If you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums throughout your entire life, your lifestyle is a big part of that. Certain habits, dietary choices, and hygiene routines – or lack thereof – will contribute to the overall strength of your tooth enamel. The enamel is the hard outer coating of your teeth, and once it’s damaged, your body cannot replace it. That’s why it’s so important to protect your tooth enamel at all costs. If you do, you can have a healthy smile when you’re 50, 80, or even 100 years old!

Here are some steps you can take to keep your tooth enamel strong and even strengthen it through lifestyle choices:

Cut Out Damaging Foods from Your Diet

You probably already know that certain foods can damage the tooth enamel. Sugar is one of the main culprits in most people’s diets. That’s because sugar feeds the bacteria that live in your mouth. As they go through their life cycle, they release acidic byproducts that eat away at tooth enamel. While candy is an obvious source of sugar, other foods, like chips and bread, contain starch that is easily converted into sugar and can become stuck between the teeth. You don’t have to cut these foods out entirely, but enjoying them in moderation, and brushing and flossing after you eat them, will help protect your tooth enamel.

Strengthen Your Teeth with Healthy Foods

Throughout your life, minerals like calcium are leached out of your tooth enamel, making them weaker. You can actually replace those minerals with the foods you eat. The minerals calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium are readily dissolved in your saliva and can replace lost minerals in your tooth enamel. When you eat foods high in these minerals, you will be doing your teeth a huge favor.

Brushing and Flossing Every Day

Your oral health routine is one of the most important ways to maintain a healthy smile. Brushing twice per day with an ADA-recommended fluoride toothpaste will clean away harmful bacteria, as well as plaque and tartar buildup that damages the gums. Flossing once per day helps remove bacteria and buildup from between the teeth, where a toothbrush can’t reach. Follow this routine every day and you will be giving your teeth the best possible chance of staying healthy well into old age.

Use a Dental Mouthguard

Many people grind their teeth – a condition known as bruxism – especially at night. Over time, bruxism can lead to excessive wear, fractures, chips, and cracks. You can prevent damage to your teeth from bruxism by wearing a dental mouthguard when you’re sleeping.

Regular Dental Checkups

The ADA recommends getting a dental checkup every six months for optimal oral health. Not only will a hygienist thoroughly clean your teeth during your visit, a dentist will also be able to identify any conditions that could lead to tooth damage. With 2 dental checkups every year, you and your dentist will work together to keep your teeth healthy for decades to come.

At ZDental, we offer dental checkups and a range of other dental services to the people of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If you need a dental checkup or any other type of treatment, we have 7 locations in New Jersey and the greater Philadelphia area. Visit our contact page to find the location nearest you if you need cosmetic dentistry in Philadelphia, PA, or any other dental services in surrounding communities.