Healthy Teeth

Serious dry mouth problems can cause serious dental problems. (If you've been to many other dry mouth web sites, you may have seen some very scary pictures of what can happen to your teeth if you are not very careful.)

Dry mouth can cause your teeth to become very dry and brittle. It can throw off your ph balance, making your mouth more acidic and therefore more vulnerable to tooth decay. And, it can lead to teeth grinding in your sleep, since this subconscious grinding action can actually stimulate saliva.

Here are a few things you can do to increase your odds of avoiding huge dentist bills:

* Brush regularly, preferably after every meal. Use a mouthwash to cleanse the rest of your mouth.

* Floss regularly.

* If possible, use dry mouth products that balance your ph.

* Avoid drinking soft drinks and using some citrus-flavored hard candy that can make your mouth more acidic.

*Avoid sugar in all forms.

* If there is some evidence of teeth grinding, buy an inexpensive plastic tooth guard.

* Use the dry mouth products mentioned on this web site to keep your teeth from becoming dry and brittle.

* Consider using a strong fluoride product per label instructions. My dentist continually urges me to try a prescription level fluoride treatment, but I worry about some of the health claims made against fluoride use. For now, I use the product listed below on a daily basis.

Reach Act Restoring Mouthwash
Product Claims: "Restores minerals to soft spots. Strengthens enamel to prevent tooth decay. Kills bad breath germs." It contains "icy spearmint" to freshen your mouth.
Frank's Comments: This is not a dry mouth product. The only dry mouth mouthwash I know of that contains fluoride is Tom's - see mouthwash section for details. However, this is a pretty pleasant tasting and fairly refreshing fluoride mouthwash. On the downside, after rereading the label, I note that it does contain alcohol, which is supposed to be drying. I haven't noticed any such problems so far, but I'll probably switch back to Tom's once I'm through with this bottle. The lesson is clear: Always read the ingredients before buying!
Your Comments: None received as of yet.


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