Fall Into Good Oral Hygiene Habits!

It’s that time of year when the leaves are falling and the temperature is getting cooler. It’s also the time to think about your oral hygiene routine! Do you know all the steps to keep your pearly whites in healthy and beautiful condition? Well start with brushing and flossing twice daily. We recommend an electric toothbrush with a soft bristled head. And I promise you, this does not make you lazy! It’s clinically proven to help you brush for the correct amount of time, with the proper speed and pressure, and can get those harder to reach spots that may be hard manually. Dr. Edwin Porter also recommends a fluoride rinse at night before bed to keep those pesky cavities at bay. Other important tidbits to remember are to chew gum that is sugarless and contains xylitol, to never chew on ice, and to keep your cleaning and check-up appointments!!

We are always here to help you maintain and achieve your best oral health! Please call with any questions and we’d love to see you! 704-544-5330 or e-mail the Arboretum office at Wanda@DentistryinCharlotte.com !

Southerner’s Love our Sweet Iced Tea…

…But is that sweet iced tea really good for your teeth? There are several different ways to make it, both with real sugar and artificial sugar, and it even is commercialized and you can find it in a can now! It’s a comforting taste on a hot sunny day like this past week has been but you can often find that sipping all day long on tea can not only lead to stains on your teeth but decay. Demineralization, or loss of tooth material, begins at a pH of 5.5 (where as battery acid is a straight 1.00 pH). Sweet tea is somewhere in the range of 3.0 depending on how much sugar and lemon juice is added.

If you must enjoy your sweet tea, please use some caution. Don’t sip on the tea but rather drink it down in one sitting. Also, instead of brushing right afterwards, drink a glass of water and gently swish it around your mouth. These tips will help you if you find yourself in need of a good tea drink! Dr. Porter and his staff love tea but they all keep it at a minimum to help prolong the life of their teeth!

Call the office of Dr. Edwin S Porter if you need a cleaning, are unhappy with your smile, or if you have a toothache. We do it all here! 704-575-4449 or office@DentistryinCharlotte.com

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Are Sealants Right For My Child? YES!!

The most important reason for getting sealants is to avoid tooth decay. Fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water protects the smooth surfaces of teeth but back teeth need extra protection. Sealants cover the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and keep out germs and food. Having sealants put on teeth before they decay will also save time and money in the long run by avoiding fillings, crowns, or caps used to fix decayed teeth. Help your child prepare for a healthy mouth by getting their cleaning and check-up to determine if they needs sealants! 704-544-5330

Ask Dr. Porter: What are the consequences of delaying treatment?

There are many dangers of delaying dental treatment. If someone came into our office with a small cavity that needed to be filled but delayed that filling until their next cleaning or even longer than that, they may risk that filling becoming something more extensive and more expensive. Some people have even lost their tooth in certain circumstances because they waited just a little too long.

It’s always best to get things taken care of as soon as possible but we do understand that finances can be a factor in deciding when to do that treatment. At our office we offer in-office payment plans as well as outside no interest financing plans to help our patients get the funds they need, when they need it. Please contact our office for more information!