Why Brushing Your Teeth at Home Isn’t Enough
Brushing your teeth on a daily basis is a critical step in maintaining a healthy mouth — but it’s not the only one. Fortunately, the other things you need to do to protect your oral health aren’t hard.
Are Sticky Halloween Treats Damaging Your Dental Work?
If you have dental work like a crown or bridge, you want it to last as long as possible. You know that you’ll likely need to replace the component at some point — bridges often last about a decade, and so do crowns. Still, you’re probably trying to make choices to extend the longevity of your dental work as much as you can.
That makes Halloween a tricky time of the year. On the one hand, there are lots of delicious sweets to enjoy. On the other, sticky options like caramel apples and taffy can adhere to your dental work and compromise its integrity.
Dr. Sujay Trivedi and Dr. Michael Westcott developed this simple guide to help you enjoy the Halloween season while protecting your smile. And once November rolls around, schedule your next teeth cleaning at Family Dental Care in West Palm Beach, Florida, so we can remove any residue that might be left behind after the holiday.
The dental risks of sticky treats
Sweet and sticky foods take a toll on your mouth in a couple of ways.
The impact on dental work
Sticky substances pose an immediate risk to your dental work, which is why experts generally recommend avoiding those types of foods when you have a bridge or crown.
Crowns and bridges get cemented onto your teeth. The dental cement is designed to hold things firmly in place, but it can only withstand so much force.
When something sticky adheres to your tooth, it can compromise the structural integrity of the cement. While dental cement can withstand bite force, getting the sticky thing off might cause twisting or wrenching. That might be too much for the cement, causing your dental work to fall out.
The impact on oral health
Beyond this, sticky substances can be hard to get off your natural and replacement teeth. That allows plaque to thrive, eventually hardening into tartar. That can contribute to tooth decay and gum problems.
What you can do to offset these risks
You probably want to enjoy Halloween while also protecting your oral health. Fortunately, you can.
For starters, if you do enjoy sticky treats, try to position them in your mouth so they don’t come into contact with any dental work if you have. If you have a crown over a molar on the right side of your mouth, for example, chew taffy or caramel on the left side.
Then, be sure to brush and floss your teeth as soon as you’re able to afterward. Be extra thorough, cleaning every surface of your tooth that you can access with your brush — and flossing in between your teeth to remove sticky residues from tight, hard-to-reach spots.
Finally, schedule your next dental cleaning. To maintain your oral health, you should have a professional teeth cleaning twice a year (once every six months). If plaque hardens into tartar, your toothbrush and floss can’t remove it — but our specialized dental instruments can.
Booking a cleaning shortly after Halloween allows us to get in and address any negative aftereffects before they can do long-term damage. To schedule an appointment, call Family Dental Care at 561-556-1698 today, or book your visit online anytime.
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