As adults age, it’s amazing how well natural teeth are able to hold up considering many years of biting, chewing, crunching and clenching. However, over time this continual wear and tear has an impact on tooth structure.

Many adults who are committed to their six month dental check-ups fail to maintain their oral health adequately at home. Although the lecture on flossing often goes in one ear and out the other, daily flossing has a tremendous effect on the health of teeth. Flossing removes food particles and plaque buildup between the teeth. This reduces bacteria in your mouth and lessens your potential for gum disease and cavities.

Some foods you eat are also a challenge to keeping teeth healthy, especially sugary and starchy foods. These carbohydrates ferment, causing oral bacteria in the mouth to produce acids that erode the enamel of teeth. These foods aren’t just candy and potatoes. They include things like colas and sports drinks.

Frequent snacking is also a problem since it causes acid in the mouth to be elevated over an extended time. Rather than snacking, chewing sugarless gum increases saliva, which cleanses the mouth and neutralizes acidity.

Aging also leaves us with a number of teeth that have been repaired over the years, such as having fillings, crowns or root canals. Although your natural teeth do not get more brittle as we age, those who have cracked or chipped teeth, fillings or root canals are more vulnerable to cracks and fractures since they no longer have their original structural integrity.

Wear and tear can also be caused from years of grinding or clenching teeth. This can wear down the biting surfaces of teeth, making them more susceptible to decay. Your general dentist is trained to spot cracks or fractures that may weaken teeth as well as teeth affected by grinding.

Keeping your natural teeth healthy – all of your life – is important to your overall health and well-being. If you are missing teeth, it’s necessary that each one is replaced. Dental implants are the most ‘natural’ method in today’s tooth replacement options. We’ll be happy to discuss implants with you during a consultation. Please call (828) 274-9440.

Smoking complicates the body’s natural ability to heal. It has a drying effect on gum tissues and minimizes blood oxygen, resulting in a delayed healing process. Smoking also contributes to a greater potential for bacterial build-up.

To place an implant, both gum tissue and bone are involved in the process. The Periodontist goes through gum tissues to reach the bone, placing each implant at a precise depth and angle. Once the implant is placed in the bone, it can take two to six months to become fully anchored.

Proper healing requires normal blood circulation to ensure gum recovery and sufficient oxygen levels for the regeneration of bone surrounding the implant. Failures most often occur during this osseo (bone) integration phase when the bone is growing around the implant.

In addition to smoking’s effects on the rate of tissue and bone recovery, patients can develop a condition known as peri–implantitis. Peri-implantitis leads to inflammation around the implant site and pockets of pus that form in gum tissues. Although a potential to develop peri–implantitis exists for any dental implant patient, smokers have a substantially higher risk.

When smokers develop infections after implant surgery, medications used to combat the infection have a reduced effect. This is because the potency of antibiotics does not work as well on smokers. When infection is not eliminated and works its way into the implant area, the risk for losing the implant is significant.

Because of the greater risk factors, some dental specialists refuse to place dental implants in smokers, especially heavy ‘chain’ smokers. So many negative effects from smoking make it highly advisable to stop smoking prior to implant placement. You can greatly enhance your success rate for dental implants by quitting smoking at least one week prior to your placement procedure and throughout until you are fully recovered.

Keep in mind that dental implants enable you to eat a healthy selection of foods while restoring eating comfort and smiling confidence. The many benefits you’ll reap with dental implants are well worth kicking the habit of smoking. Call (828) 274-9440 to arrange a Consultation so we can discuss your potential for a successful outcome.

In Winter months, we remind people to drink plenty of liquids because of the drying effects that cold temperature tends to have on the body. In Summer months, our reminder is the same, but for different reasons.

During hot months, the body loses moisture. Even if you don’t feel yourself sweating, the higher air temperatures cause the body to work harder to cool itself. People who participate in outside activities or sports are encouraged to drink 16 ounces of water prior and several ounces every 20 or so minutes.

Maintaining sufficient moisture impacts your ability to produce saliva. Saliva helps to cleanse the mouth and remove food particles and bacteria build-up between brushing.

For people involved in rigorous outdoor sports, certain ‘replenishing’ drinks (such as Gatorade) are helpful. However, we encourage both adults and children to stick to water. Water has no sugar, sugar substitutes or chemical additives and is ideally processed by the body.

This Summer, go and enjoy our beautiful Carolina outdoors! And, take some water with you wherever you go!

Want some simple tips for fresh breath this Summer (and beyond)? Here are a few things to help with more confident closeness:

• Drink lots of water! Colas, sweet tea, and ‘power ades’ don’t count. Pure, clean water cleanses the mouth and adds to saliva’s ability to wash bacteria from the mouth. Bottled water, tap water or even water from a garden hose are all welcome!

• Rid oral bacteria from your tongue! The tongue is a perfect haven for bacteria to embed and reproduce. Ideally, use a tongue scrapper each day. If you don’t have one (in the oral care section of most drug stores), brush your tongue with your tooth brush. When your mouth has fewer bacteria, your breath will have a ‘cleaner’ scent.

• Relish summer fruits and skip sugary treats! Oral bacteria thrives BEST on acid attacks that occur every time you eat or drink when sugar is present. Natural sugar in fresh fruits doesn’t have the same impact.

• Rely on a cuke! When your mouth is dry and a slice of cucumber is nearby, hold it against the roof of your mouth for a couple of minutes. This activates more saliva production, which helps to cleanse the mouth of particles and bacteria.

Enjoy your Summer with a smile and feel confident in closeness!