USC Dentist Caring Tips: How to keep your teeth healthy during summer

What you eat and drink matters a lot for your teeth. During summer, there may be changes in our diet. The consumption of certain food and drinks go higher than the usual. While the sun is more lively, cold and sweet food and drinks are rampant. Contact sports are also popular. But here are some precautions from USC dentist you should take note.

Toothache and other dental problems are sometimes inevitable. But keeping your teeth healthy and in shape is crucial. It's also a factor to have a wonderful summertime, whether staying at home or going out of town.

Tips to keep your teeth healthy and in shape

 These tips came from the American Dental Association (ADA).

• Avoid chewing or eating ice. While ice and other cold food may be your best friend during hotter days, they can have a damaging effect on your teeth. You may think that ice is just a water.  But, it can damage the enamel of your teeth and will leave you toothache. So as much as possible, no chewing ice.

• Do away from energy or sports drinks. It’s okay to drink these energy- adding liquids. But make sure that they are low in sugar. It’s because most of sports and energy drinks have high sugar content. And you know how sugar can corrode your teeth. Just to be safe, stick to water.

• Stay away from lemonade. Refreshments like lemonade are much popular during hotter days. So why should you avoid lemonade? This juice drink has much acid in it. The acid from citrus fruit can damage the enamel of your teeth. And too much sugar can lead to tooth decay. Again, nothing is alternative to water.

• Keep junk food out of sight. Junk food like potato chips or any food that “crunch” usually has starch. And this element tends to get trapped in your teeth. But if you can’t resist it, use a dental floss after you eat.

• Wear a mouthguard when engaging in contact sports. Physical activities like biking and rollerblading are popular this season. While they can be fun and exciting, accidents can happen. Wearing a mouthguard when engaging in contact sports is vital. It avoids breaking or damaging your mouth.

• Make sure to visit your dentist. Be sure that before you go out of town, you visit your dentist. Taking care of any dental problem beforehand can help you have a wonderful vacation. If you are going outside country, note that some places don't have an easy access to the dental clinic especially in remote areas. It may not be as easy as getting a dental implant in Los Angeles. If you are in the healing process after the dental implant surgery, better seek advice from your dentist. 

Above all, know before you go. Aside from packing your essentials, make sure to head to your dental clinic and seek advice from USC dentist.

USC Dentist Tips: 8 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy and Increase Your Life Span

Taking good care of teeth is each person’s responsibility. Otherwise, one will greatly suffer the consequences of poor teeth and gum health. Having a toothache is not that painful, right? And the bloody dental procedures don’t sound horrifying? If you don’t think so, below are some tips from a USC dentist to help you keep or renew happy and healthy smiles, and possibly live longer.

Here are some ways to keep your whole mouth healthy:

Ways to keep teeth healthy

• Brush, Brush, Brush, 3x a day. If you hear that commercial from a toothpaste company and you think that it is only for children, think again. Brushing your teeth is a lifetime activity, only if you want to make your  teeth last a lifetime.  Brushing your teeth and gums at least twice or every after meal can undeniably improve your teeth’s health.

• Brush your teeth properly. It’s not only about brushing, it’s also about how you brush your teeth that matters. A usual brushing can only take up a minute, especially for people who are in a hurry.  But a proper brushing can take up to two to three minutes.  Also, use fluoridated toothpaste for additional protection.

• Floss for longer life. What if you find out that dental flossing every after meal can increase your life span? It’s a surprising fact, isn’t it? Various studies found out that flossing every day can prevent the germs or bacteria stuck between teeth that could cause gum disease and heart problems. That is why, never neglect the power of a dental floss.

• Avoid carbonated, acidic drinks and  junk food. The acid drinks and junk food can soften the tooth enamel, which could cause a hole like cavities or caries. If you can’t resist drinking acidic drinks and junk food, at least limit the intake.

•  Use mouthwash or chew gum after meal. Rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash can kill bacteria and germs infiltrating your mouth, and improve your gum health. You may also opt to chewing sugar-free gum to increase saliva, which neutralizes acid and eradicate bacteria.

•  Protect teeth from injury. Physically demanding sports like boxing, wrestling, martial arts or any sports that require physical contact must be taken properly. This means that you should wear mouth guards. So before engaging in this sport, go to a dentist for custom-fitted mouth guard. If not, go to sporting goods.

• Avoid smoking. Smoking is also a great contributor to gum disease and oral cancer. If you can’t quit smoking, use a smokeless cigarette.

• Visit dentist. If you haven’t suffered toothache, it does not mean that you shouldn’t visit a dental clinic to have a dental check-up. It’s better to be early than it’s already too late. If you already have had a dental implant surgery before or had your teeth extracted, you know how important the regular dental check-up is.

If it’s your first time to seek dentist for a check up or have dental implants in Los Angeles, seek trusted and qualified dentists near you. You can always trust a USC dentist. 

USC Dentist Tips: Post-Dental Implant Surgery Pain Management (How to Bring Down Pain After Surgery)

Pain is inevitable after surgery. This is part of the healing process. But don’t worry, the pain can be manageable. There are some tips from reliable and trusted USC dentist you have to take note to help you lower down the pain after the surgery.

The causes of pain vary. It can be a result of loose implant, nerve pressure or damage, unfastened healing cap, infection or rejection of the implant by your body. But these instances only happen almost rarely. The usual pain felt after the surgery is not to worry about. Again, it’s part of the healing process.

Moreover, here are some tips you have to consider to help you manage the pain after the dental implant surgery:

Take post-operation medication and treatment

After the dental implant surgery, your doctor will give you medications such as antibiotics, analgesics (pain killers) and mouth wash. Other doctors will also give you some dental implant home care treatment tips. So take note of them.  This helps you to bring down the pain.

Treat swelling with a pack of ice

Bruising and swelling can take up to 3 days after the dental implant surgery, which is perfectly normal. But sometimes, it can last a week. You can reduce and prevent too much swelling by a pack of ice or a pack of cold veggies wrapped in a towel. Hold on the cheek area for 10 minutes and repeat after 20 minutes break.

What’s the best part? You can eat ice cream. Eating smoothies and ice cream can help prevent further swelling, even the cut is still fresh. Do note that after the surgery, you are not allowed to eat hard and solid foods for a few days.

Control the bleeding with tea bag

Gum bleeding is normal after 2 to 3 days. If the bleeding continues for a few days after, you may consult with your doctor. But there is also a good way to stop some bleeding, aside from eating ice cream or icing the cheeks. When gauze biting, use a tea bag. It’s advisable to use black tea. To apply: Wet the bag, then do the gauze-biting with the black tea bag instead of a gauze pad.

Also, avoid hot food or drinks to prevent excessive bleeding. The heat can cause the blood vessel to open wide, which will make you bleed even more. Instead, continue with cold, soft food like ice cream.

Always mind your oral hygiene

Even without undergoing surgery, oral hygiene is very important. The key to successful surgery depends on how clean your mouth is. Keeping your mouth clean ensures no harmful bacteria or infection could jeopardize the implant.

After dental implant surgery, you are advised to use mouthwash. Tooth brushing can be done the evening after the surgery, but avoid brushing the surgical site for a few days.

Try also using the hot salt mouthwashes (hot water with salt). Yet, don’t gargle or swish the liquid while the wound is fresh. Wait for a couple of days or when the cut is healed.

Other things to take note

•  If you are a smoker, avoid or stop smoking as the healing process is still ongoing.
• Try to chew the food on the part of the mouth that does not have surgery.
• If you are required to take the course of antibiotics, please do.
• If you’re looking for dental implants in Los Angeles, find a reliable USC dentist.

Thus, the post-dental implant surgery pain is manageable. Just make sure you are knowledgeable about the proper post-dental surgery maintenance and you got the trusted USC dentist.

Cheap Dental Implants: Maintance Care Guidance

Needless to say, high quality, cheap dental implants require high quality maintenance. Taking good care of your dental implants can last a lifetime.

Dental implants replace the missing teeth. They must be taken good care like the natural teeth. Good oral health care and regular dental check up are vital to lasting. Unlike natural teeth which are attached to periodontal ligaments, dental implants fuse to the bone.

The consequences of poor dental implant maintenance

Although dental implants are not susceptible to tooth decay, they can become the conduit of bacteria. One of the most threatening illness is the periodontal disease, which can cause bone loss.  The plaque and bacteria that form around the implant can cause the disease to happen.

Never belittle the power of oral hygiene

Oral hygiene is important to lifetime success. Brushing and flossing is vital. Daily cleaning above the gum line is critical to preventing peri-implant disease. Unlike the common way of cleaning natural teeth, maintaining dental implant uses special brush and fluid.

Have a regular dental check up

Having clean teeth is still not an assurance that you will never be experiencing tooth loss. People, especially with gum problems and who are always exposed to contact physical activities are vulnerable to tooth loss. If you are experiencing edentulism and currently searching for the ideal dental solution, then your best choice is to undergo a dental implant procedure.

You can find several dental clinics that offer this kind of procedure to patients in Los Angeles. It’s ideal to trust a reliable and highly skilled dental professional when getting dental implants in Los Angeles. Choose someone who can offer high quality cheap dental implants to help you acquire the best teeth replacements in town.