People tend to age slower these days, provided that they listen to the good advice out there regarding eating healthy, exercising, keeping stress low, and getting plentiful sleep. However, aging happens no matter how hard we try to stop it. Our teeth, like any part of our anatomy, are not immune to the passing years. If you have habits such as regular consumption of coffee, soda, and wine, tobacco usage, ice chewing, or gnawing on non-food items (including nail biting) your teeth are likely to show their age even faster. Your Lincolnshire cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg, would like to pose some true-or-false questions on the topic of aging teeth.
Questions
Q1. True or false – High-carbohydrate foods can cause problems with your teeth.
Q2. True or false – Biannual dental visits can be reduced as you age.
Q3. True or false – Engaging in a practice called oil pulling can naturally whiten your teeth.
Answers
A1. TRUE – Some aging folks say that as the body breaks down, eating becomes one of the final true pleasures they have left. It would stand to reason that as mobility and energy decrease with age, pre-packaged meals, fast food, pizza, and take-out can become a regular habit. Convenience foods come at a price to your overall and dental health, unfortunately. Most of these foods have more than their fair share of sugar and refined carbohydrates. This feeds the bacteria in your mouth that cause tooth decay. Nothing is simpler than grabbing some sugar-free applesauce, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or carrots and celery. Try to keep your diet balanced even as you age, and you’re bound to slow the aging process at least a little.
A2. FALSE – Self-care is bound to become more challenging as people age. Biannual checkups become more important than ever when your teeth are starting to show signs of the many years they’ve been in your mouth. If an elderly person is having trouble keeping up with their twice-daily brushing and is having an issue with plaque buildup, dental appointments even more frequent than every six months may be advised by your Lincolnshire cosmetic dentist.
A3. TRUE – Many people find that swishing a tablespoon of oil in their mouth for 20 minutes every morning can pull out toxins and brighten teeth. However, if you want to really shave years off of your appearance with a whiter smile, professional whitening from Dr. Engelberg will definitely do the trick.
Visit Your Lincolnshire Cosmetic Dentist
To schedule an appointment with your Lincolnshire cosmetic dentist, call our 60069 dentist office at 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.
