To most of us Valentines Day means flowers, candy, kissing and
maybe even a glass of red wine or two. There’s no doubt your mouth plays a
featured role in this holiday. Here are a few tips to make sure you are ready
for the big day.
Give Flowers Not Cavities
As a kid you probably heard on the playground that you could get
“couties” from kissing. While you may have changed your opinion of kissing as
an adult that childhood advice wasn’t entirely wrong. Kissing can stimulates saliva, which can actually
help you to fight cavities. But if your Valentine has poor dental health, you
run the risk of getting unwanted germs. If they have bacteria in their mouth
that causes them cavities it can spread to you. Make sure your sweetheart is
brushing twice daily and that they only give you flowers or candy not cavities
this Valentine’s Day.
Take a Breath
Nobody wants bad breath especially
when you are getting up close for Valentine’s Day. Bacteria is a big cause of
bad breath. Of course regular brushing and flossing is essential for fresh
breath but it’s sometimes not enough. After a romantic meal you can always use
an ADA approved over the counter mouthwash or sugarless gum to help freshen up.
Whiten Up You
Smile
There is nothing less attractive then yellow stained
teeth. Valentines’ Day is a good time to think about teeth whitening. Many
stains are underneath the enamel and the only effective method to reach them is
having a cosmetic dentist apply a special
product.
At our office, two systems are used:
- ZOOM: This technique is a teeth
bleaching accomplished in the dentist’s chair. Lips and gums
are protected, and the ZOOM gel is applied to the teeth. The procedure
involves three applications with a 15-minute wait time between each.
Results can be dramatic.
- Opalescence: This process is very similar except no light is used. The lips and gums are protected then the gel is applied to each tooth. Wait time is 20 minutes between applications rather than 15 but only two applications are required.
Be Sweet But Not
Too Sweet
If you are giving chocolate this year remember, chocolate is
good but dark chocolate is even better. Most people love it and it can be
cleaned off teeth easier than most other candy. If your are giving sweets offer
dark chocolate it has less sugar than milk chocolate.
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
