Live Best With Judy Barbe: Healthy Teeth and Gums

How long has it been since you replaced your toothbrush? Every two months is the guideline.

Prior to my nutrition gig, I was a dental hygienist. One of the things I told patients was that they only needed to brush and floss the teeth that they wanted to keep. What your teeth don’t like is when you sip sugar-sweetened drinks such as sweetened teas, coffees, energy drinks, juices, and other soft drinks over a few hours. Or when you eat sticky fruit such as raisins, hard candy that you slowly dissolve in your mouth, or starchy snacks that stick to your teeth such as cookies, pretzels and crackers. When you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acids that attack the teeth. These acids remain for about 30 minutes after each sip or bite. So sipping on a sweet drink over a morning can result in 4 hours of an acid bath. This causes the enamel to dissolve which causes a cavity.

Daily flossing and brushing and a visit to the dentist will also help you keep your teeth for a lifetime.

This is Judy Barbe helping you live best.