Why Should You Floss?

Flossing is another part of your oral health routine, however, it is not the small role player that many people think it is; flossing is actually one of the biggest things you can do for your smile. So why should you floss?

Flossing and brushing do more good for your teeth than only brushing. See, when you brush your teeth, you are removing all the plaque from the top and two sides of your teeth, however, if you do not floss, then you are missing the other two sides (that are between your teeth) as well as your tooth below the gum line). Toothbrushes have a hard time reaching in between your teeth and can't reach below your gum line very well either, this is where floss helps you a ton. If you skip your flossing, you are skipping a significant portion of your mouth when it's all added up.

Flossing protects your gums as well. When we eat food, they can leave behind food particles and also sugars on our teeth that are attractive to bacteria. If these things make their way to below the gum line, they can cause some damage to the root of the tooth and the tissue connecting the tooth to the jaw. What can happen is that these things form plaque which can turn into tartar and that can be what really causes some issues for your gums; it can lead to gingivitis.

If you floss regularly, it can end up saving you money because it can prevent the need for future medical procedures for your mouth, such as root canals and tooth extraction. It can even help prevent other diseases as well; the plaque and tartar that forms can lead to other deceases like Heart Disease.

If you have questions or want to schedule a visit, then contact Rubino Dentistry. We are a Park Ridge dental office located on South Prospect Ave, near Cumberland in Park Ridge. We are walking distance from the train station.

Interesting and Fun Facts About Your Teeth

Our teeth do a lot for us, I mean a lot. They create wonderful smiles (which are often the first thing people notice about us), they allow us to eat food, which gives us nutrition so we can keep living, they help us talk so we can communicate (that's how we build relationships, work, etc.), and the list doesn't stop there. The bottom line is that our teeth are incredibly important. Do you know a lot about your teeth? Well, either way, this blog post is for you.

1. On average, people have 32 teeth in the mouth; this includes your eight incisors, four canines, eight premolars, twelve molars, and four wisdom teeth. Now, that 32 will go down if you don't have your wisdom teeth and/or if you lose any teeth. 
2. Over the course of your lifetime, you will develop two whole sets of teeth. As we all know, the first set of teeth are our baby teeth which come in when we are infants and last until our preteen days, perhaps a few years before or after. Usually, they begin to fall out at 6 or 7 years old. By the time you reach 20-21 years old, you have all your teeth for your second set of teeth,  known as your adult teeth. 
3. Believe it or not, China has a national holiday dedicated to teeth. Every September 20th, the Chinese celebrate "Love Your Teeth Day" across China. 
4. Back in Victorian times of the 1800s in England, people who had false teeth would eat before going out in public. They would do this to prevent getting embarrassed if their false teeth would fall out while eating; their teeth were not as quality as false teeth are today, like dental implants. 
5. In Ancient China, they did not have quality dentists like we do today to relieve dental pain; what they would do to heal painful teeth was write prayers for pain relief and wrap them around the teeth. 
6. In many ancient countries, they would use pliers to remove teeth. And no, that was not with anesthetic. 
7. Gotta love your donkey! In the Middle Ages in Germany, they would kiss donkeys in order to relieve any toothaches they had.
8. Toothpaste has only been around for about a hundred years; before that was invented, people would use a special concoction to clean their teeth that consisted of chalk, ash, lemon juice, honey, and tobacco to clean teeth. 
9. Keeping your toothbrush within 5 feet of your toilet can cause it to become contaminated by toilet germs. 
10. About forty percent of people in the US who are ages 65 and over do not have all their teeth anymore.

Now you have an expanded knowledge of your teeth and can feel confident in your smile. If you want your smile to remain beautiful or if you want a beautiful smile, then contact your local dentist. If you are in Chicagoland, then contact Rubino Dentistry. As a Park Ridge dentist, I serve people from all over Chicagoland. 

6 Great Ways to Ruin Your Teeth

Your mouth is a delicate area of your body; your teeth need a lot of care and good care at that. You can do a lot of good for your mouth but you can also do a lot of harm. Some things that we think are good for our teeth can actually be bad, as well as things we don't even think about being bad. As a dentist in Park Ridge  I have noticed some of these things over my many years in the profession.

1. Brushing your teeth too hard. This seems like it would be good for your teeth, doesn't it? I mean, you really want to get in there and brush and get that disgusting plaque off your teeth so they can shine bright and white, right? Wrong, well, the brushing too hard is wrong. When you brush your teeth, you want to use a decent force but not too much. When you do, you can ruin enamel. Also, brush in circles instead of brushing in straight side-to-side lines. Consider a brush with softer bristles as well. 
2. Consuming a lot of acidic foods/drinks. Some foods and drinks are so good but are actually rather harmful for your teeth. The acid in these things wears on the enamel and softens it. This is a problem because if you brush your teeth while the enamel is soft, you brush it away. Wait about 30 minutes after eating or drinking to brush your teeth so the enamel can get firm again, also, consider using toothpaste that also hardens the enamel again. 
3. Whitening your teeth too much. As a Park Ridge dental office that offers teeth whitening and teeth in one day services, we know that teeth whitening is a great thing and can really help your smile; however, doing it too much is rough on your teeth. When you whiten your teeth, you are exposing your pearly whites to a mild acid and so the bleach in the whitening solution can weaken the enamel on your teeth. 
4. Taking a swig of an ice cold drink after biting into hot food. This is one that is probably not thought of very often. When we eat food that is hot, we tend to want some cold beverage to go with it, like some soda. This can be rough of the enamel on your teeth because when you bite into some hot food, your causing the enamel to expand; when you take a drink of your cold pop or water, whatever it ma be, you are causing the enamel to contract. When you came quick expansion and contraction, this puts stress on the enamel and creates little hairline fractures in the enamel. Of course, if you drink with a straw, you have a much more reduced risk of this happening. 
5. Using your teeth for things other than eating. Sometimes we use our mouths to help us out, like holding a pencil or biting down on a cap to open something. It seems like something that shouldn't matter and we do it so easily, but it does make an impact. Why? It can create fractures in the enamel. 
6. Not cleaning your teeth enough. This one is a given and probably what you think of when you think of things that ruin your teeth (because I know you think about that all the time). Brush and floss twice a day. Use a mouth rinse (go for alcohol free if you can). Schedule visits to your dentist every 6 months or at least once a year. If you are in Chicagoland, then contact Rubino Dentistry - a dentist in Park Ridge.