5 Steps You Can Take to Keep Your Enamel Healthy

As any dentist will tell you, keeping your tooth enamel healthy is a full-time job and the results of not paying attention to tooth health can be pretty disastrous. Globally, about 30% of people aged 65–74 years have no natural teeth and oral conditions are the fourth most expensive to treat. In the United States alone, US$110 billion are spent yearly on oral healthcare.

So, if you are looking to keep your teeth and avoid any costly dental bills, here are 5 steps you can take to keep your enamel healthy.

#1 No Lemon Juice Before Breakfast

A lot of health fads involve the consumption of citric acid in the morning through citrus fruit or drinks like kombucha, apple cider vinegar or sports drinks. Unfortunately, while this might be good for your waistline, it’s bad for your teeth, as the high acidity level can destroy the enamel.

This, in turn, exposes the dentin, which is the dense bony tissue forming the bulk of a tooth underneath the enamel and can lead to discoloration, pain, and increases nerve sensitivity.

If you can’t bear to have breakfast without your glass of water and lemon, then try drinking it through a straw to minimize the amount of contact with your teeth.

#2 Avoid Charcoal or Baking Soda Toothpaste 

Charcoal or baking soda tubes of toothpaste have become a trendy way to whiten teeth, but they do have certain downsides that might not offset their whitening effect.

Firstly, most do not contain fluoride in the same way that standard toothpaste does. Fluoride is essential for healthy teeth and along with helping to repair any tooth damage before it becomes serious. 

Charcoal or baking soda are also abrasive by design, using their abrasive properties to remove the first layer of stained enamel to reveal a whiter player underneath. Removing a layer of enamel might give you a whiter smile, but it can cause significant damage to your teeth in the long run.

#3 Drink Your Coffee and Red Wine With Cheese

While this sounds more like culinary, rather than dental, advice, eating low-pH foods like whole grains or cheese when you are drinking acidic and tannin-rich drinks like coffee and red wine can act as a kind of barrier between your teeth and the enamel destroying properties of high-pH drinks.

Red wine and cheese also complement each other nicely, so it’s really a win-win.

#4 Chew Sugar-free Gum

Chewing gum after a meal can help to neutralize the effects of acidic food and drink. It does this by producing more saliva while helps neutralize the acid that attacks your enamel and causes dental decay.

Dentists suggest that you chew gum for 20 minutes after eating, and obviously make sure that the gum does not contain sugar.

#5 Replace Your Toothbrush on a Regular Basis

Dentists suggest that you replace your toothbrush every three to four months. The best way to spot if your toothbrush needs replacing is to examine the bristles. If they are frayed, they won’t clean teeth as thoroughly and you’ll need a new toothbrush.

If you have been ill recently and you store your toothbrush, as many people do, in close proximity to those of the rest of your household, consider replacing it, as it can harbor bacteria that will spread to the rest of the family.

Start Your Dental Administrative Assisting Career With Us

Employment for entry-level employment in the dental field is expected to increase 23% over the next 10 years, faster than average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With this growing demand for DAA’s, it is essential that graduates cultivate the skills and traits that will help them stand out in the employment market. 

Here at Northwest Career College, our Dental Administrative Assisting Program prepares students to work in any dental office. Our expansive, nine operatory lab provides students with real-life dental office experience. You will be trained to handle clerical duties such as scheduling appointments, handling insurance claims, and monitoring inventory. You will work with documents, forms, and computer systems. No other Dental Administrative Assistant Program in Las Vegas offers this type of advanced training.

Our student-focused approach will help you cultivate the skills you will need to stand out. Our experienced Career Services team will work with you to help you find the best dental administrative assistant employment opportunities in Las Vegas. Call one of our enrollment specialists at (702) 403-1592 to find out more.