This article, part 2 of 2, presents five interesting facts about oral health and hygiene.

1. This article, part 2 of 2, presents five interesting facts about oral health and hygiene.
In the previous article post by this dentist in Boca Raton, we had a look at two interesting
facts you may not have known about your teeth. The first was that sour or acidic food is as
detrimental to the enamel of your teeth as a diet that is high in sugar. The second provided
a warning against the use of teeth as tools to force open containers, or to chew extremely
hard foods, such as popcorn kernels and ice. In this, the second installment of a two-part
series, the dentist in Boca Raton shall be examining the three remaining interesting facts
about your teeth.
Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 3: Missing Teeth and Tooth Loss Doesn’t Discriminate
Between the Age Groups.
It’s true that we typically associate missing teeth and tooth loss
with the elderly, or at least those that are entering into their late
adulthood. And we are well aware that countless people have
teeth pulled by the dentist in Boca Raton during the course of
their lifetime; generally as a result of decay, gum disease a failed
root canal or problematic wisdom teeth. These problems certainly
do not discriminate between the age groups, although statistics
indicate that the majority of Americans presenting with multiple
missing teeth and edentulism (not having a single original adult
tooth left) are 65 and older. However, according to the dentist in
Boca Raton, there are also many people that are born without a full set of teeth! Missing
wisdom teeth are the most common, followed by the left lateral incisor; the tooth next to
your two large front teeth.

2. The moral of this story, says the dentist Boca Raton, is not to take your complete set of
pearly whites for granted. Look after them your whole life and you won’t have to become
another statistic of tooth loss in the United States.
Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 4: Too Much Fluoride can be a Very Bad
Thing!
We’ve all been raised with the understanding that fluoride is essential to
the health of our teeth. But as with everything in life, too much of a good
thing can prove to be bad! According to the dentist in Boca Raton, children
who are exposed to too much fluoride, especially before the age of eight,
when their adult teeth are still growing beneath the gums, can develop
‘fluorosis’. This condition is characterized by intrinsic staining of the dental
enamel, which unfortunately cannot simply be polished off or buffed away.
The problem comes from the actual ingestion of fluoride, says the dentist in Boca Raton.
Fluoridated toothpastes are meant to be applied to the teeth topically and not swallowed,
as so many children ignorantly do. Make sure you supervise your kids when brushing their
teeth; teach them about the dangers of swallowing toothpaste and show them how to
squeeze out a pea-sized amount. Any more than that and they risk swallowing amounts of
fluoride sufficient to cause this unaesthetic condition, warns the dentist in Boca Raton.
Dentist in Boca Raton, Fact # 5: Orthodontic Braces can Cause Cavities
People with braces need to be extra careful about neglecting their
oral hygiene. Braces act as a natural trap for food, acid and bacteria,
which erodes away the dental enamel, leading to the formation of
cavities and localized decay. As such, those with orthodontic braces
absolutely need to be very strict about maintaining a high standard
of hygiene, says the dentist in Boca Raton. There are special
cleaning products and materials available for patients with braces;
if you want your teeth to emerge from orthodontic treatment
perfectly straight AND healthy, then make sure you use them!