4 Oral Health Care Mistakes That You’re Most Likely Making

Whether you have all of your teeth, some of your teeth or no teeth at all, you need to practice proper oral hygiene.

Having good oral hygiene habits is essential for anyone that wants to live a healthy lifestyle. For those that don’t know, having poor oral hygiene can lead to several serious health issues, such as:

• Cancer

• Heart attacks

• Strokes

Additionally, pregnant women that have gum disease (referred to in the dental industry as periodontal disease) have a higher chance of experiencing preterm labour. There is also an increased likelihood that the baby will be born with a low birth weight.

These are just a few reasons why you need to take impeccable care of your teeth, gums and tongue. Unfortunately, even if you have the best intentions, there’s a good chance that you’re making your fair share of common oral health care mistakes.

If you want to avoid making these mistakes, you should take the time to read the list that our team at Koster Denture Clinic has put together.

We’re a team of professional denturists that offer a wide range of denture services for our patients in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas. Some of these services include:

• Consultations

• Repairs

• Adjustments

• Relines

• Rebases

• Additions

• Teeth whitening

Continue reading to learn more about the common oral health mistakes that you may be making.

1 – Eating Acidic Foods Before Going to Bed

Many people are drawn to acidic foods; they’re delicious, flavourful and pack a bit of a punch!

Many acidic foods are also quite healthy. Some healthy acidic snacks that you can have in small doses include:

• Yogurt

• Most fruit, especially citrus

• Processed meat (beef jerky, pepperoni, etc.)

However, even though these foods are healthy, you should avoid snacking on them before you go to sleep.

When you eat acidic food, the natural acids fuse with your saliva. This increases the pH level of your saliva. As your saliva moves throughout your mouth, it gradually irritates your teeth and gums.

Thankfully, this habit isn’t hard to kick; if you can’t put down your acidic snacks, then try to eat them at least two hours before going to bed. This will give your body time to neutralize the natural acids and lower your mouth’s pH level. For the best results, makes sure that you brush your teeth right before you go to bed.

2 – Ignoring Your Missing Teeth

Are you currently missing one or more of your teeth? If so, you’re not alone.

Thousands of people lose their teeth every year. Furthermore, according to Statistics Canada, in 2009, approximately 6.4% of Canadians had no teeth at all.

So, why are missing teeth an issue? Firstly, a missing tooth can drastically affect a person’s appearance.

Additionally, missing teeth can have a considerable impact on your oral and periodontal health. Missing teeth can lead to issues like:

• Bone loss

• Shifting teeth

• Loss of appetite (due to the pain caused by eating)

• Speech impediments

If you’d like to keep your remaining teeth in good shape, you should consider purchasing a set of removable partial dentures. These dentures are ideal for people that are missing a small number of teeth.

If you’re missing all of your teeth, you should think about getting a set of complete dentures. We offer a diverse selection of complete dentures, including:

• Standard

• Standard with high-quality teeth

• Equilibrated

• Immediate

Whether you need completes or partials, we’re always happy to take on new patients — feel free to click the link to learn more about how you can become a new patient.

 3 – Consuming Foods and Drinks That Make Your Teeth Yellow

Everyone likes to have a plate of pasta or a cup of coffee everyone once in a while. Although these foods may seem harmless at first, they are slowly making your teeth yellow.

For those that don’t know, human teeth are porous; this means that they absorb foods and liquids. When your teeth become exposed to dark colours, they can become yellow. 

Although there are no health-related side effects of having yellow teeth, they do have several social implications. Many people feel that yellow teeth are less attractive than white teeth. They can also make people feel less confident, which can have an impact on their professional and social life.

If you’re looking for a whiter, brighter smile, you need to book a tooth whitening appointment with one of our team members. After a single session, your smile will look younger and livelier than ever before!

 4 – Not Cleaning Your Dentures Properly

As mentioned earlier, dentures are an excellent option for people that want to rejuvenate their smiles after losing some or all of their teeth. If you currently have or are thinking about getting dentures, then you most likely know how important it is to clean them regularly. 

But do you know how to take care of partial dentures? If not, that’s ok — the following steps will help you have the cleanest dentures in Winnipeg!

Rinse with Water

First, take out your dentures and rinse them with warm water. This will remove any food particles that have attached themselves to the dentures.

While rinsing, many people like to place a small towel or face cloth at the bottom of their sink. This will lessen the impact and potentially prevent breakage if you drop the dentures.

Brush Your Natural Teeth

If you still have some of your natural teeth, make sure you brush them regularly. This will keep your remaining teeth is good shape and gives you an opportunity to remove any leftover denture adhesive (if used).

Brush Your Dentures

After brushing your natural teeth, make sure that you give your dentures a good scrubbing. This will remove germs and bacteria that are built-up in hard-to-reach crevasses.

Soak Overnight

After you’re satisfied with the cleanliness of your dentures, make sure you soak them in water or denture-cleaning solution overnight. This will help them keep their shape.

Rinse with water…Again!

The next day, make sure you rinse your dentures before putting them back in your mouth. This is particularly important if you soaked them in a cleaning solution, as they contain several harmful chemicals.

Taking care of your mouth is easy — just avoid making the mistakes listed above!