From Sweet Tooth to Sweet Smile!
Scott had a problem. Actually Scott had two problems, the second problem being that he didn’t have a clue about the first problem. So what was his first problem? Well, his love of sweets and his careless disregard for his teeth were joining forces and were ready to deliver a knockout punch to his very nice, healthy, set of bright white teeth.
Luckily Scott’s mother became aware of the problem since Scott is only twelve years old and got him our office. It seemed that Scott wasn’t really doing his nightly brushing and that he had a secret stash of candy. That lack of brushing coupled with the late night sweet treats made for one big bacteria party in Scott’s mouth every night. The bacteria in your mouth (don’t worry every one has them!) use sugar as a source of fuel and as they eat up the sugar they produce acid which in turn starts to dissolve the minerals around your teeth that make your enamel hard. Once the acid eats through the enamel it leaves tiny holes and after a while those tiny holes join up to become one big hole and that my friends is a cavity! And Scott was on the verge of having a lot of cavities if he didn’t control his bad habits.
We gave Scott a good cleaning and sent him home with our 5 Steps to a Healthy Smile guide:
Step 1: Don’t wait until it’s too late! Be sure to come in for regular check-ups and cleanings. We are trained to find things that you won’t be able to see until it’s too late!
Step 2: Floss is the boss! Floss once a day at least, floss reaches places your toothbrush can’t!
Step 3: Eat & drink just be sure to think! Eat a well balanced diet and don’t hide candy under the bed.
Step 4: Be good to your gums! Keep an eye out for red, puffy, or tender gums those can be signs of gum disease.
Step 5: It takes a while to brush your smile! Brush carefully at least once a day and brush for at least 2-3 minutes. Many new toothbrushes have built in timers so you know exactly how long to brush.
We’re happy to report that Scott has kicked his sweet tooth habit and is left with just a sweet smile!
Halloween May Be Scary But You Should Never Be Afraid To Smile or Visit a Dentist!
With Halloween already upon us that can only mean one thing; the holidays are fast approaching! We all want to look out best for the holidays so now is the time to get yourself and your family scheduled for a check-up and a cleaning.
Happy Halloween!
Dr. Jorge E. Larrondo