Glorious Medical Equipment

Local Dentist Offers Tips To Keep Teeth Clean

By Samuel Sutton

Standard-Radio Post Reporter

Dental health is more than just sparkling teeth, according to Dr. Ericka McBrine, DDS, of Creek Street Dental. It affects your entire body.

“For some reason, the world wants to think to disconnect the head from the rest of the body,” McBrine said. “It’s all part of the circulatory system.”

She explained that if a person’s gums have bacteria, that bacteria could travel through the bloodstream and affect the heart and other organs.

Also, if people don’t take care of their teeth and start losing them, it could result in health problems in the future.

“Your body works best if it has all its parts,” she said. “If you’re missing teeth, you may not be chewing your food enough, which means you’re swallowing bigger bites. This could lead to problems with your esophagus, your stomach or your colon.”

McBrine recommends going to the dentist for a regular checkup every six months to ensure those types of problems don’t get out of hand.

“Regular maintenance is important because, if you do have something like a cavity or the beginning of gum disease, we can get to the problem earlier and head off any big problems,” she said.

Some people may think that since there’s no pain or any visual signs of problems, their teeth are perfectly health. McBrine explained this is not always the case.

“Beginning stuff that’s simple to fix, like a tiny cavity, may not cause any pain,” she said. “If you feel pain, you should come see a dentist, but pain usually means there’s already a bigger problem like tooth destruction.”

For those with weakened or no enamel, McBrine said dental maintenance should be more important.

“It’s crucial to partner up with a dental health professional, or problems like big holes could occur,” she said. “There are things they can give you, like prescription toothpaste that can help.”

Dr. Ericka McBrine, DDS

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

Aside from brushing twice a day and flossing, there are other measures people can take to prevent dental problems. One main way is paying attention to diet.

“One thing people don’t think about is the things you put in your mouth,” she said. “Ice is a big problem because chewing on ice can fracture your teeth or weaken your enamel. If you’re going to chew ice, be an ice snob and only chew on thin ice like from Sonic.”

Another culprit she mentioned is sugar. In the summer time, she said people generally lean on sports