Your oral health depends on how well you take care of your smile–and that you do so regularly. The Dentist in Uptown Toronto, Dr. Tamo, teaches patients how to brush, floss and eat tooth-friendly diets. She will also ask that you and your family come to Dentistry @ 1881 every six months to receive complete oral exams and professional cleanings. These services are a great investment in the health of your smiles.
What You Don’t Do and Don’t Know…
In terms of your oral health, what you don’t do and don’t know can really hurt the health of your teeth and gums and also, your overall health. If someone doesn’t understand the basics of brushing and flossing at home, a nutritious diet, and protecting the soft and hard oral tissues from injury, dental and systemic well-being can deteriorate rapidly.
The answer, says the staff at Dentistry @1881, is education. That’s why the dentist on Yonge Street takes time to tell each patient how they can improve their oral hygiene routines and why six-month check-ups and cleanings are so vital. These simple preventatives increase the chances for great oral well-being.
Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
These two oral health problems are the biggest causes of tooth loss in North America. Six percent of the Canadian adult population is fully edentulous–that is, these people have lost all of their teeth. Dr. Tamo believes these devastating losses are preventable with some disciplined routines done correctly in the home:
- Brush twice a day for two minutes with a quality fluoride toothpaste and soft brush. Brushing removes toxic plaque and its associated bacteria, and it freshens breath. Fluoridated toothpastes and rinses penetrate tooth enamel and help remineralise it.
- Floss daily between teeth and at the gum line to eliminate plaque accumulation and to ward off gum disease. Flossing takes just a few minutes but noticeably reduces tartar and inflammation. (Parents, supervise your school-age kids until the age of 10. Babies and toddlers need Mom and Dad to brush and floss for them.)
- Tooth friendly diets include fibrous fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy (for calcium) and lean meats for protein. Your family dentist in uptown Toronto recommends limiting carbohydrates and processed sugars as they are the perfect breeding ground for oral bacteria.
- Drink several glasses of water a day to increase saliva and rinse teeth and gums.
- Be alert to changes in oral tissues, such as bleeding, when you brush, persistent bad breath, lumps or swellings, pain, dental sensitivity to heat, cold and pressure, tooth alignment and the fit of prosthetics.
The Six-month Exam
Your family dentist on Yonge Street performs comprehensive oral examinations every six months to keep ahead of problems and to treat issues quickly as they arise. They inspect for tooth decay and periodontitis, tooth alignment and condition of existing restorations, oral cancer (highly treatable if caught early), tooth grinding and TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction).
Additionally, as children’s mouths develop, the dentists watch tooth and jaw development carefully. They refer for orthodontic care as needed to capitalise on the changing configurations of young oral cavities.
Find out More
The better informed you are about your teeth and gums and how to care for them, the brighter and healthier your smile will be. Contact Dentistry @ 1881 to schedule a routine check-up and cleaning. As part of your individualised treatment plan, Dr. Tamo will talk to you about the benefits of preventive dental care.