One of the most important things you can do to maintain proper dental care in Bel Air, MD is to eat nutritious foods that improve your oral health rather than detract from it. Your dentist has probably stressed the importance of maintaining a proper oral hygiene routine to avoid tooth decay and the need for tooth extraction. Your meal and snack choices are just as important as brushing and flossing when it comes to maintaining oral health. Keep reading to learn more about choosing foods that are healthy for your whole body—including your teeth.

The Relationship between Sugar and Tooth Decay

Tooth decay occurs when the plaque that builds up around your teeth and mouth comes into contact with sugar from the foods that you eat. This interaction can cause acid to eat away at the teeth, forming harmful cavities. Eating a non-nutritious diet high in sugary foods can even affect your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight off infection and leading to oral health conditions such as gingivitis, advanced periodontal disease, and eventual tooth loss. Fortunately, tooth decay is preventable. In addition to a good dental care regimen including brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice daily, flossing every day, and making regular visits to a dentist, you should eat a healthy diet and avoid added sugars in order to help keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy.

How to Choose Nutritious Foods

In order to choose nutritious foods for a healthy diet, be sure to read the nutrition facts and ingredients list for all processed foods that you purchase. This will help you avoid choosing products that are high in hidden sugars and that may not provide you with many vitamins or minerals. The most obvious culprits are candy, cookies, and pastries. Don’t forget to take into account what you drink as well. Soft drinks and juices typically contain an abundance of added sugar, and even some dairy products contain sugars that can cause tooth decay if they are consumed too often.

Are you considering visiting your dentist in Bel Air, MD for dentures ? As one of the most common techniques in cosmetic dentistry, dentists have relied on dentures to restore missing teeth for decades.

When you visit your dentist for dentures, you can expect to completely restore your smile. If you are missing many teeth, you may feel understandably insecure. Missing teeth can make it difficult or even impossible to properly speak or eat. Additionally, having a full set of teeth is essential to your oral health and good dental care. With dentures, you can preserve existing healthy jawbone and maintain your face shape and structure. When you visit your dentist, he or she will first determine if you need complete dentures or partial dentures. Complete dentures are for patients who are missing all of their natural teeth. Conversely, a partial denture fills in spaces where multiple teeth are missing. Your dentist will also determine if you can have your dentures created right away or if you need to have your few remaining teeth pulled. In that case, your gums will need to heal before you can wear your new dentures.

Are you deciding between dentures and dental implants near Bel Air, MD ? You are not alone. Dentists report that almost 70% of American adults between 35 and 44 have at least one missing tooth, and the numbers only increase with age. Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry now offers many different options for restoring your smile, including dental implants and dentures. Continue reading to learn more.

Bone Health
The first step in deciding between dental implants and dentures involves asking your dentist to evaluate your jaw bone. When you schedule a consultation with your dental clinic, your dentist will determine whether you have enough healthy bone to support dental implants. When you lose teeth, the bone beneath naturally deteriorates, because it has no tooth to support. However, for dental implants to successfully adhere to the jaw, there must be sufficient healthy bone to support them.

Permanent Solution
Dental implants are ideal for individuals who want a permanent solution to missing teeth. Because they fuse directly with the jawbone, dental implants last a lifetime. Additionally, the bridge or dental crowns function just like normal teeth. However, some patients prefer the efficiency and ease of dentures. Dentures do not require surgery and can often be created in a single day, so you can leave your dentist with a full set of teeth. Additionally, dentures can be easily removed and require little at-home care.

Cosmetic Appearance
When you decide between dentures and dental implants, you may also want to consider how much importance you place on your smile’s cosmetic appearance. Both dentures and dental implants are much more natural looking today than ever before. However, dental implants and crowns offer an aesthetic advantage over dentures, because they look just like natural teeth. If having a full set of beautiful teeth is important to you, be sure to consider dental implants.

It is possible to have properly functioning teeth that are not as aesthetically pleasing as you might want them to be. Individuals who encounter this problem typically look to cosmetic or general dentistry near Bel Air to have their teeth improved. There are a few different treatments that you can use to improve your smile, so it helps to talk to your dentist to find out which treatment is right for you. Keep reading if you would like to learn about some of the popular ways to improve your smile’s appearance.

Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a versatile treatment

that can address a number of issues. Your dentist may suggest a dental crown if you have one or more teeth that is diminished or damaged. A crown may be preferable to a dental filling if you have a tooth that has experienced a significant amount of decay. Your dentist can also use a dental crown as part of a dental implant procedure , which is a common form of treatment for missing teeth. In this case, you would have an implant applied to your jawbone with a dental crown attached to it to serve as a fully functioning—and cosmetically pleasing—tooth.

Teeth Whitening
Although it might not be quite as popular anymore, many people still use tobacco products on a daily basis. Other people depend on highly caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea to get them through the day. These habits can quickly lead to discolored teeth. Tobacco use may yellow your teeth, while frequent coffee and tea drinking can stain your teeth to a darker color. If your oral woes do not extend further than the shade of your teeth, consider teeth whitening. This can be done at home or in office and produces noticeable results.

Dentures
If you are missing most or all of your teeth, you might consider improving your smile with dentures. Properly fit dentures can restore your ability to chew food, have a conversation, and smile with confidence. Talk to your dentist about the right types of adhesives to use in order to make the most of your dentures.