Most people listen to their Montreal dentist. They brush and floss daily, and follow up with regular dental clinic visits. Following these dental best practices ensures healthy dental hygiene. But what happens when you don’t follow these guidelines? Gum disease, for starters, which can then develop into periodontitis if left untreated. One of the most serious forms of gum diseases, periodontitis is becoming more and more prevalent, especially with people’s busy schedules.

If you don’t practice dental health, you’re putting your mouth and teeth in jeopardy. This is because once bacteria turns to plaque in your mouth, it can then turn to tartar, and this is where the problem lies. Once tartar hardens, it can be difficult for your Montreal dentist to remove (it can happen in as little as 26 hours). While there are many stages of gum disease, periodontitis is the most serious form. Unfortunately, more and more Montreal dentists are seeing this in patients that have neglected the dental clinic for too long (some people wait more than two years between visits). The disease occurs when the pockets between the gum and teeth become infected, which can then lead to tooth loss and decay, never mind the potential of heart disease. Once the tartar has formed, only a professional dentist can remove it, and the process is long and painful, and must be repeated a minimum of every six months.

So what can you do to stop this from happening?

Regardless of your schedule, you have to make time to practice proper dental hygiene. While its essential to brush and floss regularly, try to avoid smoking, drinking too much coffee and wine, or eating too many sugary or starchy foods, and be sure to schedule regular check ups. If you haven’t seen a dentist in quite some time, then check in and get your dental hygiene on track.

Image courtesy of Flickr's Herry Lawford

People get busy. From rushing out the door in the morning, to running to work, to keeping up with your family and friends, it’s easy to forget the most important things, like taking care of your teeth. While visiting a dental clinic is best practice for taking care of your teeth, there are also some serious do’s and don’ts of daily dental care.

Floss. Some people are great about brushing their teeth, but they often forget to floss. Unfortunately, forgetting to floss can actually be one of the leading causes of gingivitis, and it is considered to be just as important as brushing. If you’re unsure of how to properly floss, ask one of the experts at the dental clinic to show you how.

Brushing too often. While the intention may be good, over-brushing can also cause serious dental problems. Turns out that when you eat, your tooth enamel softens, opening up the possibility of you scraping enamel away. (So wait 30-60 minutes before brushing after a meal.) Additionally, over-brushing can also be one of the leading causes of gum recession, which can lead to the need for gingival grafts down the line.

Forgetting your mouth guard. Play sports? Protect your teeth. Just because you’re not playing professional football doesn’t mean you don’t need to protect your mouth. Wearing a mouth guard (especially a custom made one from your dental clinic) is a sure way to ensure that you keep all your teeth.

Using your teeth as tools. Your teeth are for chewing, not for opening cans, bags, or packaging. Chewing ice is also a pretty bad idea. You can crack or even chip your teeth.

Slow down on coffee and wine (Yes, even white wine). While giving up coffee and wine may seem difficult for some of us, consider using a straw to lessen the staining power. Drinking coffee and wine will not only stain your teeth—it will also attract bacteria.

Source: Flickr's icethim

Aucun arrêt de service au Carrefour dentaire de Montréal. La crise de l’eau potable qui paralyse une grande partie de la ville de Montréal n’affecte pas les opérations au CDM. La clinique est munie d’un système de purification de l’eau à la fine pointe de la technologie qui lui permet d’offrir des soins en toute sécurité à ses patients.

We all know the popular rhyme, “An apple a day keeps the dentist away.” For many of us it was a mantra that was sung to us by our parents on the way to the dentist’s office. But is there any truth in it? Can a healthy diet really contribute to a healthier mouth?

One of the main contributing factors to teeth deterioration is the accumulation of bacteria. Of course, this bacteria turns to plaque, which in turn can lead to gum disease and other potential issues. This bacterium can be managed with regular brushing, eating well and regular trips to the dentist. But what foods can you eat to promote mouth health?

Here are some of the foods that can contribute to an all-around healthier you:

Vitamin D: Along with regular (and protected) exposure to the sun, eating fish and soy (fortified) products can add a significant amount of vitamin D to your diet. A natural anti-inflammatory agent, vitamin D can also positively contribute to bone metabolism, so eat up!

Calcium: Now, this doesn’t just mean milk. Yes, low-fat dairy products are great, but you also need to eat things like leafy vegetables, almonds, fortified soy and rice beverages, and yes, even canned (boned) salmon or sardines.

Beta-Carotene or Vitamin A: The body actually turns beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is great news for your body. Carrots and leafy vegetables can really help grow stronger bones and teeth, so be sure to stock up on your green and orange veggies.

Phosphorus: Required for the formation of tooth enamel, phosphorus is included in eggs, meat and fish.

Magnesium: Spinach, bananas and whole grains are also great for both you and your mouth, and can help keep your enamel strong.

Oh, and on the subject of apples: Yes, munch away! Chewing fruits and vegetables that increase salvia production is good for you. Apples also help break down pesky bacteria and stimulate your gums.

Ask your dentist if you have any questions about your diet—being in the know is always better for both you and your dental health.

Source: Flickr's uspn

L’extraction de vos dents de sagesse est une procédure assez commune. Si commune que beaucoup de gens ne savent même pas pourquoi il est important de se soumettre à cette procédure de routine à leur clinique dentaire.

Alors, pourquoi devriez-vous extraire ces dents de sagesse?

En général, les dents de sagesse ont tendance à se développer vers la fin de l’adolescence ou au début/milieu de la vingtaine. Elles sont considérées comme des molaires et elles sont les dernières dents qui poussent dans votre bouche. Bien que ce soit rare, les dents de sagesse peuvent se développer toute droite, sans aucun problème. Si tel est le cas, elles n’ont pas nécessairement besoin d’être enlevées. Malheureusement, la plupart des dents de sagesse ne poussent pas très bien.

Dans la plupart des cas, notre dernière série de molaires tend à croître de travers, dans différentes directions. Dans le pire des cas, elles peuvent également être invisibles, ce qui signifie qu’elles sont encore dans les tissus mous de la bouche (vous ne pouvez pas les voir, mais votre dentiste sera en mesure d’utiliser les rayons X). Les dents peuvent même se développer à travers ce tissu, poussant en partie à travers vos gencives. Certains des problèmes qui peuvent survenir incluent :

• Croissance de bactéries
• Infections de la bouche et des gencives
• Gonflement
• Raideur de la mâchoire
• Dommages aux dents et aux gencives avoisinantes
• Possibilité de dommage aux nerfs et à la mâchoire
• Dents mal alignées
• Caries et maladies des gencives (cela est souvent dû à l’emplacement des dents de sagesse : comme elles sont difficiles à atteindre, elles sont souvent plus difficiles à entretenir)

Heureusement, des visites régulières à la clinique dentaire peuvent aider à éviter ce genre d’événement. Il est toujours préférable d’avoir vos dents de sagesse enlevées dès que possible. Plus jeune est le patient, plus il est facile d’enlever les dents de sagesse problématiques. Cela est dû aux racines sous-développées et à une densité osseuse plus faible.

Toutefois, prévenir un problème est toujours mieux que d’avoir à le traiter lorsqu’il devient hors de contrôle. Donc, n’oubliez pas de faire vérifier le tout auprès de votre clinique dentaire sur une base régulière pour vous assurer que vos dents sont en bonne santé.

Source: Flickr's uspn