Florida has no shortage of various mouth-watering food to offer. Everything from conch fritters to stone crabs and alligator tail can be tasted at the Sunshine State. However, enjoying these delicacies is difficult if your teeth are damaged or you’re missing a tooth. Fortunately, remembering these three simple steps will help in taking good care of your teeth:

1. Floss at least once a day. A 2008 study shows that barely half of Americans floss daily and about 10% never do. While you may brush your teeth regularly, doing so only cleans the surface. The spaces between teeth can still harbor bits of food and even worse, plaque, a sticky and naturally occurring film that contains bacteria. Fortunately, plaque takes 24 hours to form, so flossing once a day is more than enough to stop its development.
2. Visit your dentist at least twice a year. As with most health problems, prevention is better than cure. Visiting your dentist twice a year allows her to catch problems before they lead to serious ones like gingivitis or tooth loss. She’ll also do an oral prophylaxis—more commonly known as cleanings—to remove plaque build-up on your teeth.
3. Brush your teeth three times a day. When plaque comes in contact with the sugars and starches in the food you eat, an acid is produced that attacks the tooth’s enamel and promotes tooth decay. Brushing wipes the plaque off your teeth so they can remain healthy.

Surprisingly, a large percentage of people fear going to the dentist. It has been found out that oftentimes, patients who need to have their teeth cleaned, fixed, or replaced opt not to visit their dentists due to this fear. Instead, they allow their teeth to rot, and let damages such as cavities and tooth decay simply worsen over time.

People who fear going to the dentist largely attribute it to bad past experiences in the dentist's office, such as a dental visit during childhood that reminds patient of feeling pain during the clinical procedure. Others attribute it to a negative feeling they've associated with dentists from a young age because of their parents who also fear dental visits. Some, meanwhile, feel intense embarrassment over their dental health, or have other issues that cause the mere idea of going to the dentist to instill a feeling of anxiety and stress.

Dentists understand this fear and have developed ways to help abate it, such as putting patients under oral conscious sedation. Typically administered through two different methods, inhalation and intravenous sedation, this allows them to be in a state of calm and relaxation while the dental procedure is being performed. Dentists also try to deal with their patients in a gentle, friendly manner in order to establish feelings of familiarity and trust into their professional relationship. It is highly encouraged that patients find a dentist they are comfortable with and can openly communicate with to reduce their fears associated with dental visits.

Do you grind your teeth often whenever you feel anxious or stressed out? Many dentists suggest that while this type of reaction, known as bruxism, isn’t always harmful but can eventually cause tooth damage when done regularly. What makes it worse is that some people don’t even know they do it because it happens when they sleep.

Effects of Bruxism

When you keep grinding your teeth, the constant and repetitive contact can build up pressure which eventually fractures or loosens some of your teeth, or even worse, tear off an already loose tooth. Jaw problems can also arise because of this, such as effecting or aggravating TMD/TMJ disorders and even hearing loss.

How to Identify Bruxism During Sleep

When you grind your teeth subconsciously all night, you won’t really know about it the next morning, unless you wake up with an inexplicable headache or a sore jaw. When this sensation begins to occur regularly, call your dentist immediately and schedule a checkup, so you will know for sure whether or not you have bruxism.

Prevention

Your dentist can recommend a mouth guard for you to wear when you sleep, so as to prevent teeth grinding. You might also want to cut down on food and drinks heavy in caffeine and/or alcohol, especially right before bedtime as these might increase your chances of inadvertently grinding your teeth as you sleep. Avoid chewing on anything that isn’t food (even chewing gum).

Everyone knows the basics when it comes to good oral care: brushing your teeth twice a day, daily flossing and regular visits to the dentist. However, not everyone is aware that the food they consume greatly affects their oral health. It is recommended that people avoid food that are rich in sugar and acid, and are sticky. However, the number one enemy of people when it comes to their oral health are sour and chewy candies.

If these types of food are “tooth killers”, then what types of food should people eat for their oral health?

Cheese

Cheese contains low sugar and acid, and is high in calcium. It also contains casein, which is a type of protein that is normally found in milk that helps in fortifying the tooth's surface. Dentists, in fact, prescribe remineralizing pastes that are made from casein to those who are more prone to cavities.

Firm or Crunchy Fruits and Vegetables

These foods like celery contain high water contents that help in stimulating saliva, which protects the teeth against decay, and dilutes the effects of sugar to the teeth. Also, it is suggested to eat raw vegetables that are fibrous because chewing them will require a lot of saliva.

Water

Water is one of the most important factors when it comes to oral health. It is very important in tooth and gum health especially because it is a component of saliva. Water is used to rinse sugary food and drinks, which helps prevent tooth decay.

The developing teeth of your children naturally need more care and attention than yours, which is why there are specialized fields of dentistry that focus solely on children's teeth. Some people opt to have their kids treated by their family dentists, but the fact is that general practitioners could not always detect and treat the minute details in the growth of children's teeth.

You should take your child to the dentist at least six months after his first tooth erupts, since it is during this time that his dental development should be tracked. Having the pediatric dentist check his dental health early on should help in foreseeing possible problems with alignment, bite, gum disease, etc., and keeping them from escalating before it's too late.

Tooth decay, for instance, is something that should be immediately addressed, even if it is just on baby teeth. These teeth need to fully develop for them to allow space for the permanent set of teeth to grow, thus decay or early removal will keep permanent teeth from growing in its place.

Aside from what the dentist can do for you, it's also important to inculcate proper dental hygiene to your children as early as you can. If they learn to associate brushing and flossing to be as normal a part of their daily routine as eating and taking a bath, they will be more inclined to do it even without having to tell them.

It seems that the Tooth Fairy is feeling extra generous this year. According to the Huffington Post, kids these days are getting an average of $3.70 for every tooth that falls out, 23% more than last year and almost double that compared to 2011. Playground politics, apparently, is probably causing the inflation—parents are giving more money so kids won't feel bad that their playmates got more for their teeth than they did.

As adults, we can only wish for a Tooth Fairy to shell out dough for every time we lose a tooth, too. But alas, we instead pay a dentist to replace the teeth we've lost.

To replace missing teeth, dental implant,  dentures or dental bridges are available as options. Due to the expenses involved with tooth restoration though, many people decide to carry on with an incomplete set of teeth. However, this may lead to more problems and more expenses in the long run.

Gaps may cause other teeth to shift, becoming crooked or loosening over time. There will also be less protection for the gum and the chance of getting a gum disease will be increased. It can also potentially affect your speech and the ability to chew properly.

To avoid these problems, do as the Tooth Fairy does and be more generous when it comes to caring for your teeth. Consult with a trusted dentist about dental health and replacement options for lost teeth.

Post-teeth whitening care also involves eating foods that help whiten teeth, according to Dr. Raymond Garrison of the Wake Forest Department of Dentistry. Just as red wine and coffee can stain your teeth, firm fruits and vegetables, he believes, can act as a scrubber. Some dentists may prescribe at-home kits along with an in-office Orlando teeth whitening procedure to preserve the effects, but make sure to take this up with your dentist first. Given enough time, the whitening agent will become more impervious to foods that stain teeth, but not permanently. You may need to undergo another treatment after a while after the effects wear off. As long as you follow the advice of your trusted Orlando dentist on how to take care of your teeth, however, you can enjoy the benefits of whiter teeth for a longer period of time.

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Any athlete who has lost his teeth due to sports can approach a trusted dentist in Orlando, FL for tooth restoration. Their dentist can prepare a dental bridge or dentures for them, but the best way to replace lost teeth is through dental implants. This is a process wherein titanium roots are implanted in the jaw and crowns that look exactly like teeth will be installed afterward. It's heartening to know that more and more hockey players are wearing mouth guards to protect their teeth. Indeed, tooth loss is not only caused by age or poor hygiene, but contact sports as well. Athletes who are concerned about the problems their missing teeth might cause can get dental implants in Orlando from a dentist that specializes in the procedure.

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Everyone knows that consuming too much foods rich in sugar and starch can greatly damage teeth. However, what a lot of people aren't aware of is that there are foods and liquids that can naturally clean teeth and prevent decay, some of which are enumerated below:

1. Apples. “An apple a day keeps the dentist away.” Those who take this age-old adage literally are getting it right. Apples are rich in fiber, which is a natural teeth “detergent.” They are also effective producers of saliva, a natural neutralizer of mouth acids that destroy teeth enamel and cause cavities. Other fruits such as pears and pineapples also provide the same benefits for the teeth, too.
2. Raw vegetables. Chewing on vegetables such as celery, broccoli, and spinach can also increase the production of saliva that naturally cleans teeth. Furthermore, they are rich in iron, which can help get rid of mouth acids.
3. Strawberries. One of the best natural teeth-cleaners, strawberry contains malic acid, which is an effective enamel whitener. It is also rich in Vitamic C that produces the collagen that keeps gums healthy.
4. Milk. Milk contains calcium, which not only keeps teeth strong, but also prevents peridontal diseases. Milk products such as cheese are also rich in calcium and casein, a protein that strengthens tooth enamel.

Dentists recommend adding such 'food detergents' to our everyday diets. They can not only naturally clean the teeth, they can also help us maintain good oral hygiene throughout the day.

Experienced dentists in Orlando such as Dr. Sonia Simmonds of Simmonds Dental Center can provide quality services to patients of all ages to ensure that the oral environment is healthy and in tip-top shape. It is important to develop daily oral hygiene and have teeth checked as early as possible to ensure excellent oral health and prevent the development of cavities and other possible diseases as we grow older.

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Most people find themselves paralyzed with fear at the mere thought of having to go to their dentist. Because of this inexplicable fear, they end up avoiding going to their dentist altogether. A study in 2004 by Rod Moore, Inger Brodsgaard and Nicole Rosenberg of the University of Aarhus showed that the top reasons why people avoid going to the dentist are their fear of pain, embarrassment and having no sense of control.

Fear of Pain

Previous personal experience at the dentist, or even shared stories from family or friends, can cause the patient to develop a fear of going to the dentist. Even if the procedures are non-surgical in nature, the mere presence of needles are enough to send them packing. However, patients should keep in mind that a visit to the dentist does not necessarily have to be horrible experience, and is actually important for their general health and hygiene.

Embarrassment

There's no need to feel embarrassed. Having a dentist lecture them on their lack of dental hygiene is far better than being judged by other people for it.

No Control of What's Happening

Patients basically feel vulnerable when they sit on the dental chair because they can't even see what the dentist will be doing to their mouth. Still, a momentary loss of control for the sake of dental hygiene is well worth the effort in the end.

The Invisalign aligners have smooth edges, which does not cause mouth sores or cuts that metal wires from traditional braces bring. The aligners may also serve as whitening trays as the treatment progresses, so the patient can enjoy the benefits of teeth straightening and whitening at the same time. They can also be used as a retainer to maximize the results of the treatment. “No pain, no gain” as the old adage dictates, but this doesn’t have to be the case with Invisalign. Achieving that perfect smile is never a far cry for anyone who desires it, as orthodontic treatment has gone a long way. Visit a reputable orthodontist who offers cosmetic dentistry in Orlando like Simmonds Dental Center to see how the treatment will help make your teeth look better.

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