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Going Healthy, Health, Life, Tips

Oral Hygiene: Debunking 5 Popular Myths About Flossing

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Although most everyone knows they need to floss their teeth at least once a day, few heed the directions of their dentist. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around a third of Americans never floss their teeth. Some people do not floss because they continue to believe erroneous myths regarding the practice. With this guide, these myths will be debunked and individuals will better understand the importance of flossing their teeth regularly.

Why Is Flossing So Important?

Flossing is an essential part of caring for the teeth. In addition to seeking a teeth cleaning dentist near me, individuals need to make sure they floss at least once a day. Flossing is essential because it removes plaque and food particles from between the teeth. If these substances are left in place, they can harden and calcify, turning into tartar.

Tartar is a damaging substance that can break down the protective enamel and cause erosions. Eventually, erosions lead to cavities. Those who do not floss their teeth are more likely to experience cavities that can be damaging and cause pain.

Debunking 5 Popular Myths About Flossing

Unfortunately, there are myths that continue to be perpetuated, despite having been debunked by dentists all over the world. It is important individuals understand these myths are false so they can start ensuring they floss their teeth on a daily basis.

1. Flossing is only important for removing stuck foods.

This is obviously wrong on all levels. Although removing food debris is undoubtedly a benefit of tooth flossing, there is more to its benefits. Flossing also removes plaque and bacteria that can lead to cavities.

2. Individuals do not need to floss if they brush their teeth carefully.

Yes, brushing at least twice a day helps to protect the teeth from cavities, but toothbrushes cannot get between the teeth. Combining brushing and flossing helps to ensure the teeth are protected against plaque and bacteria that can cause decay.

3. Flossing is too much work.

Many people make the mistake of believing effective flossing takes a lot of time and effort. Flossing does not take long. With the latest single flossers and other tools, this chore has become easier than ever.

4. Dentists cannot tell if patients have not flossed.

This is entirely false. Dentists can easily tell if their patients have been skipping flossing. Tartar buildup between the teeth is a telltale sign a person has not been flossing as they should. Patients should not bother lying to their dentist about flossing because they can tell.

5. Bleeding gums is normal after flossing

Healthy gum tissue should not bleed. Bleeding and painful gums after flossing could mean a person has gingivitis. Unfortunately, gingivitis can lead to gum disease and eventual tooth loss. Gingivitis requires dental treatment right away.

Proper Flossing Is Important

Individuals need to make sure they floss their teeth at least once a day using the right technique. It is important to use a gentle back and forth motion while being careful not to cut into the gum tissue by being too forceful. When in doubt, a person should ask their dentist for proper instructions on flossing.

Conclusion

Now that the flossing myths have finally been debunked for the last time, individuals will better understand the importance of caring for their teeth. Proper flossing is essential for removing the plaque and bacteria that can lead to problems with decay. In addition to brushing and flossing, individuals need to make sure they see the dentist a couple of times a year for checkups.

Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tips

Entertaining Your Kids On A Road Trip

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Road trips can be a great way to holiday without the fuss of a plane and the airport rush. As a parent, planning the ideal road trip can be a fun activity and you can get the kids involved in choosing destinations too. As fun as road trips can be with the kids, they can also be stressful. 

Any parent knows that kids have a notoriously short attention span and this means we need to work hard to ensure they are entertained lest they become fussy in the car. Today we are going to take a look at how you can keep the kids entertained on a road trip and make sure that they don’t fuss. 

Download videos 

The first idea you can try is to use Vidmate download to download some of your kids’ favourite Youtube videos onto a tablet for the trip. By downloading videos locally instead of relying on the signal, it means that you can be sure your kids will have access to some form of entertainment no matter where you are. On long car trips often this is the best way to keep the kids happy and they will stay out of your hair as you drive. 

Provide snacks 

One of the other big factors that can change your child’s mood in an instant is hunger. When your child is hungry, they can very quickly become stroppy and unmanageable and the last thing you want is to be stuck in a car with grumpy kids! Make sure to bring lots of snacks such as chips and cookies for the kids to eat during the trip, and this will keep them happy and ensure they don’t get fussy. 

Bring coloring books 

It is important to make sure your kids have plenty of ways to entertain themselves in the car without posing a danger to you while driving. One great idea is to pack some crayons and coloring books or print out free coloring templates for the trip. Coloring books will keep the kids quiet and entertained for a long while and it will ensure that they don’t start jumping around in the back of the car distracting you.

Play games 

If you want to kill some time on the road with your kids, one way to do that is to play games on the road as a family. This can range anywhere from I Spy to 20 questions, or even spotting yellow cars on the journey. You’ll always be able to find fun things to do on the road and you can make your trip into something fun for every member of the family. 

Take regular breaks 

One easy way to ensure the kids don’t get too bored this year on a road trip is to take breaks regularly and stop off for a walk or to visit new places. Being stuck in a car for hours on end can get very boring so having a few rest stops along the way is a great idea for all of you and will stop you from going mad! 

Have fun on your road trip this year and keep the kids happy!

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Lifestyle

Can Diet Really Keep Your Senses Healthy? Research Says “Yes”

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We tend to think of our senses as things that are independent of the health of the rest of our bodies. It is hard for us to imagine, for instance, that our sense of touch or taste would be much affected by our overall state of wellbeing. You don’t hear of people suddenly going numb all over because of a bad diet. 

But, the reality is actually quite different. It turns out that what we eat really does affect the senses – and often in a big way. 

Eyesight

Take eyesight, for instance. We all know that as people get older, they can begin to lose their sense of sight. Many of us, however, just assume that that’s the way things go as people get older and there’s not much that we can do about it. But it turns out that eyesight is something that you can protect with diet.

There are two main ways that what you eat protects your eyes. First, it turns out that some of the color pigments in foods that we eat can make their way into the eyes, getting there via the bloodstream. These act as a kind of defensive barrier that helps to soak up some of the damage of incoming light rays. 

The second way food helps is by protecting the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye in the retina. When blood sugar levels are high from a poor diet, it can damage these tiny structures. And that can cause degradation over time which makes it harder to see. But when you eat a healthy diet, you keep blood sugars low, helping to protect your blood vessels.

Of course, there are also treatments to help eyesight such as Lasik, which, as you more than likely know, it is essential to look at tips for before and after lasik to ensure it is handled correctly, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your diet once it is done. Your diet can still have a profound effect so that your eyes can keep being healthy.

Hearing

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Diet is also a great way to protect against hearing loss over time. Again, as adults age, they tend to develop hearing problems in both left and right ears. And, eventually, that can make it difficult to listen to people in conversations or hear the radio. 

It turns out, however, that eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of hearing loss. According to some research, the risk reduction might be as low as 30 percent, which is highly significant. 

Which diets work against hearing loss? Currently, practitioners recommend three different types, all of which are low in processed food. 


The first is the AHEI 2010. It’s not a particularly memorable name for a diet, but its basic principles are easy to understand. It recommends basing your diet around fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting salt and sugar. 

The second diet is the more famous DASH diet – a popular medical diet designed for people wanting to prevent diabetes. It includes lean meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and limits salt, fat and sugar. 


Lastly, you might want to consider the Mediterranean diet – probably the most delicious of the lot. This tries to recreate the old-fashioned diet of people living in places like Greece and Italy. It includes beans, herbs, vegetables, and a small amount of olive oil. 
All these diets improve the overall health of your body, which improves the health of your ears at the same time.