Oral Health: Don't Ignore Your GumsOral Health: Don't Ignore Your Gums


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Oral Health: Don't Ignore Your Gums

When you go to your dentist, you are likely concerned about cavities and the stains on your teeth. If you are like me, then you probably never thought much about your gums. Unfortunately, this caused me to form a serious gum recession condition. My dentist said that hard brushing practices, poor flossing techniques, and even the consumption of sugary foods led to the recession. After some deep scaling treatments, I was informed that I needed a gum graft procedure. The gums are extremely important to your health. They provide your teeth with the nutrients they need and they protect the sensitive dental roots. The gums even keep bacteria away from your jaw bone. Don't ignore your gums like I did. Read my blog and learn about proper oral care techniques. Prevention practices can easily save your gums from necessary restoration.

Drinking With A Straw Offers Benefits For Your Mouth

Have you ever heard that using a straw to drink beverages is better than drinking things straight from a glass, can, or bottle? Using a straw is something you can do with almost any beverage you drink and switching to a straw may offer some benefits for you. Here are several things to know about drinking with a straw and the effects it may have on your oral health.

Using a straw protects your teeth

When you drink through a straw, you are allowing the beverages to bypass your teeth. While the beverages might still touch your teeth, they will touch them less with a straw. When you do this, your teeth will not be exposed to sugars and acids that are commonly found in many beverages. This is why drinking through a straw is a good idea if you are looking for ways to protect your teeth.

There is a right and wrong way to obtain benefits from using a straw

If you plan on using a straw for this purpose, you should understand that there is a right way to use a straw and a wrong way. The right way is to make sure the straw is deep enough inside your mouth. If the straw only goes in enough to barely touch your teeth, you will not receive any benefits from using it. The straw must extend past your teeth so that it prevents the beverages from coming in contact with your teeth.

The top benefits of using a straw

There are two huge benefits you could experience if you start using a straw with all the beverages you drink, except for water. You do not need a straw for water. In fact, it is better not to use a straw if you drink water. If you sip water from a cup, it will touch your teeth, and this will help clean them.

The first benefit of using a straw is that you will have a decreased risk of cavities. If you can keep sugar and acid off your teeth, it will be harder for cavities to form. Secondly, you can protect your teeth more from staining. When you drink cola, for example, the dark color of the soda can easily stain your teeth if you do not use a straw.

If you would like to have healthier, stronger teeth, you may want to begin using a straw to drink all the beverages you consume each day. To learn more about these benefits or to get your teeth cleaned and examined, contact a dental services clinic today.