Acid attacks on your teeth can last 20 to 30 minutes.
That’s coming from Dental Hygienist of Mill Street Dental Hygiene, Mandy Kutchcoskie. She says that prolonging the intake of sugary foods and drinks (such as candy, pop and energy drinks) has the potential, in the long run, to cause your teeth to decay.
She says that if you’re going to drink or eat it, you might as well indulge. “It’s more of the frequency than the quantity, it’s better to drink it right away (pop) as opposed to sipping on it all afternoon”. She says the acid in these foods and drinks will attack your teeth for 20 to 30 minutes and then settle, but if you make it last all afternoon, it will keep on attacking.
When it comes to health, she says that flossing is something you should add to your routine. The hygienist says she sees the difference with patients who floss as little as twice a week which is only eight times a month. “Someone who is a daily flosser is removing bacteria which you didn’t get with the brush and it causes less inflammation”.
What about those baby teeth? Kutchcoskie says that it’s very important to stay on top of your child’s dental hygiene habits. She says that often people don’t care because they think that baby teeth will only fall off thus, it’s less important. That’s not the case she says. Baby teeth are holding a spot for the next set of teeth which means that if a cavity starts, and a tooth prematurely falls or decays, a spacer will need to be put in place to keep the gap open for the next tooth about to grow in. “Dental hygiene is all about prevention” she says. Children should come in to get a cleaning every nine months, adults every 6 and heavy tartar builders every four months she says.
Kutchcoskie states that it’s important to keep your mouth healthy because it mirrors the inside of your body. She adds that neglecting to brush and floss can cause the bacteria to travel in your bloodstream which could cause health issues later on. For more information on dental hygiene and Mill Street Dental Hygiene Clinic (situated in The Killaloe Medical Center), call Mandy Kutchcoskie at 613-757-0847.