Teenagers have a lot on their plates, which can often push their basic dental health needs to the side. Maintaining healthy dental habits may not be one of the top priorities on your list, but it certainly should be! As we age, our gums and teeth are at an increased risk of decay. It’s of vast importance for teenagers to stay on top of their dental health with daily brushing and flossing, and regular visits to the dentist. Maintaining healthy dental habits will keep teens’ smiles gleaming and prevent emergency dentist trips during class! Here are the three dental health tips for teens to follow:
1. Protect Your Teeth While You Play
Many teens are involved in extracurricular activities, especially sports. Sports easily become paramount to many teenagers’ lives. As riveting as contact sports are for teens, they also put them at an increased risk of developing oral health injuries. More than 200,000 injuries to the jaw and mouth occur yearly through sports. Dentists consistently express the importance of teens wearing a mouthguard while playing contact sports. Mouthguards will protect those pearly whites from hits and kicks to ensure they stay safe while they play. Mouthguards can be custom-fitted to perfectly suit your mouth. Ensure you keep your mouthguard clean and dry after every use.
2. Ensure Routine, Diligent Oral Health Maintenance
You’ve been told to brush twice and floss each day before your first tooth even developed. However, in between the hustle and bustle of a teen’s life, it can be easy to forget to floss or even brush for those full two minutes each day. Maintaining a regular, diligent oral healthcare routine is imperative to a healthy mouth. Teenagers, especially females, are at an increased risk of developing gum disease. This is due to the fact that estrogen and progesterone levels rise during puberty and increase blood circulation in the gums, which makes them highly sensitive and vulnerable to bacteria. Practicing routine dental care will prevent periodontally
disease to ensure a happy mouth.
3. Avoid Mouth/Tongue Piercings
As cool as they may look, oral piercings can cause more harm to your mouth than good! Tongue or mouth piercings can chip or break teeth while eating, talking, or even sleeping. Infections are also highly probable with oral piercings, as the tongue swells once punctured and may become infected or swollen to an uncomfortable degree. If any unhygienic piercing equipment is used during a piercing appointment, this can put your oral health at risk of forming dangerous bacteria or developing infections, such as blood-borne hepatitis.
Appleby Dental is your dentist in Burlington for full-service oral healthcare. Our Burlington dentist will always ensure your comfort, and care and leave you with a healthy and gleaming smile. Whether you need general, cosmetic, or restorative dental healthcare, we guarantee the most effective, trusted service. Book your appointment with us today at https://applebydental.ca/make-an-appointment/!