I recently had dental work done. The dentist office is probably my least favorite place on earth. I get shaky; I get anxious; I get too hot or too cold. I lie back in those almost-comfortable seats, a bright hot light glaring down at me, and I can’t stop clenching my fists. I’d be clenching my teeth too if they’d let me. But no, the demanding “Open up!” is said more times than necessary while the hinges of my jaw feel like they are going to split open. And while the teeth-jarring screech of a drill goes off in my mouth, I can’t help but think, this horrible experience is just not worth it. There has got to be something I can do to keep me from coming back here again.
Why am I so cursed with bad teeth? My cousin hasn’t had a filling in her life that I know of. Some of it is genetics, so she must get her teeth from the other side of the family. Still, perhaps there are things I can do to improve the health of my teeth. Anything to reduce the number of times I have to go through this torture.
Incidentally, there are some things that can help the teeth. Crowning the list of course is brushing and flossing regularly. Another big preventer of plaque and decay is drinking lots of water. A while ago I started keeping a glass of water by my bed. Now I can’t sleep without one. Whenever I wake in the night I take a drink, and first thing in the morning a full glass goes down. My teeth have remained healthier because of it.
There are also foods that can help the teeth. Calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, and nuts are good. Fiber-rich raw foods help massage the gums and clean the teeth. These foods include apples, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, oranges, pears, and watermelon. Sugary foods are ones to stay away from, since they invite those plaque organisms to build a house on your teeth and stay for a while.
I may be paying now for the lack of care I gave my teeth 15 years ago, which means more trips to the dentist. Still, I’m convinced that it’s not too late to make my teeth healthy teeth. Just thinking about one less trip to the dentist makes me all smiles.
How does drinking lots of water help one's teeth? One reason my teeth aren't as good as some is because the NW water is soft and growing up with minerals helps build strong teeth. But I think now they put floride in the water and give floride treatments to kids. The dentist said I had healthy gums though. I hope you at least inherited those!
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence! I was at the dentist this morning. Not much fun, had to replace a filling and get a new one. Seems like I have a difficult time keeping my teeth clean, although, I’m much better than I once was.
ReplyDeleteThat is a coincidence! Regarding the water, I think that saliva carries stuff that can give you plaque, even after brushing. Drinking water can help with that. And the floride in water helps too.
ReplyDelete