Saudi Gazette A beautiful smile showing pearly white teeth adds to the beauty of the face. The healthier your teeth are, the happier you look. To maintain a set of healthy teeth one should take utmost care of them. The best protection is to rinse your mouth after every meal and brush your teeth twice a day. The main cause behind unhealthy, yellow and decaying teeth is the bacteria that lives in your mouth which feeds on sugar and releases an acid that eats away one's tooth enamel. Candy, cookies, ice cream, soft drinks, chocolates, and all other sweets play an important part in ruining the teeth. However, sweet foods are not the only foods responsible for dental carries. Research indicates that starchy foods such as bread, rusks, crackers, potato chips, and pretzels are just as bad for your teeth as sugary foods. This is because enzymes in saliva break down the carbohydrates in bread or crackers into simple sugars. Another problem with starchy foods is that crumbs usually get stuck between the teeth. Cigarette smoking can also permanently stain your teeth. Reduce coffee and tea intake because they may also darken them. Other foods and drinks that can discolor teeth include dyed soft drinks such as cola, orange or strawberry soda, and other artificially colored drinks. Dentists always advise parents to never allow their babies to sleep with a bottle in their mouth as it contains juice, milk or infant formula. The liquid in the bottle bathes the teeth, literally soaking them in cavity causing sugars to convert them into bacteria and plaque. A helpful way to reduce the acid levels in the mouth that damage the teeth is to chew on sugar free gum. Chewing the sugarless gum stimulates saliva production which can neutralize the acids. Some researchers also reported that eating a bit of cheese or peanuts after carbohydrate rich foods help fight the acids. Green tea contains anti-bacterial substances that help protect the teeth against cavities. If yellow or grey stains are holding you back from flashing a big smile, whitening procedures are now available at most dental clinics. The procedure takes about 90 minutes and unless the teeth are very badly stained, one sitting is enough to achieve brighter teeth. Barbie, the dental hygienist in Al Maghrabi Dental Clinic in Jeddah told the Saudi Gazette, “Patients should not expect drastic results or else they will be disappointed. The procedure makes the teeth only a two to three shades lighter, but that is still a noticeable difference. I do not advise having the procedure for more than once a year because excessive bleaching can weaken the teeth. If you want to get lasting results and keep your teeth shiny after you whiten them, you need to make a few changes in your lifestyle.” __
