In order to maintain good oral health a person should have their teeth examined and cleaned at least twice a year (every six months), use daily oral hygiene practices (floss once daily, brush twice daily) and eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Dr. Ricardo Castaneda is a doctor of dental medicine and has a solid understanding of how food encourages enamel strength and cellular growth and repair in the body. A persons oral health is connected to their overall health. Bacteria naturally occurs in the mouth. When this bacteria enters the tooth or roots infection can occur. If this infection penetrates the body through the blood stream, the infection can lead to other areas of the body such as the heart. If this occurs, a person can experience a heart attack, stroke or heart disease.

Foods For Dental Health

A healthy diet can help to fight bacteria in the mouth, strengthen the tooth enamel and provide the vitamins and nutrients the body needs to repair itself and fight disease. There are a variety of foods that work towards dental health. Eat the foods mentioned here along with the above dental prevention measures and you can enjoy a beautiful healthy smile lifelong.

Calcium, Phosphorus And Magnesium

Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are needed to build strong tooth enamel and bones. Foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D include milk, yogurt and cheese. Phosphorus rich foods include meats such as chicken, fish and eggs. Bananas are a good source of magnesium and potassium.

Fight Cavities With Fruits And Vegetables

Crunchy fruits and vegetable require the mouth to create more saliva. This helps to break down the food and remove bacteria from the mouth. These crisp foods also brush up against the teeth creating a cleansing motion. Enjoy apples, pears, celery and other crunchy high water content foods for cleaner, healthier teeth. Foods in this group often contain Vitamin C such as strawberries, oranges, lemons and limes. These foods contain ascorbic acid that can eat at the enamel. After eating acid rich foods such as citrus fruit, tomatoes, etc. rinse at least three times in order to decrease the amount of acerbic acid in the mouth. Do so before brushing as brushing directly after eating acidic foods can exacerbate the damage.

Enjoy Garlic And Onions To Fight Bacteria

Many people refrain from enjoying onions and garlic, but these foods are actually good for your teeth. Onion and garlic both offer natural antibacterial properties that help fight the bacteria of the mouth. Many people attest to eating garlic and onion to treat toothache pain. Chewing raw garlic or onion releases Allicin in the Garlic and the Quercetin of the onion which target the bacteria and ease the pain associated with bacterial infections of the mouth/teeth. A healthy smile is easy to obtain and enjoy long term with a few trips to the dentist, regular home dental care and a nutritious diet.

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If you find yourself or a loved one suffering from an oral injury, broken tooth or severe toothache urgent dental care may be needed. Miami dentist, Dr. Ricardo Castaneda, D.M.D. provides emergency dental appointments for those who require immediate dental care. Patients seeking emergency dental treatment can reach Dr. Castaneda by calling (305)-598-6665. Dr. Castaneda will quickly assess and treat the dental issue in order to relieve pain, stop bleeding, repair an injury or treat an infection. Visit www.drrcdental.com for driving directions to Dr. Castaneda’s Miami dentist office.

How To Treat A Dental Emergency

There are steps that should be taken during a dental emergency to provide comfort and care to ones self or to the injured or ailing person. The first step is to remain calm. When a person is injured and bleeding it can cause panic, by remaining calm you can properly care for the person and ease their anxiety and safely treat the ailment.

Mouth Injury- Assess the situation. If a person is bleeding cleanse the wound by rinsing the mouth with cool water. Apply gauze or a clean cloth and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. A cold compress can be applied to reduce swelling Contact the dentist for immediate treatment.

Knocked Out Tooth- If a tooth has been knocked out rinse the tooth in water, do not scrub the tooth. Hold the tooth by the crown not the roots. Try to gently place the tooth back into the socket and bite down with gentle pressure on clean gauze for stability. If the tooth can not be placed in the socket, put the tooth in a glass of milk or a saline solution ( 1/4 teaspoon salt to 1 Quart of water). The tooth must remain wet to prevent damage and save the tooth. Take the tooth to the emergency dentist or medical facility. Teeth can be saved in most cases if placed back into the socket in a 30 minute period and stabilized by a dentist or emergency professional.

Toothache- Severe pain can occur with a toothache, such as that associated with an abscess or impacted tooth. To treat a toothache apply an oral analgesic such as Orajel, which can be applied as a gel or liquid to quickly provide pain relief. A person can also try rinsing with a mixture of salt and water (3 teaspoons to 6 ounces of warm water) rinse and hold the solution in the mouth for 20 seconds then spit out the solution. Rinsing with Hydrogen Peroxide may also provide pain relief as it can be used as an oral debridement and antiseptic. Do not swallow peroxide as this is hazardous. Taking an over the counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin) can also help ease pain. Applying a heating pad or cold pack may also help. Contact a dentist for an emergency appointment and be sure to inform him or her about any medications used to treat the pain.

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