The Gift of Healthy Teeth ... Teenagers

Don’t fight about tooth brushing: have your teen eat Xylitol!

When teeth are covered in plaque, poor quality tooth brushing will be of little help. It is more realistic and valuable to have your child use Xylitol after snacks, sugary drinks and meals. Xylitol provides protection when teeth are not brushed by removing acids and loosening harmful bacteria from plaque on teeth.

Let your teenager know that Xylitol is a great breath freshener! Xylitol mints and particularly the gum are effective breath fresheners and make teeth feel shiny and smooth. Bacteria that cause bad breath live in an acidic mouth, but Xylitol takes away acidity and helps bacteria to fall off teeth by reducing adhesiveness. Teenagers will like the fact that Xylitol is all natural and tastes great.

Studies show that Xylitol and fluoride work in harmony and will help strengthen and protect teeth. The use of Xylitol will provide additional protection when teeth are not brushed: by removing acids and loosening plaque from teeth.

If your children are athletic, they have special risks for dental disease. Children involved in sports, dance, or other high energy activities often drink acidic sports drinks and juices. The damage may be worse because of dehydration and mouth breathing, which causes dry mouth. Damage can be prevented and even reversed by eating Xylitol frequently to protect teeth from acidic attacks.

Braces create new problems. Braces and orthodontic appliances can make teeth cleaning difficult. Encourage your teenager to use Xylitol for protection from the effect of wearing the appliance over an extended period of time.

Teenagers and Gum Disease

Gum disease is usually seen to start during adolescence. Hormonal changes related to puberty put teens at greater risk for gum disease. Prevention is easier than a cure! Young adults need to brush their gums correctly to prevent disease from starting. Brushing around braces is difficult and flossing is a challenge but careless habits of going to bed without rinsing or brushing can damage teeth permanently. Teens who refuse to brush or rinse should at least protect their teeth before sleeping by eating a Xylitol mint or gum.

Another important subject for teens is that of bleaching teeth. It seems that some irritation is caused by home bleaching kits and strips and that care should be taken to avoid touching the gums with the materials. When you bleach your teeth you need to realize that you are taking off the protective layer, making your teeth more porous and potentially damaging the gums.

Rinsing with fluoride after bleaching will help to provide a protective layer to re-harden teeth and stop them staining. Be very careful and use fluoride and Xylitol as much as possible after bleaching to repair the damage that may have been done.