Rarely do we recognize our teeth as the strongest parts of the human body. Yes, they are the toughest bones we have, ranking 5 on the Moh’s Scale and in our eyes, they’re indestructible. Well, sort of.

We use our teeth for numerous things beyond chewing our food. We use them for opening up stubborn packaging, holding onto items when our hands aren’t enough and it’s a convenient bottle opener. All of these things we put our teeth through are major factors causing periodontal disease, tooth decay and tooth loss. Sure, you can go to your dentist when these problems arise, but there’s only so much they can do to help your case. In fact, dental implants are the number one solution for those missing one or more teeth. However, we want to help you out before it ever gets to that point. Check out these 5 tips for great oral health care.

Stick with a Good Oral Hygiene Routine
You’ve been brushing your teeth from a very young age, which is great! Those who learned the art of toothbrushing in their childhood have a greater chance of keeping up with it throughout their whole lives. However, there may have been a point in your teen years where oral hygiene wasn’t your entire focus. There may have been days where you skipped on brushing your teeth and that slowly grew into a bad habit. A result of that is the beginning of tooth decay, and it follows you forever.

If you’ve skipped out on brushing your teeth more than once, now’s the time to break that habit. Just think, every time you miss out on brushing your teeth, you’re slowly letting the effects of gingivitis, staining and tooth decay settle in and tear your oral health apart. Don’t let that happen to you. Start practicing oral hygiene habits today – including toothbrushing, flossing and using mouthwash – and your future self will be very thankful.

Visit Your Dentist Even if You Don’t Want To
Here at Atlantic Dental Group we urge you to visit your dentist at least once every six months. It’s not to our benefit, it’s just the right thing to do for a lifetime of strong, healthy teeth. Even just one cleaning a year can go a long way in comparison to not going at all. Your dentist is able to give your teeth a full cleaning that you can’t reach with just a toothbrush and provide you dental tips that are specific to your case. Here in our office, our dentists will treat you like a friend. We’re not going to let you go home without educating you on your own oral health.

For some people, they don’t visit their dentist because their limited financially. Lucky there are some alternatives that you can look into if you fall into this category. Plenty of dental schools offer free or reduced services if your willing to have a student work on you. There are also free community-based clinics that offer basic services to qualifying patients. Your dentist may also offer payment plans to choose from, stretching your payment over a period of time. Essentially, there’s no reason for you to ignore a trip to the dentist.

You Can Never Drink Enough Water
Drinking water is only second to brushing your teeth when talking about good oral hygiene. Water flushes out food particles that get stuck in between your teeth, your gums and you tongue. It’s the only things you can swish around in your mouth (besides mouthwash) that won’t cause massive damage to your teeth. Get at least 8 cups of water in everyday, not only to stay hydrated, but to swig out any lingering sugars and bacteria.

While you’re at it, go ahead and avoid too many sugary drinks. You’re an adult, we can’t stop you from drinking soda, even if you’re one to dip your food in it, However, you’ll eventually pay the price for drinking too much soda with tooth loss and gum disease. Plus, sugary drinks actually dry out your mouth and cause dehydration. One of the safest ways to ensure you have all of your teeth for a lifetime is to simply give up on sodas and the like.

Make a Quality Investment in Dental Hygiene Products
There’re no cutting corners when it comes to taking care of your teeth. If you want strong and healthy teeth, you have to invest in them. It’s vital you replace your toothbrush at least once every three months, sooner if you’ve overcome a sickness spell. Toothbrushes aren’t even that expensive, the least expensive brand does as good of a job as professional-level brands. You can also invest in an electric toothbrush that aids in removing food particles and getting between your teeth before you even get to flossing.

Don’t forget about your floss and mouthwash! Flossing is important because it helps clean the half of your teeth that’s unreachable by a toothbrush. With the right technique, it can take as little as a minute to do every day. You can even use a Waterpik if you’re scared of bleeding gums. Another thing to add to your shopping list is medicated mouthwash. In comparison to regular mouthwashes, which only masks the smell of bad breath, medicated mouthwashes tackle and prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay thanks to special formulation. Remember, investing now into your oral hygiene will pay off in the long run.

Keep a Balanced Diet Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
The thin layer of enamel that protects your teeth goes under a ton of strain every single day. It fights off a never ending attack of acids that result from bacteria breaking down food on the surface of your teeth. That’s why your enamel needs backup in the form of a healthy diet. Make sure to consume plenty of foods that are rich in Vitamins A-E, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iodine. These help strengthen enamel and remineralize your teeth as they prepare for contact with your next meal.

If you’re having trouble locating foods that contain these essential vitamins and minerals, you have one other option, supplements. You can easily find supplement tablets at the pharmacy, and it never hurts to have a supply of them even if you do have an already balanced diet.

Atlantic Dental Group is Here to Help
These tips make it easy for you to take care of your teeth. So long as you use them to develop good habits, you’ll have strong and healthy teeth for a lifetime. Atlantic Dental Group will be here for you whenever you need us, even if you lose a tooth. Oral hygiene is important, and we’ll do our very best to make sure the 32 teeth that grow in during your teen years is the same 32 teeth you have going into retirement.

Acupuncture is one of the techniques of traditional Chinese medicine to treat various health conditions. It is a thousand years old practice and has been in China and some Asian countries for long. But in recent decades, it has become popular in European countries as well and is observing an increased number of people turning to it every year. Acupuncture can treat common body pain, headache, respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal issues, stress, anxiety, depression, and much more. But one thing which is still known to fewer people is acupuncture for weight loss in Houston, TX. It might be surprising and unbelievable for some, but acupuncture does help in reducing weight.According to TCM, the reason behind the weight gain is the malfunctioning various organs involved in the digestion process. This malfunctioning causes the imbalance in body functioning causing the weight gain. Therefore, acupuncture for weight loss in Houston, TX, targets the endocrine system, kidney, and try to regain the hormonal and nerve balance of the body. Pressing some specific points on the skin increases the level of serotonin (5-HT) hormone in the body. The hormone is not only known to induce calmness and relaxation but also improves the intestinal motility. This help in releasing the toxic material body that may produce stagnation and internal heat causing fat deposits and weight gain. The overall digestive functioning is also improved by acupuncture, allowing the complete breakdown of the food that provides energy and reduces unnecessary fat accumulation. The acupuncture needles also stimulate the release of another happy hormone, Endorphin. This relaxes the body from post workout stress and tiredness that generally induces the need to eat extra and often.Another acupuncture practice of Chinese medicine for weight loss is ear stapling. It has been used for many years to treat people suffering from drug addiction and cigarette smokers. In this technique, various points in the ear are identified as the points that control food craving and are pressed during the procedure. Ear stapling is combined with other exercises and diet plans for complete weight loss. Ear stapling also restores the natural balance of hormones and neurotransmitter levels that stimulate the release of endorphin that helps in fighting against the stress and anxiety caused by weight gain. Though acupuncture is a natural healing process and has no side effects, but ear stapling has some physiological effects such as fatigue, muscle spasm, and soreness. With proper rest, complimentary diet, and regular gaps between the therapies, these are easily overcome.So, for all those who are looking for the natural solution for their weight gain, acupuncture for weight loss in Houston, TX is the answer. It is advised that one must always visit the trained and certified therapists and practitioners of Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

Whenever you apply for a loan package, lenders/credit providers have to make reasonable enquiries about your financial situation. They determine your credit worthiness and ability to make repayments by taking a look at your credit score. So, it is important that you know the components that make your score.

What are the Components of Credit Score?

Whilst the formulas for calculating scores are quite complex and secretive, its components are not a secret. To help you understand, here is a list of components along with their relevant percentage assigned to each component:

35% for your “Payment history” – Late payments on bills, such as a mortgage, credit card or automobile loan, etc. will cause score to drop. Bills paid on time will improve your score.

30% for “Credit utilisation” – The ratio of your current revolving debt (such as credit card balances) to your total available revolving credit or credit limit will determine your credit utilisation.

15% for Length of your credit history – The aging of your credit history can have a positive impact on your score.

10% for Types of credit used – You can benefit by having a history of managing different types of credit (e.g. mortgage loans, instalment loans, revolving credit, personal loans, etc.)

10% for Recent searches for credit – Hard credit enquiries, which occur when you apply for a credit card or home loan (revolving or otherwise), can hurt your score, especially, if done in great numbers. If you are “rate shopping” for a mortgage loan or auto loan (e.g. a fortnight or 45 days), you will likely not experience a meaningful decrease in your score as a result of the credit enquiries. As the scoring models consider all hard enquiries that occur within 14 or 45 days of each other, as only one.

What is the Impact of Credit Enquiries?

While all enquiries are recorded and displayed on your personal credit reports for two years, they have no effect after the first year because most credit scoring systems ignore them after 12 months.

Some enquiries (called “soft enquiries”) are not considered by credit scoring systems and they do not have an impact on your score. Here is a list of “soft enquiries” that do not have an impact on your credit scoring:

>> A report obtained by you for personal use

>> A report obtained by the employer for employee verification, or

>> A report obtained by companies initiating pre-screened offers of loan or insurance So, these are the components that determine your score. I sincerely hope this article increases your awareness of credit scores.