Vegetarians Live Longer

First, let’s define the difference between vegetarians and vegans: vegetarians do not consume any meat products, including fish (vegetarians that consume fish are called pescetarians). However, vegetarians still eat dairy and eggs and wear animal products. Vegans, on the other hand, adopt an animal-free lifestyle when it comes to any type of consumption. Vegans do not eat meat, eggs, or dairy, will not wear leather, and tend to ensure all their beauty products are cruelty-free.

Both of these diets have a range of health benefits if done properly. Physicians see less heart disease and cancer among vegetarians as opposed to meat eaters. Vegetarians may also be more health conscious, and will limit their alcohol consumption, sugar intake, and drink more water as well as exercise. People who eat a vegetarian diet tend to have a greater awareness of how food impacts their bodies as well as the planet, and their health benefits from this!

They Tend to Consume Less Vitamin D and Calcium

Many people are deficient in vitamin D, not just vegetarians! However, because of their diets, vegetarians tend to consume less vitamin D3 than non-vegetarians, and vegans tend to do worse on this scale due to the fact that they don’t eat eggs and dairy. Vegetarians also tend not to get as much calcium, although calcium is certainly feasible for vegetarians to consume as they have the option of eating yogurt and cheese.

Vitamin D and calcium are essential nutrients for a healthy smile! Both calcium and vitamin D contribute to formation of strong, healthy bones—and your teeth are rooted in your jaw bones! Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and can also help with gum disease as well as gum inflammation.

How Vegetarians Can Ensure Proper Nutrition for Their Smile

By consuming enough vitamin D and calcium in their well-balanced diet, vegetarians can have excellent dental health as well as bodily health. Vegetarians have the option of consuming dairy products high in calcium and vitamin D including cheese, yogurt, and milk. If you’re a vegetarian that avoids dairy, look for non-dairy alternatives to these products, and find quality supplements. Vegetarians can also aim to get 10-20 minutes of sunlight every day. Our bodies make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and can store vitamin D in the body.

If you eat a vegetarian diet, get enough calcium and vitamin D to ensure excellent dental health! Your teeth need strong bones and healthy gums to thrive. As vegetarians are usually healthier than non-vegetarians, ensuring proper vitamin and mineral intake can make for a super-healthy smile!

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Offer More Oral Protection

That store-bought mouthguard is not made to fit your smile. It was made to fit a variety of smiles, therefore the chances that it will accurately fit yours are slim. Even if you buy what you believe to be the correct size for your mouth, those standard mouthguards still don’t fully protect each and every tooth in your mouth.

Custom mouthguards allow every tooth in your mouth to have optimal protection. They take a minimal amount of time to take molds at your dentist office and they last longer and are made to protect your smile whether for bruxism or contact sports. Why gamble with your smile? When the cheaper mouthguard fails to work, you’ll end up paying to replace your knocked-out or damaged teeth!

Keep Your Child Safe

Standard mouthguards are often either too big or too small for your child’s mouth—they won’t fit just right unless they’re custom-made. If a mouthguard is uncomfortable, your child may choose to not wear the mouthguard or take it out during their sport. Who can blame them? Having an oversized piece of plastic shoved into your mouth doesn’t make for happy sport playing.

Your child may also find it difficult to speak while wearing his or her mouthguard, therefore making it unlikely that they’ll notify their coach if there’s a problem or be able to communicate with their team. If your child wears braces, they especially need optimal protection to keep the braces from cutting their gums in the event that they get hit or fall during contact sports. Ill-fitting mouthguards don’t offer this type of protection!

Increase Performance

You may even have trouble breathing if you buy a standard mouthguard that wasn’t made to fit your mouth. This is alarming for an adult, but even more so for a child. If you or your child use mouthguards for playing sports or bruxism, trying to breathe while having this uncomfortable, bulky guard in your mouth can be difficult.

Not only is this unsafe, but it will also hinder your performance. Your lungs need to take in an adequate amount of oxygen to supply your muscles with while exercising. While sleeping, your body still needs air to breathe and supply your brain with oxygen, as the brain is more active during sleep. Increase performance with custom mouthguards and stay safe while sleeping!

Leave your standard mouthguard on the field—custom mouthguards are a better fit. They provide optimal protection, keep your child safe during sports, and boost your performance by allowing your body to properly breathe. Talk with your dentist about getting a custom mouthguard made today!

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What Causes Tooth Sensitivity?

First, it’s important to know the factors that influence sensitive teeth. When your enamel wears away, it exposes dentin, a tissue beneath the enamel that protects the roots. It’s not as hard as enamel, but not as soft and exposed as your roots. However, the exposure of dentin can lead to tooth sensitivity. The more worn away your enamel is, the more extreme your tooth pain will be.

The enamel on your teeth can wear away due to brushing too hard (which is actually very damaging to your teeth) or eating too many foods that are acidic or drinking sugary and corrosive drinks (such as alcohol and soda). It could also be influenced by other factors, such as using at-home teeth bleaching kits too often, which strips the enamel away, or tooth decay.

What Your Dentist Can Do

Pain is among one of the many ways that your body communicates. Your extremely sensitive teeth are telling you that something is amiss with your pearly whites. Your dentist can thoroughly examine your teeth and identify any problems. Sometimes, if tooth decay or gum disease has progressed, it can cause your gums to recede or your enamel to wear away due to decay, therefore exposing your dentin and possibly even your tooth’s root. Your dentist can treat the problem, which will be unique to your particular diagnosis. You could need a root canal, a missing filling replaced, or need x-rays to further determine the problem.

What You Can Do

Prevention is the best treatment for extreme tooth sensitivity, so it’s important to remember that once you’ve lost your enamel, it cannot be replaced. Limit sugary drinks like sodas juices and corrosive drinks like alcohol, especially if you already have sensitive teeth, as these can make the pain worse. Don’t brush too hard, and remember, it’s always safest to get teeth whitening done professionally by your dentist.

If you already have extremely sensitive teeth, there are a few things you can do at home to help. You may consider trying toothpaste that’s marketed for sensitive teeth. This toothpaste contains agents like potassium nitrate that are safe for your teeth sensitivity and can help relieve pain. It’s also good to avoid teeth grinding, as this can cause—and worsen—sensitivity. Talk with your dentist if you think you’re a grinder!

Extreme tooth sensitivity can be a burden. Hot and cold foods are forbidden, and oftentimes even things like cold air can make your teeth hurt. There is relief from your pain! Begin by visiting your dentist to uncover the problem, and then follow through with your care at home. Extreme tooth sensitivity doesn’t have to be for life!

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What Are the Benefits of Invisalign?

The primary advantage of Invisalign is that it is clear. This takes away the stigma of wearing braces. It’s great for kids who are embarrassed by the idea of braces, as well as adults who may not find the idea of traditional braces to be alluring. Invisalign is an effective, nearly invisible method of straightening your smile while continuing the activities of daily life.

They are also removable. This allows the wearer to keep their teeth clean with a regular program of brushing a flossing. You don’t have to worry about food getting caught in the device because you don’t wear it during meals. That also means you can eat whatever you want (within reason – you still want to stay healthy).

Finally, the wires that are tightened are often the most uncomfortable part of braces. There are no wires to tighten with Invisalign. You actually trade out the appliance for a new one at regular intervals throughout the process. This minimizes the discomfort.

But Does It Really Work?

The short answer is yes! Is Invisalign the right choice for your needs? Your dentist will be in the best position to address your specific needs. However, there are a few factors that are required for Invisalign to be a viable option.

Self-Discipline – You have to be willing to leave them in at all times. You won’t experience the same soreness as with braces, but there will be some. If you pull the aligner out every time you feel uncomfortable, the process won’t be effective.

Circumstances – There are certain types of alignments that Invisalign is better for and others that favor traditional braces. Do your teeth need to move horizontally? Vertically? Be rotated? Do you have bridgework? Your dentist will take all of this into consideration in making a decision.

Invisalign is a great way to improve the quality of your bite and your smile without the hassle of traditional braces. Be sure to ask if this is a good option for you.

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The Benefits of Damon Braces

Damon uses a revolutionary approach in the orthodontic scene. This is because they have done away with the elastics that plague wearers of traditional braces. These elastics have been replaced with a sliding mechanism. What benefits are achieved with this method?

– Tie-less braces do not require tightening throughout treatment. This is one of the most uncomfortable parts of standard orthodontics. Damon saves you the pain.

– Technologically advanced wires mean that it takes fewer adjustments to get your teeth back in line.

– Without being tied to each bracket, your teeth can move more freely. This also decreases the amount of time it takes to complete your orthodontic work.

– Traditional braces are often accompanied by palatal expanders or pulled teeth. This is rare with Damon braces.

– Damon braces are easier to keep clean and do not attract the plaque that elastic ties result in. Of course, your primary concern as an adult may be the stigma of having people see your braces. After all, the mouth and teeth are one of the first things a person notices about someone else. That is probably part of what you want your teeth fixed in the first place. Don’t worry. Damon has a solution for this concern as well.

Clear Damon Brackets Provide a Discreet Solution

Clear brackets provide you with the same great orthodontic treatment, simply without the stigma. What sets Damon apart from other clear orthodontic providers?

– Since there are no elastics, you do not have to worry about elastics that yellow and become visible.

– The brackets are specially designed to resist discoloration, so your braces remain discreet throughout your treatment.

– These work for individuals who may not qualify for treatment with invisible aligners. Plus, you don’t have to worry about losing an aligner or forgetting to put it in.

– The Damon System does not create speech issues that are caused by some invisible aligners. These are for people who believe that braces should be neither seen nor heard.

Comfort and Results: A Win-Win

The Damon System is designed to provide high-quality orthodontic treatment in the shortest amount of
time. All the while, the system keeps the patient as comfortable as possible. Plus, the clear option provides a discreet solution. This is the ultimate choice in orthodontics for adults.

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Tooth Decay

Tooth decay happens when plaque builds up on your teeth over time, hardening into a substance calledtartar. Plaque happens from lack of brushing, improper brushing, or eating foods that disrupt the balance of bacteria in the mouth, including sugary foods and corrosive drinks such as alcohol and soda. Over time, plaque destroys your tooth enamel, which is the protective shiny outer surface of your teeth.

Once the enamel is gone, it cannot be replaced. Loss of enamel allows bacteria to have access to your tooth’s roots, which can be very painful. Your toothache could mean you have tooth decay or a cavity, which is a minor form of tooth decay that can turn into a bigger problem if left untreated. The treatment for tooth decay may involve fluoride, crowns, a root canal, extractions, or fillings, depending on how extensive the damage to your teeth has been.

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)

Your toothache may be caused by bruxism, or teeth grinding. You may not be conscious of this, or it may happen during your sleep. Teeth grinding can be very damaging to your smile, as the intense pressure put on the teeth can lead to fractures, cracks, or even inflammation and exposed roots. Your dentist can tell if you grind your teeth. There are nightly mouthguards you can wear to help during your sleeping hours, or you may even have an improper bite, which could also cause bruxism. You can get treatment for this through your dentist. Another remedy for bruxism is simply being conscious of the fact that you’re doing it. Many people grind their teeth out of irritation or stress, so be aware when you’re feeling these things. Reducing stress in your life can help your smile!

Infection

An infection can cause a bad taste in your mouth along with your toothache. An infection could happen from an abscessed tooth, which is when your tooth root is infected (generally as a result of decay), or from infected gums, which is likely a sign of gingivitis or gum disease. For abscessed teeth, your dentist will likely need to perform a root canal procedure, which involves cleaning the infection from your tooth’s root and sealing up the canal. For gingivitis or gum disease, your dentist will need to begin with a deep cleaning in an attempt to halt the process and reestablish the healthy relationship between the gums and teeth. This deep cleaning may be sufficient or you may require more extensive treatment, depending on your unique oral hygiene.

Getting regular checkups with your dentist is vital to good health as your dentist can spot problems well before they happen. Once a disease process such as gum disease or tooth decay has begun, it can be difficult to reverse. Adopt proper oral hygiene habits, and visit your dentist regularly to prevent toothaches!

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