Unlike most bottled waters, tap water from public systems usually contains fluoride, a key mineral that can help strengthen the enamel in your teeth. In fact, putting fluoride in the community water supply is “the single most effective public health measure to prevent dental decay,” according to the ADA. Plus, drinking water can help rinse away the cavity-causing bacteria from food that might be lingering on your teeth, Dr. Harms says.
EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM
1-Minute Daily Tips for Healthy Teeth | Everyday Health
See your dentist immediately if your gums bleed often, you see red or white patches on your gums or tongue, you have pain in your mouth or jaw, you have mouth sores that don't heal after two weeks, or you have trouble swallowing or chewing.
If you have diabetes, practice good oral hygiene to avoid gum disease.
EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM
13 Secrets of Oral Health | Everyday Health
Without treatment, tooth decay or gum problems can lead to pain, problems with self-confidence, and tooth loss. These issues may lead to malnutrition, speech problems, and other challenges in a person’s work, school, or personal life.
MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
The 8 best practices for healthy teeth and gums
Many people experience some degree of tooth sensitivity. A study published in the March 2013 issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) revealed that 1 in 8 people have sensitive teeth. But many don’t discuss the condition with their dentist.
If you have sensitive teeth, you may think that the discomfort you feel when you eat or drink cold, hot, sweet, spicy, or sour foods or beverages is normal, and that the solution is simply to avoid trigger foods and drinks.
EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM
When to Talk to Your Dentist About Sensitive Teeth | Everyday Health
Every food you eat or beverage you drink comes in contact with your teeth, which means those choices continually impact the health of your teeth and gums. Many foods in a typical American diet — from sugary, processed foods and drinks to those that are highly acidic — can actually eat away at your tooth enamel, causing cavities. So it’s important to focus on eating healthy foods that also help promote oral health.
EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM
How What You Eat Affects Your Teeth | Everyday Health
"Dental braces and retainers are used by orthodontists to help to straighten crooked teeth and correct a misaligned bite in patients as young as 8 or 9."
WEBMD.COM
Orthodontics / Braces
"Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, occurs when there is insufficient saliva in the mouth. If you have trouble chewing or swallowing, or if you wake up with a sticky, dry feeling in your mouth, you could have dry mouth."
COLGATE.COM
How to Treat Dry Mouth | Colgate®
"Flossing can be difficult, especially for young children and older adults with arthritis. Rather than give up, look for tools that can help you floss your teeth. Ready-to-use dental flossers from the drugstore can make a difference."
HEALTHLINE.COM
11 Best Practices for Healthy Teeth
"Although brushing is the focal point of your child's daily dental routine, flossing is just as important. Flossing helps to remove the food particles and plaque that build up between the teeth and gumline that a toothbrush typically can't reach."
COLGATE.COM
Children's Dental Care: Flossing
"If you are suffering from both a headache and a toothache, it's natural to wonder if the two symptoms are related. Perhaps your toothache is triggering your headache, or perhaps the combination of your headache and toothache indicates an underlying health problem like a sinus infection or temporomandibular joint dysfunction."
VERYWELLHEALTH.COM
Is There a Link Between Your Headache and Your Toothache?
"Your mouth is more than just a pretty smile. It's also a gateway to your overall health. Keeping that gateway clean may keep you healthier longer -- and looking younger."
WEBMD.COM
Dental Tips for a Younger Smile and Appearance
"A sinus infection, or sinusitis, occurs when viruses or bacteria infect the sinus linings. The results can be uncomfortable symptoms, including facial pain and pressure, runny nose, headache, and, sometimes, tooth pain."
MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
Sinus infection tooth pain: Connection, symptoms, and treatment
"Pericoronitis occurs when the wisdom teeth do not have enough room to erupt through the gums. As a result, they may only partially come through the gum, which may lead to inflammation and infection of the soft tissue around the wisdom tooth."
MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
Pericoronitis: Symptoms, treatments, and complications
"Even if you don’t have any symptoms, checkups are important because they can help prevent problems from developing and treat existing symptoms before they become more advanced."
MOUTHHEALTHY.ORG
Top Reasons to See a Dentist - American Dental Association
"How good is your oral hygiene? Are your teeth and gums in good condition? When it comes to having healthy teeth and gums, these are just two of the many questions you should ask yourself on a regular basis."
COLGATE.COM
Doing Your Part For Healthy Teeth And Gums
"A visit to the dentist doesn't have to be something to dread. Dentists and hygienists want to help, and they'll usually try to make your office visit as easy as possible."
WEBMD.COM
What to Expect at the Dentist
"If you have fillings or crowns on your teeth, it can be scary when you feel them floating in your mouth and you know that they have fallen out. But don't panic, it is a common occurrence and can be dealt with quickly."
COLGATE.COM
What to Do if Your Filling Falls Out | Colgate®
"Oral health is widely regarded as one of the most important aspects of our overall health. However, perhaps just as prevalent is the fear of the dentist. This common fear can stem from a number of emotions related to worries over your oral health, as well as potential bad experiences you may have had at the dentist during your youth."
HEALTHLINE.COM
Fear of the Dentist: How to Cope with Dentophobia
"Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. Also referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth."
MOUTHHEALTHY.ORG
Gum Disease - Periodontal Disease - From MouthHealthy.org
"Tired of your teeth looking yellowed and dull, but not sure what’s making them that way? We made you a list of some of the worst teeth-staining foods that make it difficult to maintain a pearly-white smile. And, because we all like to indulge once in a while, we included a few stain-fighting foods that help ward off unwanted discoloration."
COLGATE.COM
Five Foods that Cause Stains and Six Foods that Prevent Them
"Dry socket is a condition that can occur after tooth removal. It usually happens 3–5 days after surgery. Dry socket causes intense pain because it exposes the nerves and bones in the gum."
MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM
How long does dry socket last?
"Caring for your teeth is a lifelong commitment, but the more you can do to help your kids maintain proper dental habits the more you can instill good dental care at any age."
COLGATE.COM
Good Dental Care At Any Age
"The American Dental Association recommends cleaning between your teeth daily with an interdental cleaner (like floss). Cleaning between your teeth may help prevent cavities and gum disease. Cleaning between your teeth helps remove a sticky film called plaque. Plaque contains bacteria that feeds on leftover food or sugar in your mouth. When that happens, it releases an acid that can eat away at the outer shell of your teeth and cause cavities."
MOUTHHEALTHY.ORG
How often should I floss my teeth? - From MouthHealthy.org
"The ADA recommends changing your toothbrush every 3-4 months, so make a resolution to change your toothbrush with every season this year."
MOUTHHEALTHY.ORG
Mistakes You Make Brushing Your Teeth – American Dental Association
