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Start early for a lifetime of oral health

From infant care to back-to-school and beyond, healthy teeth for the long term begins now
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Maintaining good oral health has value beyond the obvious aesthetic rewards of a beautiful smile. Oral health is essential to general health and well-being at every stage of life.

Whatever your stage of life, Dr. Robert Wolanski, from Nanaimo’s Lakeside Dental, offers three essential tips for preventing decay:

1. Brush twice daily

2. Floss daily (after dinner preferably)

3. Follow a healthy diet that’s designed to improve both oral and whole health (limiting exposure to harmful foods).

For babies, floss as soon as the teeth touch and only give water at night as long exposure to milk and juice leads to severe tooth rot.

As children head back to school, snacks need to be chosen carefully. Sticky granolas and fruit snacks stick to the teeth, giving the sugars more time to cause decay that is not reversible. This is the time they are growing their adult teeth, which it’s hoped they’ll keep for life.

Did you know that gum disease – not the aging process – is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults?

Although decay may occur in any area of the tooth, as you age decay is more likely to develop around old fillings or in the softer root of the tooth that is exposed as gums recede. Regular visits to your dentist allow your dentist to keep an eye on those vulnerable areas for you to keep your teeth healthy into retirement so you can enjoy eating the foods you love.

Left untreated, the process can progress to a point where the roots of the teeth decay so severely they cannot be saved. This results in loss of teeth and in extreme cases, dentures. Thankfully we’re able to rehabilitate these patients now with dental implants and give back the function and health that people have lost in most cases.

“Having said that, even though I think that implants are an amazing treatment, I wish for my patients to be able to keep their natural teeth,” says Dr. Wolanski. “We strive hard for our patients to keep their natural teeth and we work to provide them the care and tools to do so.”

To find out what your oral health says about your overall health, schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Wolanski or Dr. Stephanie Allen today.