Did you know there are seven threats to having a beautiful smile and healthy teeth for life?

And that YOU can easily prevent every single one of them?  Learn about them by joining me over the next several months in a journey to personal beauty.

Threat # 1–Neglect

Personal Neglect includes not brushing your teeth, not flossing, not seeing a dentist regularly, etc. This usually happens for one of three reasons.   One, you haven’t seen a dentist in a long time and are afraid of what they’ll find. Two, you have a real fear of the dentist. Three, you simply don’t want to be lectured.

While there isn’t much a dentist can do about the first reason, there’s plenty we can do about the other two.  

When it comes to a fear of the dentist, great dentists pride themselves on an excellent chair-side manner, listening to your concerns, aiding you through the process in any way they can and even using sedation dentistry where necessary.  

As for the third reason, well that’s why offices like ours employ a strict “no lecture zone” policy. No lectures, just solutions.

Now, that’s the first half of neglect, but did you know there’s another form that is just as important? 

It’s called Dentist’s Neglect and it occurs when your dentist fails to keep you informed about your complete dental health. The most common form of this is advising patients to “just get dentures” when they face big  dental problems. 

Having treated hundreds of patients with dentures, I know the only problem with them is they’re a lot like oral wigs. Oral wigs that can move up to an inch during function! 

My advice? Evaluate the caliber of your dentist and start brushing and cleaning between your teeth regularly. You wouldn’t dream of going without deodorant or not taking a shower every day. Give your teeth the respect and care they deserve.

Though there are many reasons people develop bruxism, which is the continual clenching and grinding of one’s teeth, most dentists feel this problem is caused  by misaligned teeth, as when the upper teeth do not meet the lower teeth correctly when biting.

Bruxism often indicates anxiety. Some people suffer more from bruxism at night when they grind their teeth during sleep. Others suffer day and night and must constantly monitor their mouth behavior.

Nighttime bruxism sufferers may be helped by a new device called BiteStrip that can alleviate some of the painful or uncomfortable symptoms.

Dentists can determine if patients suffer from bruxism when their teeth are abraded in a particular way. Tooth abrasions can weaken the overall structure of the mouth and expose the softer dentin layer above the tooth enamel, making teeth more susceptible to decay and even fracture.

Given the additional serious dental complications that can develop from decay and fracture, bruxism should not be taken lightly. So if you suffer from nighttime bruxism, ask your cosmetic dentist about being fitted with a Bite Strip today.