Your oral healthy is of crucial significance not only for the aesthetic reasons as your smile is the first thing that people see in you but also because it has a great impact on your overall health. Therefore, oral health is essential for the well-being and general health as well. Hence taking care of the oral health in the best possible way is absolutely necessary.
But for that just brushing and flossing your teeth are not sufficient. You also have to stick to good lifestyle habits in order to achieve and retain a great dental health. Nutrition, tobacco usage, the amount of sleep you get, all contribute massively towards your oral health.
So you need to make healthy choices in order to retain your pearly whites. Here are some of the lifestyle risk factors that you should be aware of and avoid in order to take care of your oral health. Just take a look.
- Consuming Sugary and Staining Foods and Drinks – One of the primary causes of poor oral health and dental decay is sugar. With the consumption of sugary foods, acid is produced for breaking it down. The surface of the teeth gets attacked by this acid which is the first step of tooth decay. But the problem of limiting your sugar consumption is that it is present in almost everything your take. But the foods and drinks that you should be more careful about are –
- Candies and chocolates
- Fruit Juice including soda and fresh fruit juice
- Pasta sauce
- Barbecue sauce, ketchup and other condiments
- Sports drinks
- Muffins and cakes
- Cereal and granola bars
Apart from the above, certain dark drinks like wine, tea, pop, coffee can also lead to teeth staining. If you drink these everyday then you should cut back on these or drink lots of water with or after consuming them. Then brush the teeth after half-an-hour for doing away with the stains. Though your morning cuppa is necessary for starting your day, it does not mean that you have to embrace a stained smile.
- Smoking – This is one of the greatest evils that can impact both your overall health as well as your oral health. Smoking can augment the chances of stroke, heart attack and cancer including oral cancer. Moreover, smoking also enhances the chances of gum ailment which is the leading cause of tooth loss. The other effects of smoking on oral health are –
- Bad Breath
- After oral surgery and tooth extraction delayed healing
- Reduced Sense of smell and taste
- Limited options for certain kinds of oral treatments like dental implants
- Stained Tongue and Teeth
- Oral Cancer
That is why in order to retain your oral health you must quit smoking which also has great adverse effects on your overall health.
- Not Having Enough Sleep – Not sleeping enough does not only impact the overall health in an adverse manner but also your oral health. Research reveals that people who do not get 7-8 hours of sleep at night have higher risk of developing periodontal disease and other gum ailments as compared to those who achieve optimum amount of shuteye which is 7-8 hours. A lack of proper amount of sleep leads to inflammation.. Gingivitis which is the first stage of gum disease results when you do not sleep enough.
- Alcoholism – This is the last thing that you wanted to see here. But it is the bitter truth. Alcohol can affect your oral health and if you enjoy red wine, you already know how it ends up staining your teeth. Moderate consumption of alcohol can be part of a healthy lifestyle but alcohol is something that can never be a great choice if you want to maintain your health. People tend to have higher levels of plaque and are almost 3 times more prone to suffer from permanent loss of teeth when they are addicted to alcohol. The colour of the beverages emerges from the chromogens which get attached to enamel of the teeth which leads to the staining of the teeth. In regards of staining, red wine is considered to be the worst alcohol type. Beer is only a bit better than that. Added to that, the alcoholic drinks are also enriched with sugar which is the main source of dental decay. Another concern with alcohol is that it also dries your mouth out and so after a little alcohol, your mouth starts to feel dry. Without the saliva your mouth does not remain moist which is essential for removing the bacteria and plaque from the surface of the teeth.
- Leading a Sedentary Life – Working out is great for almost every part of the body and your mouth is not an exception to that. Research reveals that people who lead an active life and exercise on a regular basis have considerably lower chances of developing any kind of periodontal disease as compared to the couch potatoes. But, unfortunately, the smokers who also work out on a regular basis do not experience the same kind of advantages from exercise as the non-smokers do. Your oral health can get benefitted from physical activity in other ways, too. Working out reduces stress level which is the major contributor towards teeth grinding or bruxism. Not only that, it also helps to control diabetics or blood sugar level that makes gum ailment easier to manage.
The above are some of the major lifestyle risk factors that you should shun if you want to restore a great oral health. Apart from that above, you should also never miss an appointment with your dentist at the best dental clinic and make it a point to consult with her at least twice a year in order to keep oral problems at bay and retain your million-dollar smile for years together.