SIMPLE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR TEETH

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Maybe you lift weights to build strength, but are you doing things to strengthen your teeth? There are ways to strengthen your teeth. Just like you want to have strong bones, having strong teeth is also advantageous. Having a healthy diet, good oral hygiene, and regular dental checkups is a good start. Tooth enamel is the hard surface of your teeth, which needs to be strong and healthy to prevent dental decay from penetrating into the interior of the tooth leading to dental problems. Enamel can weaken due to genetics, illnesses and/or poor oral hygiene habits. Brushing too strongly with a stiff toothbrush can wear down the enamel surface. Unlike your bones, your teeth do not have regenerative cells so once the enamel is worn down it will not build back up. Fermentable carbohydrates which are found in breakfast cereals, crackers, breads, bananas, soft drinks, candy, cookies and other starchy foods form harmful and dangerous acids on your teeth. When combined with bacteria, those acids will start to break down the enamel. This demineralization process literally eats away at the naturally produced minerals in your enamel. Clearly meaning that highly processed foods and sweet treats will cause demineralization of your tooth enamel over time. Brushing twice per day and flossing once per day is vital if you want to strengthen your teeth. Be careful not to brush too hard and always brush at a forty-five degrees angle with a soft bristled toothbrush using short and decisive strokes. Brush for at least two minutes and don’t forget your tongue as bacteria love to linger in places your toothbrush misses. The saliva that you produce after you brush your teeth can also help prevent demineralization as it contains proteins and minerals that will safeguard the enamel on your teeth. Saliva is constantly washing off the germs on your teeth and helps to maintain the pH of your mouth thereby reducing acid production. Our early ancestors had quite a different diet from us and showed very little signs of weakened tooth enamel. New York City water is fluoridated which helps to keep your enamel strong. A healthy diet includes whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. So, keep on brushing and may the floss be with you.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets we care about you and your teeth.  With decades of experience we’ve seen it all.  Our vision is to educate you about your dental health, give you alternatives for any treatment you may need and discuss what it will cost before we begin so you may make an educated decision on how to proceed.

We want to instill confidence and create a bond with you while performing your dentistry in a stress free environment.  We realize going to the dentist is not on most people’s top ten list so our goal is to give you more in service value than what you pay for your dentistry.

Call us today at 212 517 9000.  You and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Nobody Wants Cavities: How to Prevent Tooth Decay

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Everyone wants to be healthy. Luckily today concerning your teeth with fluoride in the drinking water the amount of tooth decay is way down, especially if you make the effort to brush and floss your teeth. How do cavities occur? Sometimes you can be predisposed to decay due to your genetics but most of the time it is due to eating sugary, sticky foods and not removing the remaining residue by not cleaning your teeth. The outside of your tooth is made up of enamel which is a very hard substance. The inner part of your tooth is made up of dentin which is technically millions of little straws pressed close together. For decay to inhabit your tooth it has to break through the enamel layer. Think of decay as looking like an upside down or right side up pyramid depending if you are on your upper or lower teeth. The top point is the entry point into your inner tooth. Most people have grooves and lines on the surface of their teeth so if food remains there it disintegrates giving off acids which attack the surface of your teeth. Once the decay forms that little hole into the interior of your tooth it now has an ideal environment to cause mayhem. For decay to grow it is looking for a dark, warm area without oxygen and a continual source of food. Inside your mouth it is dark, approximately 100 degrees and once the decay is inside your tooth there is no oxygen. As you continually eat there is a constant source of food. Since the decay is within your tooth you are unable to remove or clean it with your toothbrush and it continues to grow. The only way to remove it is to see your dentist who will excavate it out and replace the missing tooth structure to restore your tooth to health. You can also get decay between your teeth by not flossing to remove any impacted food remaining there after eating. Here at Dr Glenn Reit’s dental practice, we do not want you to have decay. If you do, we will remove it and restore your tooth to health.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets we care about you and your teeth.  With decades of experience we’ve seen it all.  Our vision is to educate you about your dental health, give you alternatives for any treatment you may need and discuss what it will cost before we begin so you may make an educated decision on how to proceed.

We want to instill confidence and create a bond with you while performing your dentistry in a stress free environment.  We realize going to the dentist is not on most people’s top ten list so our goal is to give you more in service value than what you pay for your dentistry.

Call us today at 212 517 9000.  You and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!