesn’t seem to be that common these days.

Keep that awesome smile!

Southport Dental | Get a Whiter Smile with Teeth Whitening!

Teeth whitening Indianapolis

Teeth whitening (or bleaching) is a simple, non-invasive dental treatment used to change the color of natural tooth enamel and is an ideal way to enhance the beauty of your smile. Dental bleaching or tooth whitening is a common procedure in general dentistry.

Tooth whitening is not a permanent solution. It can last a few months to up to three years. The whitening effect varies from person to person. The whitening will not last as long if you smoke or drink red wine, tea, or coffee which can all stain your teeth.

Reasons for tooth whitening:

  • Normal wear of outer tooth layer.
  • Natural aging of tooth structure.
  • Brighten your smile.

Since tooth whitening only works on natural tooth enamel, it’s ideal for patients who have healthy, unrestored teeth (no fillings). If you think you might be a good candidate for teeth whitening, let us know and we will schedule you for a teeth whitening evaluation.

About Southport Dental PC

New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.

Contact us today to learn more.

Spring Break Dental Tips from Southport Dental

Spring Break Dental TipsSpring break is just a few weeks away. It’s a time when you and your family look forward to getting away together on vacation.

Your vacation is not the time to neglect your teeth. Your overall oral health shouldn’t take a break!

There are a few spring break dental care tips you should know and consider while on vacation.

  1. Drink water. Drinking water throughout the day will reduce the buildup of plaque on your teeth.
  1. Avoid sugary drinks. High sugar drinks such as soda erode the enamel on your teeth.
  1. When traveling, have all regular oral heath essentials with you. Bring healthy snacks (such as apples) that act as a cleanser for your teeth. Carry travel-size toothbrushes and mouthwash for road trips.

Whatever your plans are this spring break, remember to keep up with your dental care. Spring break isn’t the time to give your teeth a break! If you would like to schedule an appointment before your break give us a call.

The staff at Southport Dental is dedicated to providing you and your family the highest quality dental care.

About Southport Dental PC

New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.

Contact us today to learn more.

Why Do I Need a Regular Dental Exam?

Dental Exam Indianapolis

Dental exams are normally on the bottom of our to-do list unless we have a tooth causing pain. However, if you are doing so then not only are you missing the opportunity to keep your teeth longer, you are also missing out on learning about other medical issues you haven’t considered.

Here are some other conditions we can alert you to when you have a dental exam.

  • Anemia – Gums that appear light pink or almost white can indicate a very low iron level, which is an indicator of anemia.
  • Antidepressant Use – The dry mouth that comes from taking antidepressants can create a problem with increased cavities in your teeth.
  • Stress – When you are stressed, your body creates more cortisol, which is the main cause of inflammation. During stressful times, gum and tooth problems are likely to worsen. Not only is the risk of inflammation greater, but we also tend to neglect things like our teeth when stressed.
  • Diabetes – One of the many side-effects of this disease is the repeated creation of abscesses on the teeth roots and sometimes between teeth. This is often one of the earliest signs of diabetes.
  • Autoimmune disorders – Many times these disorders can cause either red or white spots in the mouth. While the spots themselves are easy to treat, if left untreated, they can turn into ulcers. These ulcers are extremely painful and difficult to treat.
  • Heart disease – This is the big one. The same bacteria that cause gum disease also causes heart problems by clogging the major arteries feeding the heart. It is very likely that a person with long-term gum disease may also have heart trouble.

We are accepting New Patients! Call us at 317-494-7366 to schedule an appointment.

About Southport Dental PC

New patients are always welcome. We will not make you wait weeks to get the dental visits you want. Let us know what you want to accomplish at your first visit and we will make it happen! We take the time with our patients to explain their treatment options and inform them of additional preventive care.

Contact us today to learn more.


 

What our patients are saying about us.

The entire staff is friendly, and they're excellent at making you comfortable and at ease. There is a TV in every exam room that provides a great distraction. I had 3 wisdom teeth pulled and my daughter had a couple baby teeth pulled, both of us said that we didn't even know the teeth were being pulled!
- Mesa S.

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