A Puny Straw Can Pack Powerful Protection
A STRAW? HOW ON EARTH can a straw help protect my smile?! Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. Read on…
Straws Can Help Minimize Exposure
Beverages like iced coffee, sports drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, and colas contribute to tooth staining, decay and erosion. Sipping them through a straw can help protect your teeth.
Staining
Strongly pigmented beverages—such as berry smoothies and coffee—can stain teeth. And as we know, staining can be especially devastating when you have braces. A straw can help.
Decay
Your sugary-drink consumption habits may be apparent by simply looking in your mouth. For some, it’s the back molars that see a lot of decay due to swishing and letting liquid pool in their mouths before swallowing. For those who sip on soda throughout the day, decay may be more evident in their front teeth. Of course, you’re forgoing soda while you have braces, but it’s nice to remember that once your braces are off, straws can help you keep decay away.
Sensitivity
Reducing opportunities for sugar and acid to attack your enamel helps protect it against sensitivity caused by erosion and decay. Straws can also help reduce those jabs of sensitivity caused by cold or hot drinks.
Is Your Straw Positioned Correctly?
Get into the habit of positioning straws at the back of your mouth so that drinks have minimal exposure to teeth. You can further reduce harmful effects by:
- NOT swishing beverages around in your mouth.
- NOT continuously sipping on harmful drinks throughout the day.
- Following your drinks up with water, sugarless gum, or celery.
Don’t Rely On Straws To Do All The Work
Even fun straws can’t do all the heavy lifting for you…
Practice good eating habits and brush your teeth morning and night, and don’t forget to floss! Keep your regularly scheduled appointments with your dentist, and if you have questions about staining, decay, or sensitivity give us a call! You can message us on our Facebook page too!
