How to Care for the Teeth
Everyone loves a beautiful smile. More importantly, everyone loves to own a beautiful smile. Now, there`s one part of the body that is responsible for how beautiful our smiles get: the teeth. Your teeth are clearly one of the essential parts of your body. It is also one of the parts of the body that draw attention quickly. Little wonder why we often take extra care to ensure that our teeth stay healthy. In this article, we`ll be sharing tips to help you keep up with your teeth healthy. Let`s get talking.
What are the Teeth Made of?
Of course, you`ve pondered over this question once or twice. Well, this article will satisfy your curiosity. Those strong white bones within your mouth cavity are primarily made up of dentin, a calcium-based tissue. Dentin forms the hard outer part of the teeth, which is the enamel. The enamel is the part of the teeth that we can see. However, it is not only dentin that makes up your teeth. Your teeth also consist of minerals like phosphorus and calcium.
What`s the Teething Process Like?
The human teething process is quite interesting. Did you know that babies are born without
any teeth? Weird but true! A human doesn`t start teething until several months after their birth. The first set of teeth developed is called milk teeth. Every child fully develops this first set of teeth develop by age 3. However, the teething process doesn`t end here. Between ages 6 and 12, the child sheds off these milk teeth. Shedding off the first tooth is often an intriguing process for children. There are a lot of myths around it too. By the time the child turns 21, they should have the adult set of 32 teeth in place.
Types of Teeth
Yes! Although we may believe our teeth to be the same, they are actually different and serve different purposes. A set of milk teeth is made up of four incisors, two canines, and four molars while a set of adult teeth consists of eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, eight molars and the last set of four teeth known as the wisdom teeth. Let`s learn more about them.
Incisors
The incisors are the first set of teeth humans develop. The infant incisors appear at the age
of 6 months and fall off between ages 6 and 12 years, giving way to the adult incisors. The incisors typically occupy the frontal part of your jaw. We use our incisors for biting food.
Canines
Canines develop right after your incisors. Both infants and adults have the same number of canines. The incisors have sharp, pointy edges to help you tear your food. Infants develop their canines between 16 and 20 months. Within this time, the upper canines grow first, while the lower canines come in afterward. The permanent canines show up between ages 9 and 11. This time, the lower ones develop first, while the upper canines develop later.
Premolars
Your premolars are typically big and flat with teeth ridges. These ridges make them perfect
for crushing and grinding food. Children don`t have premolars until they are 10 to 12 years old.
Molars
Your molars are pretty big and strong. In fact, they are the biggest and strongest subset of
teeth. Adults have 12 molar teeth, however, only eight of them develop between ages 6 and 12. Your molars do quite a lot. Typically, they help you grind your food into smaller pieces; making it easier for you to swallow.
Wisdom Teeth
Some people believe that wisdom teeth make one wiser. That remains without any medical backing. The wisdom teeth are the last set of molars an adult develops. They usually show up around ages 17 to 25. Some people do not have enough space in their oral cavity for the wisdom teeth. This leads to the wisdom teeth getting stuck in the gum. When this happens, you can opt for the teeth to be taken out.
Seven Ways to Care for your Teeth
Now that you know more about your teeth types and structures, we will discuss seven tips on how to keep your teeth healthy.
Tip 1: Brush your Teeth
Brushing regularly is one of the easiest ways to keep your teeth healthy. As basic as it appears, many people still don`t know how to brush their teeth correctly. Did you know that even the angle you hold your toothbrush while brushing affects your teeth? I bet you didn`t. Now you do! When you brush, you should ensure that you keep your brush at 45 degrees to your gum line so that the bristles come in contact with your gum lines and teeth surface. Also, be sure to scrub your teeth and other surfaces in your mouth thoroughly in order to get rid of any bacteria that can cause bad breath.
Tip 2: Floss Regularly
Even after brushing, some bacteria may remain hidden in the mouth. This is where flossing
comes in. This process helps you get rid of hidden good particles in the mouth. Flossing is quite time-consuming, yet, it is a rewarding process for your teeth and general oral health. Experts advise that you floss at least once a day. Please note that flossing is not a substitute for brushing.
Tip 3: Stay Off Cigarettes; Drink Less Alcohol
You`ve probably heard that smokers are liable to for young. Besides your lungs, smoking does a lot of damage to your teeth too. In other words, tobacco is not your teeth`s friend. This is because it contains elements that can cause oral cancer and many other periodontal diseases. Excessive intake of alcohol can also damage your teeth. Alcohol contains a number of elements that are not teeth-friendly. So, slow down on your overall alcohol consumption while maintaining the right dental habits to keep your teeth healthy.
Tip 4: Avoid Sodas and Stimulating Beverages
Stimulating beverages like coffee and tea are particularly bad for your teeth because they can cause discoloration. Also, excessive intake of soda and other sugar-based drinks can weaken your teeth, leading to tooth cavities. So, be sure to cut down the consumption of these to the barest minimum.
Tip 5: Eat Healthily
You have to let your teeth think for you when it comes to your diet. This is because a healthy diet keeps your teeth healthy. It`s that simple. Your teeth need a lot of calcium, so make sure you eat food that is rich in calcium such as milk and cheese.
Tip 6: Cut Down the Sugar!
Nothing kills your teeth more than excessive sugar intake. Your teeth bacteria often breaks down excess sugars into acids. These acids affect your teeth negatively. If you must consume high quantities of sugar, then ensure that you maintain good dental habits. Brush your teeth immediately after ingesting any sugary food.
Tip 7: Chew only Sugarless Gum
Producing saliva in your mouth is an undeniably important process for oral health, and chewing gum can helps to achieve that. When saliva circulates around the mouth, its alkaline nature neutralizes the acidic effect that bacteria cause. However, if you chew sugary gum, the gum creates a neutralizing effect, but it contains bacteria that produce another acidic effect. That can be catastrophic! You succeed in neutralizing an acidic effect, but the sad thing is that you create another acidic effect!
Now that you Know…
Without any doubt, your teeth are one of your greatest assets. Therefore, you need to take extra care of them. Be sure to put these tips into practice, and you`d be well on your way to achieving a healthier set of teeth and a beautiful smile!