Even as freshly painted house, colors, crackers and flowers decorate your surrounding this Diwali, experts advise you to make sure your teeth are also sparkling.
“With so much sugar sugar coming our way in beverages, sweets and chocolates, your teeth are going to bear the brunt of this excess and you shall be blamed you if they decay due to carelessness. There is no doubt that sugars form the perfect medium for cavity-causing bacteria to grow which are then responsible for tooth sensitivity or pain. Good oral hygiene habits like immediate rinsing after sweets or brushing daily before going to bed can surely ensure prevention of cavities,” informs Lt Gen (Rtd) Dr Vimal Arora, Chief Clinical Officer, Clove Dental, country's largest dental chain with over 275 clinics.
He goes on to advice that there are small little precautions that will ensure that this unattended yet critical health side of yours is taken good care of. Others concur.
“Did you know that ideally we should avoid having sweets immediately before going to bed as the bacteria affect our teeth throughout the night and fasten the process of decay,” says Dr Priyanka Mathur, Clove Dental. Therefore, she adds, it’s important to “Rinse your mouth immediately after snacking and meals to ensure that sweets do not get stuck in between your teeth. In case you feel, they do, we strongly recommend chewing a sugar-free gum, which surely take down the sticky food.”
Many of us also believe that one good solution is to brush the teeth after snacking or grabbing those delicious laddoos. It is important to remember that eating and drinking foods with sugar and acids weaken the enamel on your teeth. You should first rinse your mouth thoroughly with lukewarm water after you have had a heavy dose of sugary intake. Wait for an hour and then brush your teeth. Allow your teeth to settle, otherwise you could do more damage than good.
Dentists also advise to eat milk products and chocolates instead of sticky sweets. “You can also keep stickiness in your teeth away by having your desserts before the meals,” adds Dr Mathur. This will reduce the risk of sweets staying stuck to your teeth which causes cavities. Have cheese after meal as this reduces the chances of developing tooth decay.
Another important fact to remember is that that the bacteria begin their work and damage your teeth every time you consume something sweet. Each acid attack of the bacteria persists for up to 20 minutes. It is advised that you do not consume sweets at short intervals as your teeth will be more susceptible to erosion this way.
