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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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New Year, New Dental Hygiene Habits | Ottawa Dentist

Now that we have begun 2022, it is important to know that change is afoot for many of us. We all have some goals set for the new year, and many of them have to do with health. Unfortunately, many of us forget about our dental health when making these changes. But it’s true – dental health should be a top priority because our general health is directly linked to our dental one. And the first step? A clean toothbrush. 

The best way to limit the bacteria in your mouth is to brush your teeth. And what do we use to do this? A toothbrush. But if you’re neglecting your toothbrush, it begins to neglect you. The best way to keep those cavity creeps away is to replace your toothbrush on a regular basis. In fact, we need to swap out our toothbrushes every three to four months. If the bristles become frayed, you’re sick, or you have a weak immune system, it’s time to exchange our toothbrush. If you use an electric toothbrush, throw out the head as often as you’d discard a disposable toothbrush. 

As for habits, start and close each day with a clean mouth. Because every time you’re tempted to skip brushing and flossing your teeth, remember that bacteria lurk in your mouth – and that they cause gum disease, and decay, and bad breath. Make sure you’re brushing and flossing as often as possible to eliminate some of those bacteria. Rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash before or after brushing can also help reduce plaque-causing bacteria that can lead to early forms of gum disease. It’s a new year – why not start with a healthy smile? 

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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Do You Like to Drink Tea? | Ottawa Dentist

Are you a fan of drinking tea? Is it the one hot beverage you go to when you want to warm up your bones? You aren’t alone. Every second, people around the world consume 25,000 cups of tea. That’s 2.16 billion cups of tea each day! Tea is loved so much that the United Nations declared May 21st International Tea Day to celebrate the importance of tea in our lives in order to promote its production and consumption.

You may not be aware, but tea is not only helping solve issues of poverty and hunger around the world. There are millions of families in developing countries that base their entire livelihood on producing tea for all of us around the world. And because tea is a way to stave off hunger, it is consumed by many remote, disadvantaged countries. Tea is not only fantastic with its health benefits, like preventing tooth loss, but is also a cornerstone to many cultures.

But it doesn’t matter if you love your tea hot or iced, if you’re a superfan, you know that it begins to stain your teeth after some time. This is why it is very important to keep up with your daily dental hygiene. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day, floss and rinse to ensure that your stains stay away for as long as possible. At your regular checkups, you can mention any whitening treatments you would like to brighten your smile. So, enjoy your cup of tea. Not only will it heal your body and soothe your soul, but it is also helping your fellow man.

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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Dental Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

Now that we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, it is a good time to refresh on some dental tips to keep your smile healthy. After all, this may be a different type of holiday season, but that doesn’t mean we need to change all of our favorite things that this time of year brings: We all know holidays are jam-packed with loads of foods, but there are many ways you can damage your teeth if you overindulge in certain things. Candy canes, for example, are a classic holiday treat. But they are also a hard sugary candy, and that can damage your teeth if you aren’t careful. Stockings also tend to be filled with sugary sweets. Why not try to limit the treats in exchange for other options? Or better yet, gift them a new toothbrush! When it comes to snacks and meals, there are lots of options to keeping your diet and mouth healthy. Indulge in more fruits and veggies than cakes and cookies when grazing the snack table. They are not only filled with great vitamins, but chomping on them produces saliva, ideal for washing away harmful bacteria. Other holiday staples are cheese and turkey, and both of those are the perfect options as they contain lots of proteins and calcium to strengthen your teeth. When it comes to holiday beverages, keep things simple. If you are a wine drinker, white wine won’t stain your teeth like red. If soda is the option, try to limit these super sugary drinks, or opt for fizzy water. After all the festivities are done, make sure you practice proper dental hygiene. In fact, hum a holiday tune while you brush! Schedule your appointment today. 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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Your Asthma May Be Giving You Dental Issues | Ottawa Dentist

Do you suffer from asthma? Don’t worry – this isn’t a judgement. Asthma is very common. It’s so common that roughly 339 million people worldwide suffer from this inflammatory disease that narrows and inflames your airways to the point that it is difficult to breath. But did you know that asthma can also lead to future dental problems? It’s true. And this is why you need to pay extra special attention to your dental health if you suffer from this affliction. Patients with asthma can experience a number of triggers, from weather conditions to airborne irritants like pollen and pet dander. When it causes issues breathing, it is likely you will use an inhaler. These inhalers are repressing salivary glands and limiting saliva production, causing you to experience dry mouth. Dry mouth allows for damaging bacteria to remain in our mouths and cause damage, like plaque build-up – and plaque is the beginning stages of bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Don’t worry – asthma isn’t the end of your great smile. But it is the beginning of an improvement to your daily dental hygiene routine. After you use your inhaler, rinse your mouth out with water. Not only will you kickstart saliva production, but you will rinse away any sugar your inhaler may be sweetened with to make it easier to use. In fact, drinking enough water and snacking on fruits like apples are great for increasing saliva production and reducing dry mouth. But above all else, keep up with your dental hygiene. Brush for two minutes, floss and rinse with fluoride mouthwash daily, but most importantly, keep your dental appointments. They are the only ones that can ensure you’re doing a good job. If you would like more information about the effects of asthma, 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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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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Keeping Your Routines Is Important | Ottawa Dentist

If there is anything that we know at this time, it’s that we don’t know very much. Our daily lives are changing every day, but there is one thing that remains clear – to remain healthy, keep your hands clean. The second rule? Don’t touch your face. The thing to remember here is that germs love to invade our bodies through our mouths, so keeping our mouths clean and healthy is very important right now. When you think about how much time you spend on your teeth, it is important that you don’t take things lightly. Brushing your teeth roughly for a few seconds each day isn’t properly taking care of your teeth. Choose a soft bristled toothbrush and gently brush your teeth in a circular motion for two minutes, making sure to take time in each quadrant of your mouth (tops and bottoms, left and right sides). Flossing is a step many of use think of as a chore, but it is doing the extra steps to ensure nothing is allowed to set up camp inside our mouths. Choose your own variation, but make sure you floss at least once a day to get in between our teeth the way brushing can’t. The more places bacteria have to set up camp inside your mouth, the easier dental issues will arise later on down the line. Rinsing with mouthwash is a thirty second journey that will disinfect our mouths the way brushing and flossing can’t. Using it beforehand to loosen things before you brush is an option, and a rinse afterwards will add a nice finish to what a great job keeping our mouth clean. Prevention is the best way to keep ourselves healthy, and our dental health is on the frontlines of the health of our whole body. 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.
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‘Tis the Season for Dental Health | Ottawa Dentist

While we are preparing to celebrate our holidays, it is easy for us to put off some of our “less important” routines to make room for all of the social events filling up our holiday calendar. Unfortunately, one of the first routines to go is our dental ones. But with all the holiday sweets and treats everywhere we look it is even more important to keep our teeth healthy. After all, what is a holiday party without some photos? Dental health is something that needs to be maintained year-round. Not only does it affect your smile, but lots of health issues can be prevented by keeping our mouths healthy because our mouths are the first line of defense for many health issues. During this holiday season, keep these dental tips in mind: Daily dental routines. Each day make sure you take some time out to give our teeth a good scrubbing. Brush twice a day for at least two minutes using a soft-bristled toothbrush, floss at least once a day and rinse with a fluoride mouthwash. If you have little ones, it’s important to start these routines early in order to instill good health habits, so make it a family affair. Moderation is key. Far be it for us to tell you what to eat, but it is important to think about how much you are enjoying during the holiday season. We all seem to gain a bit of weight during this celebratory time, but too much can have an adverse effect on our smiles if we don’t watch how many sweets we consume. So, enjoy the holiday season – just don’t forget about the health of your smile. If you would like more information about holiday dental tips, 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.