Dental Health Issues for Teens
11:28 AM
The best way for teens to enjoy a nice smile and healthy teeth is to
continue the good oral habits started early in childhood. Whether or not
you wear braces or other orthodontic treatment, it is important to:
- Brush twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque. Plaque is the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease.
- Floss daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and under your gumline. If plaque is not removed daily, it can harden into tartar —an unsightly, hard yellow build-up.
- Limit sugary or starchy foods, especially sticky snacks.
- Visit the dentist regularly for professional cleanings and checkups.
Dental problems can and do occur during the teen years.
Becoming better informed about issues that effect oral health can make
it easier to make the best decisions.
- Orthodontics — many pre-teens and teens require braces to fix crowded or crooked teeth and poor jaw alignment. Teeth that do not fit together correctly are harder to keep clean, stand a better chance of being lost early, and cause extra stress on the chewing muscles. An orthodontic evaluation will determine if you need braces, and what type of treatment is right for you. If you wear braces, extra care should be taken to properly clean your teeth.
- Mouth Guards — if you play sports, mouth guards are critical to protecting your smile. These devices typically cover the upper teeth, and are designed to protect against broken teeth, cut lips and other damage to your mouth.
- Nutrition — nutrition plays a key role in your dental health. The sugars and starches in many snack foods and drinks support the formation of plaque, which destroys tooth enamel. Limit the number of snacks you eat and drink — each time you consume foods and drinks that contain sugars or starches, your teeth are attacked by acids for 20 minutes or more. Eating a well-balanced diet from the five food groups can make a big difference in your dental health. For snacks, choose nutritious foods such as cheese, raw vegetables, plain yogurt or fruit.
- Smoking — if you don't smoke or chew tobacco, don't start. In addition to other health problems, smoking can stain your teeth and gums, stain the tartar build-up on your teeth and contribute to bad breath. In the long run, chewing tobacco, cigarettes and cigars all increase your risk of developing oral cancer and gum disease.
- Eating Disorders — both bulimia(binge-eating and vomiting) and anorexia (an inordinate fear of gaining weight) are serious disorders that directly affect the appearance of teeth by eroding the tooth enamel. While a dentist can correct the deteriorated tooth enamel, he or she cannot treat the actual eating disorder — a potential life-threatening condition that requires addressing psychological issues of self-image and self-control. Should you have an eating disorder — or think you might — talk to your physician.
Thorough cleanings by a dentist or hygienist
will remove most external staining caused by food. Using a
whitening toothpaste can also help remove these surface stains between
dental visits. If stains have been present for years, you may need to
have your teeth professionally whitened to remove these more stubborn
external stains.
Excerpts taken from "How Can Teens Keep Their Smiles Bright" by Colgate. Read more: http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/Information/Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health-at-Any-Age/Teenagers/Teen-Issues/article/How-can-Teens-Keep-Their-Smiles-Bright.cvsp
7 comments
It's true that good oral habits start from childhood. Kids learn from their parents as they are their first teacher. And then slowly slowly these habits grow. But for caring about dental health one should take healthy diet and routinely visit the dentist.
ReplyDeleterochester hills dentist
Thanks for sharing John. You echo the importance of getting into a good dental habit. A dentist once told us something along the lines of "you can clean 60% of your teeth by cleaning on the surface, but the other 40% comes from flossing..." That's a need-to-know that should get all parents to teach their kids to floss early on!
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it is quite important to pay attention to connection between Diet and Dental Health
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