Lifestyle Risks – Smoking
Nowadays it is unlikely that smokers are unaware of the health risks associated with their habit (the graphic images on the packaging leave little to the imagination); however, some people don’t know of the potentially long-term dental issues that can occur. Not only is smoking associated with bad breath and discoloured, stained teeth that don’t respond to whitening, but there is also an increased risk of developing tooth decay and gum (periodontal) disease in smokers and an increased chance of developing oral cancers.
A significant problem with smoking is that it tends the disguise the damag…
Are your new year’s resolutions doing more harm than good?
With 2020 underway, it is an excellent time to reflect on how those new years resolutions are progressing. For many people the beginning of a new year often means the start of a ‘New Year New Me” mindset, which often includes a change in diet, starting or increasing an exercise regime, or the addition of ‘healthy practices’ into our lives. While these are all fantastic endeavours, the focus most often rests on the health benefits or physical changes, perhaps without consideration of this may impact your teeth. Below are some helpful hints to ensure that your mouth stays healthy this ye…
Lifestyle Risks – Oral Piercings
Body piercing has become a popular form of self-expression as a fashion statement and is also a practice undertaken for cultural reasons.
Significant health risks exist to individuals from the piercing process itself. With piercing salons mostly unregulated, the self-trained staff may have very little clinical and anatomical knowledge of the position of nerves, arteries and veins which can cause serious issues.
In the best case scenario, soreness and swelling will be the only symptoms experienced following the piercing procedure. However, tongue and lip piercing can lead to emergencies immed…
Lifestyle Risks – Drugs
Drugs of all descriptions, whether they be vitamins or natural remedies, prescription medications or illegal drugs, can cause an imbalance in your mouth that can subsequently lead to dental problems.
Prescription Medications, Vitamins and Natural Remedies
Some prescribed or over the counter medications can cause dental erosion. Dental erosion is the gradual “wearing away” or “washing away” of the protective enamel layer (and as the process progresses the sensitive dentine layer) that occurs from being exposed to ac…
Lifestyle Risks – Sports and Energy Drinks
Many young adults regularly use sports and energy drinks as a pick me up but may be unaware they contain high levels of both sugar and acid. Energy drinks additionally contain high levels of caffeine. Even diet or ‘zero’ options, as well as flavoured water varieties, contain plenty of tooth-eroding acids.
Acidic drinks are the main contributor to tooth erosion where the hard outer enamel layer of teeth is irreversibly dissolved away, while sugar attacks the teeth causing decay. Caffeine is a diuretic and leads to dehydration and reduced saliva production.
During exercise the body becomes…
Lifestyle Risks – Alcohol and Alcohol Fuelled Violence
Although most young people know that moderate consumption of alcohol is better for their health, many are unaware of the high levels of sugar and acid in alcohol and the juice, soft or energy drinks in which it is mixed. Excessive regular intake will significantly increase the risk of dental decay and tooth erosion which washes away the tooth structure. Even diet or ‘zero’ options contains very high levels of acid.
Worse still is the acid content of the stomach that enters the mouth when one vomits, an unfortunate but not uncommon accompaniment for many young people on a night out.
Regar…