1. Avoid sugar-containing foods, and soft drinks. This includes diet soda as well s regular soda. Diet soda has fructose, and other additives that mouth bacteria feed on. Regular soda has glucose, which mouth bacteria also feed on. In just 20 minutes, bacteria can convert sugar into acidic material that can start the decay process. The same is obviously true for candy, pastry with sugar in it, sugar coated cereal, and so on. You get the point.
   
   
2. Bring your children in to the dentist as early as age 2 to get the child started off correctly with growth and development of the teeth and jaws, and to help the child avoid early decay.
   
   
3. Discuss with your general dentist early (age 6 for your child) whether he or she might need the help of a pedodontist(a specialist in children’s dentistry) to see if they need any orthodontic appliances to help the teeth come in straight and obtain a good bite (good occlusion of the teeth). You could also consult with an orthodontist to obtain this information.
   
   
4. As your children begin to grow up, stay on top of them with information about the foods they eat at school, or snacks they may eat away from home. Make sure they understand the first Tip (#1) above, about sugar and sugar substitutes.
   
   
5. If you are an adult, make sure you see your dentist at least twice/ year and get xrays at least every 18 months to 2 years so that the dentist can check for cavities, or bone loss.
   
   
6. As part of your examination, make sure you are periodontally probed. In this procedure, the dentist measures for the presence of periodontal pockets, which could cause gum disease, and bone loss. For more information, see my book.
   
   
7. If you do have pockets, make sure your dentist either eliminates them with various treatment methods, or refers you to a periodontist (a specialist in gum care. Today this is more important than ever, because we now know that some of the bacteria associated with periodontal disease have been found in coronary plaque lesions present on the inner lining of the coronary arteries, and this disease has been implicated as one of the possible factors in causing heart disease.

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“DENTAL HEALTH & TREATMENT-DENTAL COSMETICS & DENTAL BEAUTY”

You will learn everything you will need to know about getting a healthy mouth, keeping a healthy mouth, and obtaining a really winning smile!