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Let’s Celebrate World Oral Health Day! | Ottawa Dentist

We all know that our health is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, many of us don’t link oral health to general health, even though it’s DIRECTLY linked to our overall health. We breathe with our mouths, eat and drink with our mouths, if there is a way for a germ to get into our system, it’s likely through our mouth. And this is why it is so important to keep up with our oral hygiene.

According to the FDI World Dental Association, oral diseases affect nearly 4 billion people around the globe, including gum disease, oral cancer, and tooth loss. About 30% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 have no natural teeth.

What better way to celebrate World Oral Health Day than to take stock of our dental health practices? You may think your dental professional holds the keys to your optimal dental health, but it is our duty to keep up with our dental hygiene in between dental appointments. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Brush regularly. You may brush your teeth daily, but it needs to last at least two minutes.

Flossing. Flossing your teeth on a regular basis is ideal to get food and debris in areas a toothbrush can’t reach.

Rinse with mouthwash. Using a mouthwash daily loosens leftover food debris and plaque, just make sure it is ADA approved.

Lose the tobacco. Avoid cigarettes and chewing tobacco, as these types of products contribute to gum disease.

Get healthy. Keeping up a healthy diet will provide the nutrients that are necessary to prevent gum disease.

Visit the dentist. Visiting your dentist regularly for checkups, teeth cleanings, and other dental procedures needed to keep your mouth healthy.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Wrapping Up the Year with a Healthy Smile | Ottawa Dentist

As we wrap up 2021 and prepare for 2022, many of us take stock and set goals for the upcoming year. For some, it’s health while others try to work on lifestyle changes. All are great ideas, but one resolution seems to miss us is our dental health. Sure, many of us link health to nutrition, but the health of our smile plays an even more important role in our overall health. Think about it, many germs and viruses are often ingested via our mouth. If we take care of our smile, chances are good health will follow.

So, how do we keep our mouths healthy? Proper dental hygiene. It’s a new year – visit your dentist for a checkup. If you have an issues on the horizon, you can make specific changes to your typical dental routine. If you’ve passed your checkup with flying colors, then you can rest assured that you’re doing a great job.

For those that need a refresher course on proper dental hygiene, here’s a quick rundown:

  • Brush for at least two minutes.
  • Floss to remove food from hard-to-reach places.
  • Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash.
  • Keep your dental appointments.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Are You a Coffee Fanatic? | Ottawa Dentist

Do you wake up and head to the closest coffee shop for a quick fix of coffee? Does it affect your day if you don’t have your caffeinated beverage? You are not alone. Canadians everywhere love to have their Tim Hortons in the morning, and sometimes throughout the day. The problem is many of those beverages are terrible for your smile due to the amount of sugar. And for many, it can be a shocking discovery to find out just how much sugar is involved in their daily. For some, it’s comparable to eating a candy bar.

  • A Tim Hortons double-double has four teaspoons of sugar in it and another teaspoon of sugar from the cream, similar to a 50 g Caramilk bar.
  • Both the Iced Capp and the Iced Capp Light have 39 grams of sugar in their medium sizes — almost 10 teaspoons.
  • McCafe’s Vanilla Chai Iced Frappe has a whopping 19 teaspoons — or 79 grams — of sugar.
  • One medium Mango Pineapple Real Fruit Smoothie has about 14 teaspoons, or 57 g, of sugar, because it is made from concentrates and purees, not real fruit.
  • Many believe drinking matcha tea is a healthy choice, but Starbucks grande matcha tea latte has 6 teaspoons or sugar.
  • The grande caramel Frappuccino is more like a desert with its 13 teaspoons of sugar.

Because these drinks have become a daily favorite, and are so sugary sweet, they can really do some damage to our smiles, it is important to look after your teeth afterwards. Rinsing your mouth with water after drinking coffee if a toothbrush isn’t handy is a great rule of thumb. The longer sugar remains on your teeth, the easier it is for bacteria to do some damage.

Schedule your appointment today. Call Dr. Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.urbandentalcentre.com.

Dr. Katia Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Quit Smoking for Your Smile | Ottawa Dentist

We all know that smoking is bad for our health. It causes various cancers, heart conditions and other maladies. After all, our mouths are the first line of defense to our overall health. When we smoke, we are breaking down our immune systems, and that is how we are susceptible to other health issues – because our immune system is compromised. And we know that smoking will begin to cause our teeth to yellow, but there’s more to it than a dingy smile. Using tobacco products can cause other dental issues. Not only will it break down your immune system, but it also kills the good bacteria in your mouth, allowing the disease-causing bacteria to invade, take hold and flourish. In honor of World No Tobacco Day, lets take a look at how the use of tobacco products are hurting your smile. Tobacco products damage your gums by affecting the way your teeth are attached to the bone and soft tissue. When this happens, your gums will begin to recede, giving bacteria access to the tooth’s roots. If left untreated, you will begin to lose your teeth. Gum disease will affect most adults at some point in their lives. If you’re a smoker, you are raising those doubling those stakes than that of a non-smoker. And because smoking causes your blood vessels to shrink, it will also be more difficult to heal the gum disease you have developed over time. We know it is difficult, but smoking is one habit that has so many adverse effects, it is important that you make an effort to quit. So, celebrate World No Smoking Day by cutting tobacco out of your life. Your smile will thank you. If you would like more information about quitting smoking, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com. Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.
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Brighten Your Smile in the Garden | Ottawa Dentist

We are all on the search for the next great invention to improve ourselves. Sometimes it’s a fad diet, sometimes it’s a new fashion trend, but whatever it is, the goal is to become more attractive to the world around us. And because our smile is the first thing most people notice, finding ways to brighten that smile is definitely one of the main focuses. We visit the dentist for whitening treatments, we buy all of the latest over-the-counter products we can find, but still our smiles continue to stain.

Unfortunately, this is natural for everyone. Many times, our personal choices are leading to these dingy grins. Smoking, drinking dark-colored drinks like coffee or wine all lead to our teeth staining over time, even those carbonated energy drinks aren’t helping the issue as they break down tooth enamel, making way for a yellowish dentin to shine through.

So, what can we do to fix this issue? Proper dental hygiene, visits to the dentist and cutting back on bad habits will all help, but there is also an option you may not have known, a more natural option – visit the produce section.

Ever notice broccoli looks a lot like a toothbrush? When you eat it, these tiny iron-clad veggies give your mouth a quick scrub. Celery is filled with water, which not only gives the bacteria in your mouth a quick rinse, but the strings are very…floss-like. Strawberries have malic acid, which can break down tooth stains and rubbing a banana peel across your teeth can give them a quick polish in a pinch. Mother Nature is pretty awesome, right?

If you would like more information about dental hygiene, call Dr. Katia Doumit in Ottawa, Ontario at 613-232-8000 or visit www.lesplanadedental.com.

Dr. Doumit proudly serves Ottawa and all surrounding areas.