Finding A Great Dentist

5 Ways You Can Avoid Losing Your Teeth

17 March 2015

Kenzi Thompson

The thought of losing one or more of your teeth can definitely be frightening. Missing teeth not only affect the way you look; they can also make chewing and speaking more difficult. If you practice good oral hygiene and avoid certain habits, you will be less likely to experience tooth loss in the future. Here are five ways you can avoid losing your teeth.

Quit Smoking Cigarettes

Are you a smoker? If so, you are not just in danger of developing lung cancer and heart disease. You are also at risk of losing your teeth. Tobacco can actually hinder blood flow to your gums, increasing your chances of gum disease. If gum disease is not treated properly, it can eventually lead to tooth loss. Quitting the habit can help you save your teeth and improve your health.

Be Careful With Sugar

Those donuts and brownies might taste delicious, but they will not do your teeth any favors. Foods with high sugar content can produce more acids on the surfaces of your teeth. If your diet is high in sugar, you can eventually experience tooth decay. If you want to eat something sugary, you should at least gargle water in your mouth afterward.

Don't Grind Your Teeth

Teeth grinding is a fairly common habit and can do considerable damage to your pearly whites. When you grind down on your teeth, the enamel can wear down, increasing your risk of chips and fractures. Wearing a mouth guard can help you stop grinding your teeth.

Avoid Opening Objects With Your Teeth

When you have to open up a pop bottle or bag of chips, it can be tempting to just use your teeth. However, using your teeth as tools can do a lot of damage. If you regularly open objects with your teeth, you can wear down the enamel over time. 

Add Calcium to Your Diet

Another way you can avoid tooth loss is to add calcium to your diet. Calcium not only reduces your risk of osteoporosis; it also strengthens your teeth. If you include milk, cheese, yogurt and other calcium-rich foods in your diet, you can maintain a healthy smile.

Following these helpful tips can lower your risk of tooth loss in the future. However, if you still lose teeth, you have the option of getting dental implants. These artificial tooth roots function like normal teeth and can improve your self-confidence.

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