Because we only have two sets of teeth our entire life, it is important to have strong healthy teeth. Tooth decay is the leading cause of weak teeth. When our teeth decay a dentist has to scrape away part of our tooth's structure which can cause the tooth to weaken. Preventing tooth decay is the best way to keep our teeth strong. You can help prevent tooth decay by practicing good oral hygiene. Following these simple tips can also help to keep your teeth healthy and strong.

Tip one:
Calcium is what helps our bones to develop and remain strong and healthy, but calcium is also needed to fully develop our baby and adult teeth. While we are infants and our baby teeth are developing we will not need as much calcium as we will need when we are about nine and our adult teeth begin to come in and we go through a critical bone building stage.

Tip two:
Fluoride also helps to make our teeth stronger. Drinking water in most cities has fluoride added to the water; if your area does not add fluoride to your drinking water your dentist can give you fluoride supplements. Another way to get fluoride is through toothpaste; not all toothpaste contains fluoride so you will have to read the ingredients to ensure your toothpaste has fluoride. Fluoride is used to make our tooth enamel stronger.

Tip three:
Use proper brushing techniques. Use a soft bristled toothbrush held at a forty-five degree angle and brush for at least two minutes. When brushing your teeth it is important to brush all the surfaces. Do not forget to brush your tongue. By brushing properly you are removing the food particles and plaque that can turn into acid and cause tooth decay. Tooth decay makes our teeth weaker.

Tip four:
Get your teeth professional cleaned at least twice a year. Professional cleaning is the only way to remove tartar, which is plaque that has harden over time. Getting your teeth professionally cleaned also removes tartar below the gum line that your toothbrush can miss. Getting this plaque and tartar build up removed helps to prevent tooth decay, tooth decay can weaken your teeth.

Tip five:
Eat a balanced diet. Calcium and fluoride are not the only nutrients that your teeth need to remain strong; your teeth also need protein and phosphorus. Milk and cheese are a great way to help provide your teeth with the nutrients that your teeth need to remain strong. Also try to limit the amount of starchy, sugary, and sticky foods that you eat. These types of foods tend to stick to your teeth, which can increase tooth decay and cause cavities. When you get your cavities fixed it can weaken your teeth.
 
Tip six:
If you can not brush after your meals you should still take certain measures to help keep your teeth clean. Clean teeth are healthy and strong teeth. After eating rinse your mouth out with water or mouthwash, this helps to rinse any loose food particles from your teeth. You can also floss after eating to help remove food particles or chew a piece of sugar less gum. The increased salvia you produce from chewing gum helps to rinse food particles from your teeth.

As far back as the Middle Ages people have always wanted to have a nice pearly white smile, but because of certain factors practicing good oral hygiene alone can not keep your teeth that pearly white color. Our lifestyle choices and foods we eat affect the color of our teeth, as well as aging. Back in the Middle Ages a guy would file down your teeth and soak them in a concentrated solution of nitric acid. While that process does work, the process also destroys the tooth's enamel, which led to an increase of tooth decay.

Good thing we are not in the Middle Ages anymore. People in today's society want that pearly white smile, but they also want to keep their natural teeth for as long as they can. Because of the advances in our world we have discovered new ways to keep our teeth white and to minimize tooth decay.

Teeth staining agents can be foods, beverages, or other factors. Some common teeth staining agents are coffee, tea, dark sodas, tobacco use, dark foods, and acidic foods. Many of us use these products on a daily basis so most of us are at a high risk of having stained teeth. The good news is there are ways to fight these teeth staining agents.

Tip one:
Avoid all teeth staining agents. This one is obvious if we do not use the product we will not stain our teeth, but this one is not always practical.

Tip two:
Eating cranberries can actually prevent plaque from sticking to our teeth. With less plaque sticking to our teeth, the less the tartar can build up. The less tartar builds up the less our teeth become discolored from eating certain foods.

Tip three:
Brush your teeth after every meal. By brushing after every meal you can help to prevent stains from certain foods because the less time the food sits on your tooth the less time the stains have to soak into your tooth enamel.

Tip four:
Fruits such as melons, peaches, and other summer fruit that are high in water content can help prevent stains. They help to prevent stains because of the amount of water that is in the fruit. The higher water content helps to rinse your teeth while you are eating, which gives food less time to soak into your tooth enamel.

Tip five:
Teeth whitening is offered at almost every dentist office. It involves both work done at home and at the dentist's office, the work is done with a tooth whitening system. It is used to brighten stained, discolored or dull looking teeth. Most people who use this procedure are people who use tobacco, have a high caffeine intake, or are older in age so their teeth have lost their bright look. This process works to fight any kind of stain, but depending on how badly your teeth are stained depends on how many treatments you might need. You can also buy tooth whitening systems over the counter.

Tip six:
Veneers are really thin tooth coverings. They are made out of porcelain or composite materials and are glued to the front of your teeth. These work great for people who can not get the look they want with teeth bleaching. If you choose to go the route of veneers just keep in mind that if you do not cover all of your teeth and use a tooth whitening system you can get an uneven smile.

Regardless of how you choose to combat teeth staining agents the best advice is to limit the amount of foods and drinks that you are consuming that can cause the staining. For example if you get your teeth bleached and continue to drink a lot of dark sodas, coffee or tea, the stains can actually reappear about a month later.

How our teeth look makes an impression on other people. If you have stained or discolored teeth people tend to stare at your mouth rather than look you in the eyes when you are talking to them. That tends to make us self conscious about smiling, laughing or even talking; which can affect our social and business lives.

Tooth discoloration is a normal process that we experience as we get older, but there are some types of foods that can speed up this process. These kinds of foods stick to the tartar that is on our teeth and helps to darken our teeth.  The good news is that there is something that can be done about slowing down this process and reversing it so we can maintain that sparkling white smile.

Here are some foods that are known to stain your teeth. Try to avoid these foods or at least limit the amount you are consuming.

Beverages:
Coffee, tea, red wine, and soft drinks can all stain your teeth. These beverages contain dark compounds that are absorbed by your tooth enamel over a period of time. While you can get rid of these stains with tooth whitening systems if you continue your high intake of these beverages the stains will generally reappear in a month or so.

Dark foods:
Blueberries, chocolate, blackberries, purple grapes, and other dark foods or foods high in acid can stain your teeth. A good rule of thumb is that if the food can stain your carpet it can discolor your teeth. When eating blueberries you may have noticed that your lips and gums tend to take on a bluish color, the same thing happens to your teeth. If you eat a high amount of these dark and acidic foods the stains gradually become worse, but brushing after every meal can help prevent these stains. Just because a healthy food stains your teeth does not mean you should quit eating that food, just take the proper steps to keep your teeth clean.

While certain foods can stain our teeth, other types of foods can help prevent stains.

Cranberries:
In recent studies it has shown that eating cranberries can actually prevent plaque from sticking to our teeth. With less plaque sticking to our teeth, the less the tartar can build up. The less tartar builds up the less our teeth become discolored from eating certain foods, since food sticks to the tartar build up and makes our teeth look discolored.

Fruits:
Fruits such as melons, peaches, and other summer fruit that are high in water content can help prevent stains. They help to prevent stains because of the amount of water that is in the fruit. Have you ever bitten into a nice juice peach? Well the reason that the peach is juicy is because of the water content, the more juicer the fruit is the less likely food will stick to our teeth. If food can not stick to our teeth it is harder for them to discolor our teeth.

Just remember foods and beverages are not the only things that discolor our teeth. Tobacco use is probably the leading cause of tooth discoloration next to caffeine intake. Certain drugs, whether legal or illegal, can also cause tooth discoloration. The only way to treat these discolorations is to use a tooth whitening system and to cut down or quit using what is discoloring our teeth.

Good dental care is important for everyone.  Even later in life it is nice to have a beautiful smile, not to mention we need those pearly whites for chewing!  So what can you do to maintain a beautiful smile even when you are older?

Well, just because you hit retirement doesn't mean you should retire your toothbrush.  Keeping it out and using it often is obviously still the number one way to maintain a beautiful smile even when you are older.  It would be a good idea to check the bristles on it though.  Make sure to use a soft bristled tooth brush.  In later years gums can often be more sensitive and tend to recede easier.  Using a soft bristled toothbrush will still provide the teeth and gum cleaning that you need, while giving your gums a break.

It is also a good idea to throw that toothbrush away every few months and buy a new one.  The bristles can start to get worn out, and sometimes fall out, and after a while the toothbrush can collect a lot of unwanted bacteria.  So go ahead and throw out the old toothbrush and bring in a new one every so often.

If it becomes difficult to hold the smaller handle of a toothbrush, a strap of some kind can be added to help. 

If you do have dentures in your later years, it is still important to brush the gums and roof of the mouth.  Brushing these areas with toothpaste will stimulate the tissue and help it maintain good health.  It will remove plaque and other bacteria.

Maintaining a beautiful smile in later years needs help - medical help.  This shouldn't be surprising because having a beautiful smile has always required medical help.  A good oral hygiene routine has always included at least two trips to the dentist each year.  As you age, it may be a good idea to see the dentist a little more frequently if possible.  This is because the dentist is a specialist when it comes to oral health.  The dentist removes plaque build up that leads to tooth decay. 

Tooth decay can be especially problematic in later years in part due to receding gums.  As we age, our gums recede and can leave the base of our teeth exposed.  If this area of the tooth begins to decay, it can quickly infect the gums and roots of the teeth.  So it is important to visit the dentist frequently to have that extra help removing plaque build up.

The dentist can also screen for oral cancer.  The risk of cancer increases as we age, and having a regular screening by the dentist is always a good idea.  Besides, the sooner cancer is diagnosed, the better chances of effectively treating it.

In later years the dentist may also be able to use some cosmetic procedures to help you maintain a beautiful smile.  As we age, our teeth are obviously more worn and they tend to more brittle as well.  This is because the nerve, tissue, and pulp that make up our teeth are aging as well.  So talk to the dentist about any cosmetic helps he may be able to provide.

Another tip for maintaining good oral health is simply to rinse out the mouth more often.  This rinsing will help get rid of any extra food particles hanging around in the mouth.  Sometimes in older age there is a decrease in the amount of salvia.  Salvia helps food get dissolved and swallowed.  Simply rinsing a few times a day can help do the work that the lost salvia would do.

These few suggestions won't stop the course of nature, but they sure can help maintain a beautiful smile in later years.

Almost everyone has heard the popular slogan about milk doing good things for the body and seen the commercials of people smiling with white milk mustaches gracing their upper lips.  But how exactly does calcium and milk work in the dental world and does it really do teeth good?  These questions raise a discussion about calcium and stronger teeth.

About 99% of calcium in the body is maintained in the bones and teeth.  Bones actually act as a reservoir of calcium and can be tapped into when the body needs the calcium.  Teeth, on the other hand, do not give up their calcium.  So teeth don't need calcium right?  Wrong.  Teeth need calcium because they are made out of calcium.  Teeth also need calcium in another more round about, but very important, way.

Teeth are held into place by the jaw bone.  If there are any problems with the jaw, then there are likely to be problems with the teeth.  The jaw bone is part of the body's reservoir of calcium because it is a bone.  If a person does not have sufficient calcium intake through their diet or supplementary pills, then the jaw bone, like other bones, may be called on to suffice the need.  This means that the jaw bone can be depleted or used up.  Uh oh, that sounds bad, depleting bones.  In fact, it is a very bad thing.  As bones are depleted their mass is decreased and this can make them more brittle or breakable.

Science actually has a term for brittle or breakable bones.  It is called osteoporosis.  This is a disease that often affects elderly people, but the prevention starts when a person is young.  As the body ages the bones are gradually depleted or raided for their calcium supply, but being aware of this throughout life can help people make choices and establish patterns that fight against osteoporosis.

The results of osteoporosis are far reaching.  In the dental world it can mean weaker jaw bones.  A weakened jaw bone is especially problematic for the teeth.  As the bones supporting and anchoring teeth lose their strength, the teeth start to move and shift because they are not being held in place.  This can lead to either complete tooth loss or it can cause small gaps to open up between teeth and gums.  These gaps allow bacteria in a person's mouth to build a comfortable home, and bacteria build up anywhere in the mouth is never a good thing!

When these gaps occur in the teeth and gums, it makes it very difficult to brush and floss to effectively remove the bacteria.  This can lead to periodontal diseases that destroy teeth, gums, and bone which ultimately destroys a beautiful smile.

So, to avoid weakened jaw bones and to maintain healthy teeth, a proper calcium intake must be maintained.  If the correct calcium levels are maintained in the body throughout life, there is a reduced chance of having osteoporosis later in life.  And less osteoporosis means less likelihood of having a weak jaw bone that loses teeth. 

How can people maintain adequate calcium in their diets?  Calcium can be taken as a pill or supplement, but it very easy to get enough of it through simply eating the right foods.  Calcium is naturally very plentiful in dairy products.  So yes, milk does a body - and teeth - very good.  But diary products aren't the only source of calcium.  It can also be found in broccoli, cabbage, salmon, and it is often added to breads and orange juice.  Adults and children alike need calcium to keep their bones strong, so everyone should be sure to get enough calcium for stronger teeth.

There is an ongoing discussion about public water systems adding fluoride to the nation's drinking water.  There are some people who are very opposed to this and others who are adamantly in favor.  And then there are those who just go along with whatever.  So should we supplement fluoride?

Well first off, supplement means "add to."   So obviously fluoride must already be present in the course of a natural diet.  A small amount of fluoride is usually present in drinking water before any additions, merely because fluoride is present in soil - and that's where the water supply starts out.  Water comes into contact with rocks and other mineral deposits that release fluoride into it.  Most food also contains small amounts of fluoride as well, because it comes into contact with either water or rocks and soil containing fluoride. 

Some people have suggested that these natural sources of fluoride do not provide an adequate amount.  Well what are the benefits of fluoride in the first place?  Fluoride protects teeth from cavities and that translates into less drilling and discomfort at the dentist's office, not to mention less money out of the pocket.  It is an especially great method for fighting off cavities and tooth decay in children.  In fact, it is the number one way kids maintain healthy teeth.  So what's wrong with that?

Well, some people are concerned about too much fluoride.  Too much fluoride can cause stains and discoloration on teeth.  It's all about having the perfect smile.  Some people say that too much fluoride can also cause bone cancer or osteoporosis (a disease where bones are weak and prone to fracture).  Others claim that too much fluoride also relates to liver damage and kidney damage.

So the question really is this: how much fluoride is just the right amount?  Scientists have done all the homework on this question for the public already.  They have found what is considered to be the optimum level of fluoride to keep teeth healthy while avoiding the risks and consequences of too much fluoride.  Many United States citizens who drink public water are currently experiencing the benefits of this optimal amount of fluoridation in their water.

Water fluoridation means that scientists measure how much fluoride is currently in a community's drinking water.  They then adjust that amount by either adding or removing fluoride to make it reach the optimum levels for healthier teeth.  Is the fluoride that occurs naturally better or different than the fluoride that city officials and scientists add to the public drinking water?  Nope, it's the same good stuff - just pure fluoride ions floating around in water.

There have been some occasions where fluoridation equipment malfunctioned.  In these circumstances too much fluoride was released into the water system and people became sick.  But this happens so infrequently, that in reality the benefits of fluoride in public water definitely outweigh the detriments.  There are thousands of people who have enjoyed fewer cavities because of fluoridation in drinking water.

So what about toothpaste that has fluoride or those fluoride treatments at the dentist's office?  Well, science has found that it is useful and good to ingest fluoride, but there is also great benefit in having fluoride applied directly to teeth.  This is where fluoride in toothpaste and at the dentist's office comes in.  Obviously both of these treatments bring teeth in direct contact with fluoride and help reduce cavities.  So be sure to have the dentist treat teeth with fluoride during regular visits.

It is important, however, to watch younger children as they brush their teeth using toothpaste with fluoride.  Children should only use a pea sized amount, and parents should take care that their child does not make a habit of swallowing lots of toothpaste. 

Another item to keep in mind is that the American Dental Association has always endorsed the use of fluoride in public drinking water.  They say that it is an excellent means of preventing tooth decay.  So check with local officials and make sure that they are supplementing public drinking water with fluoride and be sure to include fluoride treatments and toothpaste in regular dental care.

Smoking and strong teeth do not exactly go hand in hand. Smoking does not have good effects on the health of a person's teeth. A person who regularly smokes will need to put extra work into taking care of their teeth. While they may not be able to keep them as strong as a non-smoker, there are still things they should be sure to do. Here are five for a smoker that may help his or her teeth stay healthy:

Tip number one: The single most important thing for a smoker to do is to brush their teeth regularly. Brushing teeth helps remove bacteria off teeth as well as remove any food that might get caught in them while you eat. Since smoking increases the bacteria on your teeth, it is especially important that smokers brush frequently so that they can remove these bacteria as often as possible. Also, the longer they leave food on their teeth the easier it will be for their teeth to decay. Since the teeth are weakened by the smoking, it is not a good idea to leave food on their teeth very long at all. Brushing after each meal would be a good idea for smokers.

Tip number two: The next most important thing for smokers to do is to floss very frequently. The extra bacteria build up on smokers' teeth is usually in the gums. Because of the extra bacteria the smoker's gums inflame and they get gum disease. This disease is not painful so the smoker may not even notice that they have it. Nevertheless, they do have it and it causes their gums to recede from their teeth. Pretty soon the teeth do not have support and they fall out. Flossing frequently is a good idea because it can slow the process by removing some of the extra bacteria build-up in the gums.

Tip number three: Besides brushing and flossing frequently, it may also be a good idea for smokers to use mouthwash. But it has to be certain mouthwash. They have to use mouthwashes containing chlorine dioxide and Listerine. These two ingredients help to decrease bacteria on the teeth. Listerine is especially important because it helps to decrease the plaque causing bacteria. Since plaque bacteria are a big problem for smokers a mouthwash with Listerine in it is a very good idea. Like brushing and flossing, it can help slow the teeth decay process.

Tip number four: Another good idea for smokers would be to eat as many healthy foods as possible and the least amount of sugary foods that they could. The sugary foods would only add to the bacteria build-up and decay of the teeth. Instead of helping the smoker's teeth to be healthy, sugary foods would speed up the process of weakening teeth. Nutritious foods on the other hand would help the body to stay as strong as possible. Good foods would allow the teeth to receive as much strength possible to fight against the effects of smoking.

Tip number five: Tip number five may seem like a harsh one, but unfortunately it is the only tip the doctors and dentists recommend for smokers and it is simply to stop smoking. All the other tips may help to keep the teeth strong as long as possible, but the truth is that the more you smoke the quicker you will have problems with your teeth weakening and falling out. Smoking not only weakens the teeth but it weakens the body's immune system making it harder and harder for the body to fight back against the effects of smoking. If you really want healthy teeth, the only answer that can really be given to you is to stop smoking.

Taking care of the body is a very important thing to do. If you want your body to function properly and perform to the best of its abilities, you have to provide it with proper care. This is especially true for children and babies. It is important that their bodies are taken care of especially well because their bodies and still developing. Their bodies need a lot to be able to grow properly and healthily. One very important part of their development is their teeth. It is very important for children and babies to have their teeth taken care of. Some parents think that their children's teeth are not important because they will just fall out anyway. This, however, is not the care. There are several reasons why it is important for you to take care of your child's baby teeth. They are as follows:

One reason is that the baby teeth prepare the child's mouth for permanent teeth. They create space in the jaw for the permanent teeth to grow. You think the baby teeth do not need to be taken care of because they will fall out, but the truth is that they need to be taken care of because of their profound affect on the permanent teeth. If you want your child's permanent teeth to grow in correctly and to look as nice as possible, the child's baby teeth need to be that way. Another problem of not taking care of the baby teeth is that if they are not taken care of it will cause problems to the developing permanent teeth that are under the gums. The permanent teeth can actually rot and be ruined if the baby teeth are allowed to do so.

Another reason it is important to take care of the baby teeth and keep them healthy is because of the way they allow the child's speech to develop. If there are weird abnormalities with the teeth, those abnormalities could carry over into the way you child ends up speaking. But if the teeth are strong and healthy you child will be able to learn to speak well. Strong, healthy teeth are a good stabilizer for children who are learning to talk. Having healthy teeth leads to the development of normal speech.

A third reason why keeping baby teeth healthy is so important is because you do not want to cause the child pain. There are many problems that can develop when the child's teeth are not taken care of and some of these problems can be very painful, even leading to doctor visits and sometimes hospital visits. This is not only a problem of causing the child pain but it is a problem of cost to the parent. Medical bills these days are not cheap and you want to take care of yourself the best you can to avoid them. An easy way to avoid having to take your child to the doctor because of teeth problems is to help them take care of their teeth. Make sure they brush at least twice a day and never fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth. The sugars from juices or milk sit on their teeth and cause decay. It is small things like this that need to be avoided.

Finally, you want to keep baby teeth healthy because they help to form the child's mouth shape. You do not want them to have to go through life with a weird shaped mouth all because their baby teeth were not taken care of. To help you child to develop in a normal and healthy manner it is very important that you take care of their baby teeth.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that bone loss would be a very bad thing.  It's also not too hard to link dental health problems with bone loss as well.  After all, teeth are connected to and anchored by the jaw bone.  So what exactly is bone loss and how can bone loss be prevented so that a great smile can be maintained?

Bone Loss

Bone loss in the dental world means the reduction of bone material or mass in the upper and lower jaw.  The jaw bones are responsible for being the anchor for the roots of people's teeth.  When people have periodontal diseases, bone is lost and teeth become loose.  Periodontal diseases include any disease to the gums, teeth, or jaw bones.  These different diseases occur because of bacteria build up on the teeth.  Mouths are a great place for bacteria to live because mouths have all the right ingredients - the right temperature, the right humidity, etc.  When these bacteria decide to make a home out of a person's mouth they can cause serious problems.  Bacteria are at the root of plaque build up on teeth and gum lines.  As these bacteria grow they destroy teeth, gums, and bone.  Especially problematic is the bone loss.  It is difficult to recover a beautiful smile when infection and disease has caused the jaw bone to recede.  Dentures and dental implants require enough bone to properly secure the artificial teeth.  So don't let periodontal disease take over your mouth because that means good bye to a beautiful smile!

Bone Loss Prevention

So the real question is how can periodontal disease and bone loss be prevented?  The first step towards fighting bone loss seems like a small one, but it really works. 

    Use a tooth brush and fluoride enhanced toothpaste at least twice a day. 

Brushing teeth actually works.  Plaque is constantly in a state of growing; mouths are never really completely rid of all bacteria.  That's why establishing a daily routine of brushing teeth is so important.  Brushing teeth keeps bacteria from building up to dangerous levels.  But doing a good job for two weeks straight and then taking a month off won't do the job!  By brushing twice a day to keep bacteria from building up, people fight off all sorts of infections and diseases that can cause dental bone loss. 

    Use floss at least once a day.

Yup, flossing, another basic of good oral hygiene, also helps.  It may seem like it takes a long time, but flossing is extremely helpful.  Flossing removes food particles from places a toothbrush just can't reach.  And like brushing, flossing isn't something that is stored up: you can ever do "enough".  Flossing has to be part of a daily routine.  Removing food from contacting the surface of teeth will go a long way towards preventing dental bone loss.

    Have regular dental cleanings.

Although they may be inconvenient at times, those regular dental cleanings are essential in fighting off periodontal diseases that cause bone loss.  The hygienist and dentist can see the plaque and calculus build up on teeth very easily.  They have those big lamps that hang from the ceiling and they can just scrape away the potential for periodontal disease.  They can also get at build up under the gum line that can be missed by the regular tooth brush.

So to prevent dental bone loss have those regular dental cleaning, floss at least once a day, and be sure to brush with fluoride enhanced toothpaste in the mornings and in the evenings.  These simple and basic hygiene practices will fight off periodontal diseases and help people maintain healthy bones.