Acid reflux can cause painful and frustrating symptoms such as a feeling of burning in the
stomach, chest, or throat—also called heartburn—and indigestion, or pain in the upper
abdomen.

Unfortunately, acid reflux can have detrimental effects on your smile. How can you stop this
condition from affecting your teeth and gums during the holiday?

Understanding the Effects of Acid Reflux on Your Smile

Since acid reflux causes stomach acids to end up in the esophagus, traces of these acids are also
likely to end up in the oral cavity. These acids are extremely corrosive to tooth enamel. Even if
you have an otherwise healthy smile, the acids involved in GERD can quickly eat away at tooth
enamel, leaving your teeth sensitive and more prone to decay.

While brushing your teeth sounds like it would be the best solution to combating the effects of
acid reflux, this isn’t true. Brushing your teeth while acids have had a chance to attack tooth
enamel actually make it more likely that your tooth enamel will get brushed away. Enamel is
porous and will become softer and more likely to be removed when acid is present.

When You Should Be Concerned

Acid reflux is a concern for people who either do not realize they have the disorder or do not
manage it properly. Treating your acid reflux is going to be key to keeping those harsh acids out
of your mouth and in your stomach where they belong.

Without treatment, acid reflux has the potential to continue to cause your smile irreparable
harm. Once tooth enamel has been removed, it can’t be replaced, although your dentist can
help you manage your tooth sensitivity and missing enamel to help prevent decay.

What You Can Do About It

Your first step is going to be treating your acid reflux, for which you can visit your primary care
physician. Your acid reflux may have an underlying cause that needs to be addressed to correct
the problem, or the condition may be chronic and need to be managed.

Regardless, don’t give up hope. Your doctor can help you come up with a plan to address your
GERD and curb your symptoms while your dentist can help you care for your smile and get your
teeth and gums back on track. You don’t have to let acid reflux ruin your smile this holiday!

When it comes to acid reflux, time is of the essence. Waiting to get your symptoms evaluated
isn’t doing your smile any favors. If you believe you’re suffering from GERD, get your symptoms
evaluated by a doctor and get your smile checked out by a dentist. You can recover from this
and your smile can too!

The post Heartburn and Indigestion: Protect Your Smile This Holiday Season appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Why else should you visit your dentist this month? Here are the top three reasons December is the best time to get that last check-up in!

Cosmetic Dentistry for the Holiday Season

Maybe you’re avoiding seeing your dentist because you’re embarrassed about your smile. If it’s been a little while since you’ve seen the dentist and you need cosmetic dentistry work done, December is the perfect time to go before the holidays! Your dentist is an experienced professional who sees all types of smiles. Getting the treatment you need shouldn’t be impossible because you have dental anxiety.

Talk with your dentist about what experience he or she has in treating patients with dental anxiety and smiles who need treatment like yours. Chances are, your dentist will be friendly, open, and professional about helping you restore your smile and getting done any cosmetic dentistry work before the holidays. You’ll be amazed at how fabulous your smile can look for family and friends this year!

Get Your Second Check-Up and Cleaning

If you’ve gotten a check-up and a professional teeth cleaning once already this year, that’s great! However, it’s ideal to visit your dentist at least twice a year to ensure your teeth are healthy. Since no two smiles are the same, your dentist may recommend that you come in more or less often, depending on how healthy your smile is.

Regardless, getting that second check-up in December is perfect timing. During your check-up, your dentist can ensure your smile is healthy by checking for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and even oral cancer and TMJ disorders. Your dentist will also professionally clean your teeth, removing surface stains and helping your smile look its best and brightest for the holiday season!

Start the New Year Right

If improving your oral care is on your New Year’s resolutions list, visiting your dentist in December makes your goal all the more achievable. Small practices you incorporate into your oral health routine like flossing, using mouthwash, or even getting a new toothbrush can help improve the health of your smile! When you visit your dentist in December for a check-up, you’re starting the New Year right when it comes to oral healthcare. Nothing is more attractive than a healthy smile—so make it to your dentist before January to start a healthy New Year!

This December, schedule an appointment with your dentist to get that second check-up in, talk about cosmetic dentistry, and get a professional cleaning to start the New Year off right. You can ensure a healthy smile all year long for 2017, so don’t put off that dental appointment this December. Happy New Year!

The post Why December Is the Perfect Month to Visit Your Dentist appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Although lots of food will be available, it’s important to still eat well in order to maintain your healthy smile. Sweets in moderation are fine, but avoid constantly snacking on sweet treats or sipping on sweet drinks. The longer your teeth are exposed to sugar, the more damage your teeth can incur.

It can feel difficult to be choosy about foods during a time when you have so many options—but you can help your body and your smile by still eating healthy. If you want to sip on sweet drinks, using a straw can help the sugary liquid to bypass your teeth, therefore limiting your exposure!

Water Is Your Friend

Not only does water help combat sugar’s effect on your teeth, but it can also prevent the staining that comes with drinking red wine or coffee. Staying hydrated also helps to keep your mouth’s vital oral bacteria in balance, therefore reducing your risk for cavities!

If you’re eating sugary foods or drinking sugary drinks, try to sip on water while doing so. Rinsing with water after consuming sugar can help hugely, as it prevents sugar from clinging to your teeth and damaging your enamel. If you’re drinking wine, remember that red wine can stain your teeth significantly more than white. Drinking water can help to minimize staining of your teeth and damage from the acidic alcohol.

Keep to a Routine

As busy as things can get during the holidays, don’t skip brushing or flossing just because you’re short on time. Always make it a habit to brush in the morning and brush and floss before bed. Keep a travel toothbrush in your bag and some floss just in case you forget these items while traveling or end up spending the night at a relative’s house.

If you can’t brush for whatever reason, keep a pack of sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol with you. Chewing on gum sweetened with xylitol can help increase saliva flow, therefore helping to reduce bad bacteria and prevent cavities. Keeping to a routine during the holidays isn’t only comforting, it benefits your smile as well!

Be Prepared

Always be safe with your teeth—remember that they are not meant to open packages or crack nuts. Your beautiful smile needs to last you for life, so treat them with care and take care of them. You can be prepared for any type of dental emergency by asking your dentist for an emergency referral before the holidays. This way, should something happen, you’ll have an expert to look after your smile despite the fact that many offices are closed during the holidays.

This holiday season, you can protect your smile and keep it healthy with these easy tips. Simply by eating healthy, drinking enough water, and keeping to a routine, you can show people your beautiful pearly whites all holiday season long. Impress your dentist in the New Year by taking care of your smile during the holidays!

The post Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Smile During the Holiday Season appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

The “Don’t” List

Here are some of the things you need to avoid. These are the main culprits when it comes to staining teeth.

Quit Smoking – Smoking is the absolute worst thing you can do for the coloration of your teeth. Nothing else will stain teeth faster than cigarette smoke. Quitting is not easy, but this is just one more reason to do it.

Foods to Avoid – Try to keep foods with dark pigmentation to a minimum. For example, ice pops or hard candies that are filled with dark dyes will stain your teeth. You know the ones we mean. They turn your tongue, teeth, and lips blue, green, or purple.

Beverages to Avoid – Unfortunately, favorites like coffee, black tea, colas, and red wine are all tough on tooth coloration. Keep reading for some tips on how to enjoy your favorite beverages safely.

The “Do” List

Here are some things that you can do to keep your teeth white for as long as possible.

Use a Straw – Try having your coffee or tea iced. Drinking it through a straw will minimize contact with front teeth. Less time on the enamel means less time for staining to take place.

Brush Often – If you brush your teeth after each meal, you keep those stain-causing foods and drinks from staying in contact with your teeth.

Rinse or Drink Water – If you can’t brush, rinsing with or drinking water is the next best thing. Just get as much food and drink off your teeth as possible until the next time you can get to a toothbrush.

Get a Touch Up – If you follow the suggestions here, touch ups may be a year or two apart. If you can’t stay away from your regular cup of coffee (without a straw) or other staining habits, you may need to get a touch up every six months. Your dentist can recommend a schedule to help maintain the pearly whiteness of your smile.

If you follow the tips here, you can flash a glistening, white smile every time a camera comes out.

The post Maintaining Your Newly Whitened Smile appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

1. Use Moderation – You are obviously going to be eating some things that you normally do not have. Rather than skipping on a piece of grandma’s famous pie, just be sure that you eat a balanced meal with lots of good nutrition. A second helping of vegetables during dinner can help balance out the pH in the mouth despite a rich dessert. Just don’t eat the whole pie.

2. Be Choosey About Treats – Certain sweets are far worse on your teeth than others. For example, chocolates that are filled with sticky caramel are likely to spend more time on your enamel than just some plain chocolate. Avoiding sticky treats will help your teeth to suffer less in between brushings.

3. Keep the Toothbrush with You – Whether it is a family gathering at someone else’s home or an office party, bring your toothbrush with you, and use it. Just one note of caution. If you have a glass of wine, or something else acidic like orange juice, you will want to wait half an hour before brushing. Highly acidic foods and beverages can weaken enamel. Brushing too soon can cause damage.

4. Maintain Your Routine – Keep your toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss in your toiletries bag. Then be sure to maintain your routine, even if you are travelling. Plaque hardens into tartar in about 24 hours, so even skipping one day of brushing is a big deal.

5. Drink Lots of Water – Whether you are drinking it or just rinsing with it, water is an excellent way to keep your mouth clean between brushings. Plus, water helps to even out the pH and reduces how quickly bacteria can spread in the mouth.

6. Use Good Technique – Brush and floss the right way to ensure that you are getting any extra debris clear of your teeth and gums.

By maintaining a good oral care routine and using moderation at parties, at home, and at the office, you can enjoy your holiday treats and still avoid cavities.

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