Begin the Road to White Teeth and a Healthy Smile with a Healthy Diet

First of all you want to stay away from those snacks between meals.  Also, and this should go without saying, you should develop the habit of brushing and flossing your teeth after every meal.  

If you insist on snacking between meals, make your snacks healthy and again insure that you brush and floss - yeah, yeah, yeah! Try making your between meal snacks with fruits and veggies.

Crunchy fruits and veggies such as carrots, celery, pears and apples will do your teeth good.  Apples, pears, celery and carrots are good suggestions.  These crunchy, healthy snacks will aid in producing healthy enzymes and will also stimulate your gums.

Another healthy habit that will promote the health of your teeth is the drinking of plenty of water. Drinking lots of water throughout the day will keep the tissues of your mouth moist and will help you to avoid dry mouth.  The mouth is the perfect environment for dental diseases and water helps to promote the production of saliva which keeps your mouth, gums, and teeth healthy.

A bad habit you want to rid yourself of is the drinking of soda. We Americans drink tons of soda every day and along with it, the sugar that results in dental diseases as well as discoloration of your teeth.  And don't think that you are safe by drinking diet soda - even diet soda contains loads of acids that are murder to your teeth's enamel.

Now before you think that you are getting off scott free because you don't drink soda, but chug sports drinks instead, think again. Yes, sports drinks just might replenish and rehydrate your body after a good workout, but they are also notorious for causing irreversible dental enamel damage.

There are now studies demonstrating that energy drinks, sports drinks, fitness water, and the like, result in substantial increase to your likelihood of developing tooth enamel damage. Now keep in mind that these studies indicate long term use of these beverages, but be aware that these drinks are not as beneficial as plain old fashioned H2O when it comes to hydration as well as the health of your teeth.

Let's Touch on Cosmetic Dentistry

We have come a long way concerning teeth since the time an ancient Sumerian made the first toothbrush from a twig. These days there is nothing to keep you from having the same beautiful smile as any celebrity. Cosmetic dentistry covers much more than just teeth whitening though.

Cosmetic dentistry includes teeth whitening of course, but also several other procedures as well.  If you don't already have some of these going on in your mouth right now, odds are that you will be having one or more cosmetic dental procedures performed in your mouth at least once in your lifetime.

You first of all want to meet with your dentist to have an initial exam performed in order for your dentist to make the determination if cosmetic dental work is needed.  Your dentist will also decide at this time whether preliminary dental work is required before any cosmetic dental procedures are performed.  

If it is determined by your dentist that any type of dental disease is occurring, it is at this time that your dentist will outline the steps necessary prior to performing any cosmetic dental work. With that behind you, your dentist will layout the available cosmetic options that will fit your situation. The options that may be discussed at this time might be bridges, braces, bonding, bleaching, or veneers.

Teeth whitening, as we mentioned above, is one of the first things that most people think of when they think cosmetic dentistry. However, we must realize that teeth whitening by itself may not be the complete answer to your real or imagined dental deficiencies.  Depending on the color of your teeth, bleaching may not be the way to go.

The American Dental Association sets forth color guidelines that will indicate what teeth colors will respond successfully to teeth bleaching. Although teeth with a yellowish tone will respond and whiten well with a teeth bleaching process, unfortunately teeth that are brownish or grayish may not respond well at all. If you are not careful, you could possibly end up with a less than desirable outcome and could risk having your teeth end up not uniform in color.  

An ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure in this case and as always its best to consult with your dentist.