Schedule Appointment
New Patients: 503-647-4565  |   Current Patients: 503-636-2525
Nicholas Dose, DMD Family Dentistry
Decrotive overlay of white triangle

3 Simple Lifestyle Changes for a Healthier Smile

added on: April 25, 2021

Taking chewing gumDentists know that the last place you want to be is in their office, and there are steps that you can take to minimize the amount of time that you spend there.

In fact, a few simple changes to your life can leave you with a healthier smile, fewer dental problems, and less time in the dental chair.

Give Up Soda

Soda is bad news when it comes to your teeth, so consider a healthier alternative. Take a minute to think about all of the things that you love about soda – likely that it is sweet and fizzy.

You can create your own substitute by adding fruit to sparkling water. Add some berries or a squeeze of lemon to your bottle of water, and you’ll be cutting calories as well as the sugars that will create acids to eat away at your teeth.

Choose Sugar Free Gum

If you are a gum chewer, it is time to give up your Wintergreen or Juicy Fruit in favor of a sugar free option. These types of gum will contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol, giving it a great taste without providing your mouth with something to break down.

This will reduce your chance of tooth decay or bad breath, and this type of gum will also keep your mouth moist so that it can rinse away bacteria.

Eliminate Chewy Sweets from Your Diet

Sugar isn’t always bad for your teeth, especially if you are brushing after eating something sweet. The problem is when acids are created after the bacteria in your mouth work to break down sugar, and this will happen when sugar is allowed to accumulate in your mouth for too long.

Chewy candies can leave particles behind on your teeth that may be harder to remove when brushing, and the end result could be cavities.

Please contact us if you have any questions about sugars effect on your teeth.

Posted In: Uncategorized