Want a beautiful smile?
Protect yourself!
They say you can tell a lot about a person from their smile. From
braces to whitening treatments, regular dental visits and good
brushing habits, Americans do a lot to make sure their teeth look
great when they flash a smile.
However, one of the most important parts of a great smile, and
indeed an essential part of healthy teeth, often gets overlooked:
your enamel.
The enamel is the hard, protective coating that covers your teeth
and is the first and most important line of defense against tooth
decay. Even though maintaining a strong, healthy layer of enamel is
essential to preserving your smile, it often isn’t the focus of someone’s
oral care routine.
“I like to share valuable information like enamel erosion with
my patients and friends because most people don’t understand it or
know how to prevent it and, most importantly, that once enamel is
gone, you can never get it back,” says Ann Ross, RDH. “Because
of this, prevention, through avoiding certain foods and practicing
good oral hygiene, is essential.”
To preserve your enamel and prevent further erosion, dental professionals
recommend a proactive and defensive approach.
The first step is to take proactive measures. This includes proper
brushing and using the right toothpaste.
In October of this year, the American Dental Association (ADA)
Council on Scientific Affairs announced that Crest Pro-Health Advanced,
Deep Clean Mint toothpaste earned the first ADA Seal of
Acceptance in the enamel erosion category, based on the finding
that the product is safe and has shown efficacy in helping to prevent
or reduce enamel erosion from dietary acids, when used as
directed.
You may be causing enamel erosion without knowing it. On a
daily basis, people ingest acidic drinks and foods that are especially
harmful to teeth. The biggest culprits are lemon (including lemonade),
cola drinks, sport drinks, orange juice and energy drinks.
If you drink these daily, make sure you are taking steps to protect
your enamel, like using the right toothpaste, and drinking plenty
of water.
Ross adds, “If you want to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile,
make sure you protect your enamel by brushing twice a day with
toothpaste that has been scientifically shown to prevent the erosion
of enamel, like Crest Pro-Health Advanced, Deep Clean Mint.”
For more information, visit www.crest.com. (BPT)
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