At the Plano Smile Studio, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy new year.
We strive to provide complete dental care for our patients in and around Plano, TX. We can do everything from cleanings to orthodontics to oral surgery under one roof. Our hope is that you will take advantage of the services we offer as part of our general dentistry practice, and that means we hope to see your smiling face at least a couple times in 2016.

We know routine care is essential to maintaining your oral health. With that in mind, we encourage you to make the effort to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible during the upcoming year. If you don’t think your oral health is important, here are five ways you can ruin your teeth in 2016.

#1. Do Not Brush Your Teeth

The American Dental Association encourages everyone to brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes each time. When you brush, the ADA also recommends using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Brushing your teeth removes bacteria and plaque inside your mouth.
This is bad for the bacteria. It lives inside your mouth so it can build plaque. If you remove the plaque, then it can’t turn into tartar. With the tartar (which can’t be removed by brushing), the bacteria may not get to eat into your tooth. And that means the bacteria won’t get to give you tooth decay and damage your teeth, either.

#2. Do Not Floss

The ADA says that everyone should be flossing every single day. If you don’t like flossing, then you could try using another interdental device like flossers or irrigators (like the WaterPik). Why are you supposed to floss? Well, your toothbrush is great for cleaning the surface of your teeth, but it’s not as good at cleaning between your teeth or between your teeth and gums. These are great places for the bacteria that cause plaque to hide from your toothbrush. So, if all you do is brush, then the bacteria can grow where it can cause gum disease, also called periodontal disease.
Mild gum disease can be treated with regular brushing and flossing, but if you don’t floss, then the gum disease can become more severe. Serious gum disease can cause your teeth to feel loose and even fall out.

#3. Do Not Visit The Dentist

At Plano Smile Studio, we like our patients to visit us two to four times per year for professional cleanings and examinations. During your cleaning, our dental hygienist will remove any plaque and tartar growing on your teeth. If your hygienist sees signs of gum disease, then you may receive treatment to stop it from getting worse. Of course, if you never come to the dentist, then we won’t clean your teeth or treat your gum disease. This will allow you to have both problems at the same time.

#4. Ignore Your Toothache

If you start to feel pain in your tooth, then you should schedule a visit at our office as soon as possible. If your tooth is causing you to suffer, that likely means that your tooth decay has reached the pulp inside your tooth. This is the part of your tooth where you have blood vessels and nerves. This can make it painful to eat, and it may make hot drinks like coffee or cool treats like ice cream unbearable. This is a sign that your tooth is a risk. Your infection could spread to more teeth if you don’t get treatment.

#5. Don’t Treat Your Gum Disease

As you gum disease gets more advanced, you will notice that your gums are bleeding much more easily. Your gums may feel sensitive, and you may have noticed that they are starting to pull away from your teeth. You might even start to see pus between your teeth and gums. This is clear indication that you have periodontitis, a severe case of gum disease. Without treatment, the infection could cause an abscess at the root of your tooth, which could lead to your needing a root canal.

Keep Your Teeth

We have treated patients who have lost teeth, and we are confident that they would tell you that keeping your teeth is a much better option.
The best way to have a healthy mouth is to brush and floss daily and to visit Plano Smile Studio for routine cleanings at least twice a year.

If you would like to keep you teeth, call us or use our online form to make an appointment.