Mouth injuries can happen when you play sports. Mouth guards are important because they cushion the blow that could cause broken teeth. You should wear a mouth guard any time you are playing a sport where you could fall, have head contact, flying equipment or may clench your teeth.
The most common emergency in sports is a tooth knocked out. If this happens, put it in milk or water and call your dentist right away. Your dentist will be able to tell you the best thing to do for your tooth or mouth. If the tooth is placed back in the mouth within 30 minutes, there is a 95% success rate of the tooth reattaching.
A sealant is a material put on your back teeth to protect the chewing surfaces. Most teeth have grooves that are deep and food can get stuck in them. Once food is stuck in the grooves, it is hard for toothbrush bristles to get into the grooves and clean out the food. The sealant is a thin covering that is put in the grooves to act as a shield from plaque and food to decrease the risk of tooth decay. A sealant is only put on the top surfaces of your teeth and not on any other side. So, it is important to still brush and floss at least two times a day.
Excerpt & photo from ADA’s “Your Child’s Teeth” brochure
Tip 1 – Visit your dentist for check-ups and fluoride.
Regular dental visits are very important to keep a healthy smile. You should see your dentist at least every 6 months starting when you are one year old. You may need to visit the dentist more often if you brush and floss your teeth less than two times a day and eat more junk food than healthy food. At your check-up, the dentist will check your teeth for any cavities, clean your teeth, take x-rays, and apply fluoride.
Fluoride is a mineral in water that has shown to prevent cavities. Fluoride can help tooth enamel fight decay and can help repair parts of the tooth where acid has begun to attack. If you drink bottled water, well water, or tap water without fluoride, you should have fluoride put on your teeth at every dental visit and use fluoride toothpaste every day.
Instead of eating candy, grab a piece of fruit like an apple or orange or a vegetable like carrots or celery. By replacing the candy with something healthy and less sticky and sugary on your teeth, you are helping your body grow strong with fruits and vegetables and your teeth staying sugar free.
Why would your teeth crack? Teeth crack because you place a lot pressure on the teeth when chewing on hard objects like pens, ice, mints, fingernails, or hard candy and finally your teeth can’t take any more pressure and crack. So, I challenge you to not chew on any hard objects and save your teeth for a lifetime.
Did you know your body is made up of between 55% and 75% of water? If you do not continue to drink water, your body will not function properly. Many people think that drinking soda or sports drinks are good for you because you are filling your body back up with fluids, but that is not true. Water is the only option to keep your body functioning properly.
Soda and sports drinks have lots of sugar in them. When sugar and bacteria in your mouth combine, they can cause a reaction in your mouth that makes a type of acid. If this acid sits on your teeth, it could cause the enamel to break down and a cavity to start. If you do not brush and floss your teeth at least two times a day, you could end up with decay.
Try this experiment: Measure out 10 teaspoons of sugar into a bowl. This is how much sugar is in one can of regular soda. Now, measure 17 teaspoons of sugar into a bowl. This is how much sugar is in a 20 oz bottle of regular soda. How many cans or bottles of soda do you drink each day? Measure out the amount of sugar that you drink in one day. This is a lot of sugar!
Cut back or eliminate the habit of drinking soda and sports drinks when you are thirsty. Drink water instead to help your body function properly and let us know how you did. Also, we look forward to hearing about your first two weeks of Dr. Droege’s Dental Challenge.
Think of your body as a car. If the gas tank is empty and needs gas, you need to go fill it up. Right? Your body is the same way. After you sleep at night, your body burns up all the food and energy you put in it during the day. You need to eat a good, healthy breakfast to fill up your “tank” so your body and brain can work smoothly in school.
If you don’t eat breakfast, your body has no energy to pay attention in school. That is why you need to eat a good, healthy breakfast like eggs, oatmeal, toast, muffins, or cereal without sugar along with some juice or milk. You will fill up your “tank”, have energy, and be able to learn.
Milk is an important part of what you eat and drink because the calcium in it makes your bones strong and helps you grow. When you have strong bones, it is easier to run, throw a ball, and play. As you grow, your bones can become weak if they do not have enough calcium which could cause broken bones.
Drink 2 to 3 glasses of milk every day. Try a fruit smoothie as one of your glasses of milk. Mix 1 cup of milk with ½ of a ripe banana and 4 whole frozen strawberries or add any of your favorite fruits with 1 cup of milk and put in a blender. Yummy!!
Tip 1 – Replace bad snacks with fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheese, or yogurt.
Eating a balanced diet from the 5 Basic Food Groups is very important to grow strong & healthy. Food gives us the energy and nutrients our bodies need to be healthy, active, and grow. It is important to eat a variety of foods because there is not one type of food that gives you all the nutrients you need to be healthy.
When you snack, eat carrots, celery, or other vegetables, apples, oranges, grapes, or other fruits along with some peanuts, cheese or yogurt. Bad snacks like candy, Twinkies, fruit snacks, and chips have a high amount of fat and sugar that cause cavities. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheese, or yogurt will make you feel full and last longer before your next meal.
Be sure to let Dr. Droege know how you did on your Week 1 Challenge – Brush and floss at least two times a day and remember to eat from the 5 Basic Food Groups every day this week!
Flossing removes the plaque, a sticky film that hides between your teeth where your toothbrush will not work. Plaque is always growing in your mouth & needs to be removed daily.
Using a long piece of floss, wind the floss around both index fingers so it is tight. Put the floss in between your teeth and curve the floss around your tooth so it looks like the letter “C”. Move the floss up and down along the tooth. Take out the floss so you can move it to another tooth and repeat until all of your teeth have been flossed. Remember to do this in the morning and at night.
Photo & content from American Dental Association brochure “Your Child’s Teeth”
Tip 1 – Brush every morning & night in a circle for 2 minutes.
Brushing your teeth removes plaque, a sticky film, from the inside, outside and top of your teeth.Use a soft toothbrush and place toothpaste the size of a pea on it.Move your toothbrush in a circle around each of your teeth for a total of two minutes.Brushing in a circle will not damage your gums; however brushing back and forth may.Make brushing fun by singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” about ten times or use an egg timer set for two minutes.Remember to never swallow toothpaste because too much fluoride is not good for you.
Make a habit to brush your teeth each night at the same time.After you have brushed your teeth, don’t eat or drink anything before you go to bed.You want to have your teeth nice and clean when you go to bed so the bacteria in your mouth have no food to eat while you are sleeping.
If your toothbrush has bristles that are bent or frayed, get a new toothbrush because worn bristles can damage your gums.Most toothbrushes should be replaced at least every two months.Remember to not share your toothbrush with anyone else or use someone else’s toothbrush.
Photo & content from American Dental Association brochure “Your Child’s Teeth”
