Month: September 2020

The trend of expressing one’s individuality with tattoos and piercings has gained quite a momentum in this day and age. With the pace at which it’s gaining popularity, it can be concluded that it is here to stay. If you are a piercing fanatic, you need to know about both sides of the coin. As oral piercing is gaining popularity, so is the debate about it having any demerits for your teeth and mouth. Let’s dive right in and find out. 

Swelling and infection

As you know, our mouth has millions of bacteria residing in it. In such a case, a piercing may lead to severe infection and oral health problems. If you have done a piercing in other parts of your body like your ears or nose, you should be aware that a minor or major infection follows it in the area. However, as these are dry areas of body and one can frequently apply antiseptic creams and keep them clean, the infection subsides. But imagine having the same kind of infection in your mouth which is never dry and already has a lot of bacteria. What do you think will happen? The area pierced can swell up so much that it can reduce the passage for the airway. In the worst-case scenario, you could be prone to serious infections like endocarditis or hepatitis. 

Damage to teeth and gums

Often, the piercing placement can damage your teeth, gums, and even other dental work. Continually playing with your piercing can lead to erosion of your tooth enamel which is the protective coating of your teeth. The exposed dentin and pulp can easily catch bacteria and lead to more severe issues like tooth decay. It can also cause an injury to your gums, which can turn into an infection causing unbearable pain and sleepless nights. Your teeth can become extra sensitive or crack due to the piercings. 

Nerve Damage

Usually, after piercing your tongue or lingual frenulum, the connecting membrane underneath your tongue and the surface of your mouth could encounter numbness. This numb feeling is due to temporary damage in the nerves. Sometimes, the damage in the nerves can be permanent and can affect your taste buds. It can also affect the movement of your tongue and mouth. One can also experience severe blood loss due to piercings. 

In addition to the demerits mentioned above, you can also be prone to excessive drooling due to increased saliva production after piercing. An allergic reaction to the metal used is also a possibility. So, it is best advised not to keep your mouth open for piercings. But if you have already pierced, make sure that you clean your mouth with a mouthwash after every meal. Moreover, if you show signs like swelling or pain in the area, do visit your dentist immediately to avoid the possibility of severe infection. Also, be aware of the movement of your piercing to reduce its contact with the teeth. 

In a nutshell, it is best that you keep the piercings out of your mouth for better oral health and hygiene. If you want to get an oral piercing done, it is advised to visit your dentist for a pre-procedure consultation.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.

Although body acceptance is something that people have started to encourage globally, still unhealthy teeth make people conscious about themselves. People who have healthy teeth feel confident about themselves and smile without any worry. A beautiful smile is not only directly related to your self-esteem, but it can also increase the level of happiness in your life. 

It is scientifically proven that smiling results in the release of endorphins. So, it becomes really important to make your smile beautiful with the proper and regular care of your teeth.

How Exactly Teeth Quality Affects Self-Confidence?

Bad teeth quality creates a wrong first impression

A first impression is the last impression and thus, it becomes important to feel confident, to leave people impressed at the first instance. When having interaction with new people chances are that people will notice your teeth if they are not well-maintained since it is certainly impossible to ignore them. A glare from them can instantly make you feel low. On the other hand, having healthy teeth makes you feel good from within, which eventually leads to a long-term positive impact on others. 

Dental disorders shake your self-confidence

Even the typical dental disorders such as crooked teeth, malocclusion, yellowish teeth, and so on may decrease your inner confidence.  And make you feel bad about yourself. 

Teeth issues keep you dissatisfied

If you face any teeth issues, for example, you have a toothache. Your self-esteem keeps on diminishing as you can’t talk, smile, and behave normally. Any dental problem may lead you in a miserable situation.

Tips to Lift Confidence with Healthy Teeth

Here are some tips to keep your dental health in a good state which in turn lifts your self-confidence:

Maintaining your oral health

Maintaining good oral health should be one of your concerns. There are many ways by which you can take care of your teeth. The most fundamental of all is brushing and flossing. Always choose a toothbrush having soft bristles because they are tender on your teeth and gums and cause no discomfort. Also, make it a habit to brush your teeth twice a day, accompanied by flossing at least once a day.

Regular dental check-ups

Along with considering regular oral care, a dental visit is also essential for your teeth. Dental check-ups must be done at least once every 6 months as the dentist can locate even a small decay or any other symptoms, leading to a serious problem in the near future.

Whitening treatment

You can consider getting whitening treatments for white and bright teeth to attain greater self-esteem. The kind of food and beverages we are consuming regularly stains our teeth. Sometimes, even if we brush hard, it becomes challenging to retain the brightness of teeth. Thus, to make your teeth whiter and brighter again, you can get whitening treatments done.

Use of braces

Braces are used to straighten crooked teeth. Crooked and misaligned teeth are a very common problem experienced by children, teens, and even adults. If you are not happy with the alignment of your teeth, you can get them sorted by getting braces. It will make your teeth alignment correct and make your smile even more beautiful.

Avoid social media remedies

Several social media tips might promise to provide you healthy-looking teeth in just a couple of days. Such platforms may provide you with remedies but are not reliable in the long run and badly damages your teeth. Avoid such social media trends if you want to protect your teeth from experiments.

Unhappiness with dental appearance leads to low self-esteem. Dental disorders cause an intense impact on psychosocial behavior. Your smile unfolds positive vibes that can make people around you more comfortable and if you have healthy teeth, your smile will be confident. Good oral health effectively contributes to leading a life of contentment and happiness. So, boost your confidence by keeping your teeth clean, healthy, and beautiful!

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.

Cough syrups are one of the most common over the counter medicines that people usually rely on. They might help your body in getting rid of the rough bouts of coughing, but there’s more to these syrups than you know. The taste of such syrups might give you an idea about the quantity of sugar present in it.. It may sound like a stretch, but cough syrups are not considered good for your oral health. The sugary composition could be harmful to your teeth. They may degrade your enamel which puts you at a higher risk of developing cavities. Some of the ingredients present in cough syrups that are harmful to your teeth are:

• Sucrose: The fructose or sucrose that is added to make the syrup taste better could be potentially dangerous to your dental health. The bacteria present in your mouth breaks down this sugar to produce acid. This acid could be harmful to  enamel, which is the outer protective covering of the teeth. Degradation of enamel may cause development of cavities which may later cause you discomfort.
• Citric Acid: Although it has Vitamin C, too much of citric acid can also be harmful to your teeth. Combined with the antihistamines that are present in cough syrups, this acid can cause various dental problems.
• Alcohol: Another major ingredient of cough syrups is alcohol. It has a dehydrating effect in the mouth which decreases  production of saliva. Saliva is  crucial for maintaining your oral health. Bacteria present in saliva removes the sugars and acid and internally cleanses build ups. Higher quantities of alcohol could be detrimental to oral health. 

How to prevent this    

While cough syrups may work wonders for relieving your cough, it is important to keep your dental health in mind as well. The ways in which you can prevent the development of cavities from cough syrups are:

• Choose a sugar-free alternative for cough syrups. Sugar free options are readily available nowadays. Also, remember to read the label for the amount of sugar content before buying it.

• Do not drink cough syrup before going to bed  as saliva production naturally decreases  at night.
• If you have to, do not forget to brush your teeth after taking cough syrup. Use a fluoride-based toothpaste for best results.
• You can also rinse your mouth properly to clean the teeth.
• Try using a pill instead of syrup.
• You can also take the syrup along with a meal. This will ensure that the saliva production in your mouth has not lowered. 

These basic steps can help you reverse the damage caused by these sugary cough syrups.  Cough and other symptoms of flu can be extremely daunting to deal with, but you should not be putting one part of your body at risk to cure another. If you see any cavities developing or feel pain in your teeth after using too much cough syrup, visit your dentist as they can help you deal with it before it is too late. 

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.