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Welcome back to this four-part article series in which we speak to a Bronx dental implantssurgeon about what it takes to achieve and maintain a beautiful and healthy smile. Weended off our previous article installment, Part 2, with some final tips on the necessarypreventative care for good oral health. Now, we shall veer into the various bad habits andaddictions that can lead to the early demise of your beautiful, youthful smile...

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"That would most certainly be bad oral hygiene and generally, an unhealthy lifestyle. Wefind that the people who lose most of their teeth in their mid-to-late adulthood haven't justmade one mistake as far as caring for their teeth are concerned, but many. For example,they have rarely if ever flossed, they seldom brush their teeth, they may be smokers, theyhave too much sugar in their diet and they haven't seen a dentist and oral hygienist in

decades! Your teeth are composed of the strongest substance in your body and it takes afair bit of abuse to destroy them, but they are not invulnerable. This is unfortunatelysomething all of our patients have discovered the hard way," says the Bronx dentalimplants surgeon.

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"First of all, any smoker needs to be commended on his or her resolution to kick thehabit," says the dental implants surgeon in New York City. "We are fully aware that it is anaddiction and so it isn't just a matter of flushing one’s cigarettes down the toilet. Smokingdamages your teeth and gums in many ways, some of which you can offset in the shortterm. It causes "dry mouth" and since your saliva is your body's defense mechanismagainst bacteria, this has the potential to lead to decay and gum disease."

"What we would recommend is more frequent brushing andflossing... you need to accommodate for the fact that your mouthisn't as resistant to infection as a non-smoker's, so be morethorough in your approach to keeping your teeth and gums clean.You may also want to make use of an anti-bacterial mouth washand chew sugar-free gum between meals, as this will stimulatethe production of saliva."

"Additionally, no matter how embarrassed you are about yourhabit, make sure you see your dentist and oral hygienist twiceper year," urges the Bronx dental implants surgeon. "Taking amore aggressive preventative approach to keeping your mouthhealthy may stave off the oral diseases associated with smokingfor longer. But it won't prevent them and it certainly won’tprevent oral cancer."

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"Is there any kind of addiction that isn't bad for you? Binge drinking is bad for your teeth,not to mention your entire body. The acid and sugar content of most alcoholic beveragesdestroys dental enamel, while the alcohol irritates soft tissue and causes dry mouth. Drugabuse - no matter what it is - obliterates oral health. Most illegal drugs are incrediblyacidic and corrode your teeth," explains the Bronx dental implants surgeon. "Also, eatingdisorders can lead to the early loss of teeth: a lack of proper nutrition leaves you morevulnerable to infection and frequent exposure to stomach acid causes healthy teeth tobecome terribly damaged."

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For more advice from the dental implants surgeon in New York City on how to maintainoptimal oral health for life, stay tuned for the final installment of this four-part articleseries.