How to Protect Your Teeth During the Holidays

From Thanksgiving pie to holiday parties to New Year’s Eve, the end of the year is full of good food and time with people you love. It is also a season when routines slip and treats are everywhere. At Brown Family Dentistry, we see a rise in chipped teeth, cavities, and dental emergencies after the holidays. Here is how to enjoy the season without putting your smile at risk.

Be Smart About Holiday Sweets

You do not have to skip dessert, but some treats are harder on your teeth than others. Sugar feeds the bacteria in your mouth, which produce acids that wear down enamel and lead to cavities. How long sugar stays on your teeth matters as much as how much you eat.

A few treats deserve extra caution:

• Sticky candies. Caramels, taffy, and gummies cling to teeth and can pull on fillings and crowns.
• Hard candies and candy canes. Biting down on them can crack or chip a tooth, and sucking on them bathes your teeth in sugar for a long time.
• Grazing. Snacking from a dessert table all afternoon keeps your teeth under constant acid attack.

A better approach is to enjoy sweets with a meal instead of throughout the day. Your mouth produces more saliva while you eat, which helps rinse away sugar and neutralize acids.

Watch What You Drink

Holiday drinks can be just as tough on teeth as holiday food. Eggnog, hot chocolate, cider, and specialty coffee drinks are often loaded with sugar. Red wine and coffee can stain enamel, and alcohol can dry out your mouth, which reduces the saliva that protects your teeth.

Drinking water between other beverages is one of the easiest ways to help. It rinses your teeth, keeps you hydrated, and helps your mouth stay balanced.

Your Teeth Are Not Tools

Opening packages, cracking nuts, tearing tape, and popping bottle caps with your teeth are some of the most common causes of chipped and broken teeth we see this time of year. It only takes one wrong bite. Keep scissors and a nutcracker nearby and save your teeth for eating.

Keep Your Routine While You Travel

Late nights, travel, and full schedules make it easy to skip brushing or forget to floss. Missing a night here and there adds up over a few weeks.

If you are traveling, pack a small dental kit with:

• A toothbrush with a cover
• Travel-size toothpaste
• Floss or floss picks
• Any night guard or retainer you normally wear

Brush twice a day and floss daily, even on the busiest days. If you cannot brush after a meal, rinsing with water or chewing sugar-free gum can help until you can.

What to Do If a Dental Emergency Happens

Accidents happen, even during the holidays. If you chip or break a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water, save any pieces you can find, and use a cold compress to reduce swelling. If a tooth is knocked out, handle it by the crown (the top part), not the root, and keep it moist in milk or saliva. Call your dentist as soon as possible, since timing matters.

Our team offers same-day and next-day appointments for dental emergencies whenever possible. You can find more tips on our home care instructions page.

Our upcoming holiday hours:

• Thanksgiving week -closed Wednesday afternoon, Thursday, Friday
• Christmas- closed December 24th and 25th
• New Years- Closed December 31st and January 1st

Use Your Dental Benefits Before the Year Ends

Many dental insurance plans reset on January 1. If you have not used your benefits this year, the holiday season is a good time to schedule a checkup and cleaning so you do not leave coverage on the table. It is also a chance to take care of any treatment you have been putting off, like a filling or crown, before the new year. Check with your insurance provider for the details of your plan.

Start the New Year With a Healthy Smile in Fort Worth

At Brown Family Dentistry, we want you to enjoy every part of the holiday season, including the food. Dr. Kent Brown, Dr. Jake Brown, and Dr. Matthew Lewis and our team are here to help you keep your smile healthy through the holidays and into the new year. You can see everything included in our general dentistry care here.

Ready to book your end-of-year checkup? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome.

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Do You Grind Your Teeth? Signs of Bruxism Stress

Teeth grinding is more common than most people realize, and because it usually happens during sleep, many patients have no idea they are doing it. At Brown Family Dentistry, we often spot the signs during a routine exam before a patient has noticed anything wrong. Here is what bruxism is, how stress plays a role, and what you can do to protect your smile.

What Is Bruxism?

Bruxism is the medical term for grinding, gnashing, or clenching your teeth. It can happen while you sleep (sleep bruxism) or while you are awake (awake bruxism). Awake bruxism often looks like clenching your jaw while you concentrate, drive, or deal with a stressful moment. Sleep bruxism is harder to catch because you are not aware of it.

Occasional clenching is not usually a cause for concern. When it happens regularly, though, the pressure on your teeth and jaw adds up and can lead to lasting damage.

The Link Between Stress and Teeth Grinding

Stress and anxiety are among the most common triggers for bruxism. When you are under pressure, your body holds tension, and for many people that tension settles in the jaw. A demanding job, a busy season at home, or trouble sleeping can all make grinding worse.

Other factors can contribute as well:

• Sleep issues. Sleep bruxism is often associated with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
• Caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. All three have been linked to more frequent grinding.
• Certain medications. Some antidepressants and other medications list teeth grinding as a possible side effect.
• Your bite. Misaligned or missing teeth can affect how your teeth meet and may play a role.

Common Signs You Might Be Grinding Your Teeth

Because grinding often happens at night, the signs tend to show up in the morning or during your dental visit. Watch for:

• A sore, tight, or tired jaw when you wake up
• Dull headaches, especially near your temples
• Teeth that look flattened, chipped, or worn down
• New tooth sensitivity to hot or cold
• Pain that feels like an earache but is not coming from your ear
• Clicking or popping in your jaw joint
• Indentations along the sides of your tongue or ridges inside your cheeks
• A partner or family member hearing grinding sounds at night

If several of these sound familiar, it is worth mentioning at your next appointment.

Why Bruxism Should Not Be Ignored

Your teeth are strong, but they are not built to handle constant grinding. Over time, bruxism can wear away enamel, crack or break teeth, and loosen or damage existing fillings and crowns. It can also strain the jaw joint and muscles, contributing to ongoing jaw pain and TMJ problems.

The good news is that catching bruxism early makes a real difference. Protecting your teeth now is far simpler than repairing worn or broken teeth later.

How We Can Help

Treatment depends on what is causing your grinding and how much wear has already occurred. Depending on your needs, your dentist may recommend:

• A custom night guard. A guard made to fit your mouth creates a cushion between your upper and lower teeth while you sleep, protecting them from wear.
• Restoring damaged teeth. If grinding has already chipped or worn your teeth, crowns or other restorations can rebuild their strength and shape.
• Improving your bite. When alignment is a factor, options like Invisalign® can help your teeth meet more evenly.
• Addressing the root cause. If we suspect a sleep disorder may be involved, we may recommend you talk with your physician.

Simple Ways to Reduce Grinding at Home

Small changes can help ease the tension that leads to grinding:

• Build a wind-down routine before bed, such as reading, stretching, or deep breathing
• Cut back on caffeine and alcohol, especially later in the day
• Notice when you clench during the day and gently relax your jaw, keeping your lips closed and teeth slightly apart
• Apply a warm compress to sore jaw muscles
• Avoid chewing on pens, ice, or gum for long periods

These habits work best alongside professional care, especially if grinding has already affected your teeth.

Protect Your Smile in Fort Worth

At Brown Family Dentistry, routine checkups are often where we first notice the signs of bruxism. Dr. Kent Brown, Dr. Jake Brown, and Dr. Matthew Lewis and our team will look for wear, listen to your concerns, and help you find a solution that protects your teeth and keeps you comfortable. You can learn more about what is included in our general dentistry care here.

Waking up with jaw pain or headaches? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome.

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Most people think of dental visits as a way to avoid cavities and keep their smile bright. Those are good reasons to come see us, but they are only part of the story. At Brown Family Dentistry, we talk with patients every day about a connection that often surprises them: the health of your mouth is closely tied to the health of your whole body. Here is how the two are linked, and what it means for your everyday care.

The Mouth-Body Connection

Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria. Most are harmless, and good daily habits keep them in balance. When plaque builds up and gums become infected, that balance breaks down. Bacteria and the inflammation that comes with gum disease do not always stay in your mouth. They can enter the bloodstream and contribute to problems elsewhere in the body.

This is why gum disease, also called periodontal disease, sits at the center of so much research on oral health and overall health. Treating and preventing it protects far more than your smile.

Oral Health and Heart Health

Research has repeatedly linked gum disease to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. The leading explanation is inflammation. When your gums are chronically infected, your body stays in a low level of inflammation that appears to affect the blood vessels and the heart over time.

To be clear, brushing your teeth is not a substitute for cardiac care. But keeping your gums healthy is one more meaningful way to support your heart, especially if you already have risk factors.

Oral Health and Diabetes

The relationship between diabetes and gum disease runs in both directions. High blood sugar makes it harder for your body to fight infection, so people with diabetes are more prone to gum disease. At the same time, serious gum infections can make blood sugar harder to control.

For patients managing diabetes, consistent dental care becomes part of managing the condition itself. Healthy gums make blood sugar easier to keep in range, and stable blood sugar helps your gums heal.

Oral Health During Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes your hormones, and those changes can leave gums more sensitive, swollen, and prone to bleeding. This is common enough to have a name: pregnancy gingivitis. It matters because untreated gum disease during pregnancy has been associated with premature birth and low birth weight.

Routine dental care is safe and encouraged during pregnancy. If you are expecting, let us know so we can keep your gums healthy through every trimester.

Other Ways Your Mouth Affects Your Body

The connection reaches further than the heart, blood sugar, and pregnancy:

• Respiratory health. Bacteria from an unhealthy mouth can be breathed into the lungs and has been linked to pneumonia, particularly in older adults.
• Chronic inflammation. Ongoing gum infection adds to the total inflammation your body has to manage, which is tied to a range of health conditions.
• Confidence and daily life. Tooth pain, missing teeth, and bad breath affect how you eat, sleep, speak, and feel about yourself. Your comfort counts too.

Warning Signs Worth Paying Attention To

Gum disease is easy to miss in its early stages because it is often painless. Watch for:

• Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
• Red, swollen, or tender gums
• Gums pulling away from your teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose teeth or a change in your bite

If any of these sound familiar, it is worth a visit. Early gum disease is very treatable, and catching it early keeps a small problem from becoming a bigger one. Our periodontal therapy is designed to do exactly that.

How to Protect Both Your Smile and Your Health

The habits that protect your body are the same ones that protect your teeth:

• Brush twice a day and floss daily
• Eat a balanced diet and limit sugary drinks
• Avoid tobacco, which raises your risk of gum disease
• Keep up with regular cleanings and exams

Those twice-a-year visits do more than clean your teeth. They let us catch gum disease, decay, and other issues early, before they have a chance to affect the rest of your health. You can see everything included in our general dentistry care here.

Whole-Body Care Starts in Fort Worth

At Brown Family Dentistry, we treat your oral health as part of your overall health, not something separate from it. Dr. Kent Brown, Dr. Jake Brown, and Dr. Matthew Lewis and our team are here to keep your smile healthy and support your well-being at the same time.

Due for a checkup? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome.

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If you have ever booked a dental appointment and wondered whether you need a general dentist or a cosmetic dentist, you are not alone. It is one of the most common questions we hear at Brown Family Dentistry. The short answer is that the two work hand in hand, and most patients rely on both at different points. Here is how to tell them apart, and how to know which type of care fits what you are looking for.

What Is General Dentistry?

General dentistry is the foundation of your oral health. It covers the routine and restorative care that keeps your teeth and gums working the way they should and free of disease. A general dentist is who you see for:

• Routine cleanings and exams
• Digital X-rays and oral cancer screenings
• Fillings and cavity treatment
• Crowns, bridges, and root canals
• Gum and periodontal care
• Dental implants and dentures for missing teeth

The goal of general dentistry is health and function. It catches problems early, when they are easier and less expensive to treat, and prevents many of them from starting at all. For most families, general dentistry is the reason for those twice-a-year visits. You can learn more about our general dentistry services here.

What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on the appearance of your smile. It improves the color, shape, alignment, and overall look of your teeth. Where general dentistry keeps your mouth healthy, cosmetic dentistry helps you feel confident about how your smile looks. Common cosmetic treatments include:

• Professional teeth whitening
• Porcelain veneers
• Cosmetic bonding to repair chips and gaps
• Tooth-colored fillings and restorations
• Invisalign clear aligners to straighten teeth
• Complete smile makeovers

Many of these treatments do more than improve appearance. Straighter teeth are easier to keep clean, and restoring a worn or damaged tooth protects the ones around it. That is where the line between cosmetic and general dentistry starts to blur. You can explore our cosmetic dentistry options here.

The Main Difference in One Sentence

General dentistry protects the health and function of your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry improves how they look. General dentistry answers the question “Is my mouth healthy?” Cosmetic dentistry answers “Do I love my smile?”

Where the Two Overlap

A lot of dental work fits both categories at once. A dental crown restores a broken tooth, which is a general dentistry job, and it is shaped and shaded to blend with your natural teeth, which is a cosmetic one. Tooth-colored fillings repair decay while looking seamless. Dental implants replace a missing tooth so you can chew normally, and they fill the gap so your smile looks complete.

The best care usually brings both together, so your smile is healthy and something you feel good about.

Which Type of Care Do You Need?

Start with general dentistry if you are due for a cleaning, have tooth pain, notice bleeding gums, or think you may need a filling or crown. Consider cosmetic dentistry if your teeth are already healthy and you want to whiten, straighten, or reshape your smile.

Not sure where you fall? Start with a general exam. We will check your oral health first, then talk through any cosmetic goals you have and build a plan around them.

Comprehensive Dental Care in Fort Worth

At Brown Family Dentistry, you do not have to choose between the two. Dr. Kent Brown, Dr. Jake Brown, and Dr. Matthew Lewis provide both general and cosmetic dentistry under one roof, so you can care for your oral health and your smile in the same trusted Fort Worth office. Whether you are coming in for a routine checkup or you are ready to transform your smile, our team is here to help.

Ready to schedule? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or request an appointment online. New patients are always welcome.

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When it comes to replacing a missing tooth, dental implants are one of the best alternatives in terms of quality and durability. Replacements can help prevent future tooth loss.

At Brown Family Dentistry, our expert dentists have experience performing premium surgery for dental implants. You can schedule a consultation with us to see if you are the right fit to receive a dental implant.

One of the most common questions we get asked about the procedure is how durable an implant is. The answer to that question is complex, so let’s break it down.

Dental implants are composed of 3 parts: the post, the abutment, and the crown.

• The post is the piece drilled into the bone to support the tooth. If properly placed and cared for, it should last a lifetime.
• The abutment is attached to the post and is designed to hold the crown. It is also designed to last a lifetime.
• The crown, the most commonly known piece, is the visible portion of the tooth. This needs to be replaced within 5 to 15 years since implanted.

While the post and abutment are supposed to last a lifetime, there are instances when this may not be the case. If these pieces were not properly placed or become loose due to injury or extreme wear, they will need to be removed and replaced.

If the post area is infected with peri-implantitis, it will also need to be replaced. Along with other issues like nerve and tissue damage, where implants are placing pressure on the sinus cavity.

As for the crown, because most of them are made with porcelain, resin, or metal, they can last up to 15 years with the proper care. The reason crowns don’t last a lifetime is because it is the part that is constantly being used through chewing or simply grinding teeth.

How do you know if your crown needs to be replaced?

If your crown gets cracked or damaged, you will need to schedule an appointment with us at Brown Family Dentistry or your local dentist to get it replaced before it causes damage to the rest of the implant.

Tips to help implants last longer

To help your dental implants last longer, you will need to take optimal care of your dental health. This includes:

• Brushing your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle toothbrush
• Floss once a day between your teeth
• Use antibacterial mouthwash to reduce plaque and bacteria
• Avoid extremely hard foods
• Attend regular dental exams and cleanings

At Brown Family Dentistry, we care to give you the highest quality of dental implants because your dental health is important to us. Schedule a consultation today to see if you’re the right fit for dental implants.

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5 Signs You May Need A Dental Crown Or Filling

Crowns on teeth are a reliable solution for major dental problems caused by accidents, diseases, or wear and tear. If there is no evident issue, it can be harder to detect whether you need a crown. There may be signs in our oral health to look out for and determine if getting crowns or fillings is the right option for you.

Here are 5 symptoms you might have when you need a crown or filling:

Sensitivity to Hot, Cold, or Sweet Foods

An early sign of tooth decay is increased sensitivity to cold, hot, or sweet foods. If you begin to notice pain or discomfort when consuming food or drinks that are not room temperature, you should schedule an appointment with us at Brown Family Dentistry to get it treated as soon as possible.

An early detection of symptoms can prevent you from having a major injury that will require crowns or fillings, but if the decay has already progressed, it will be time to get working on a crown or filling.

Cracked or fractured teeth

While a small chip or crack in a tooth may not seem like a big deal, especially enough to get a checkup at the dentist, these kinds of injuries can lead to further damage and should be treated.

Dental crowns act as protective shields and restore strength in the tooth. Without a crown or filling, the fractured tooth can break beyond repair, needing an extraction.

Worn out or loose fillings

Similar to cracked or chipped teeth, a worn-out or loose filling may not seem like an urgent matter to treat, but it is essential to have it replaced before the filling exposes tooth decay and requires a crown.

Pain or discomfort when chewing

Pain while chewing can be a more serious indicator of damaged teeth. You should contact your dentist to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If the discomfort is left untreated, it could escalate and require a root canal or even a tooth extraction.

Detecting the area of pain and applying filling or a crown eradicates pain and further restores a tooth’s structure to prevent future damage.

Root canal treatment

If you’ve recently had a root canal, while that can save an infected tooth, it may leave it weak and brittle. Because the nerve is removed, the tooth becomes prone to breakage. This is where a crown comes into play.

The crown can serve as protection for the tooth, preventing cracks and a fractured tooth.

If you have recently experienced any of the following symptoms, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Brown Family Dentistry and begin restoring your smile with dental crowns or fillings.

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Unlike other insecurities, a misaligned smile requires professional orthodontic care to be improved over a long period of time. But with technological advancements, misaligned smile treatment is more discreet than ever with Invisalign.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign aligners are clear plastic aligners that are used to correct teeth. From overbite to underbite and gaps between teeth, the Invisalign technology makes it possible to wear the aligners for 20-22 hours per day, removing them mostly for eating and brushing teeth.

Because of the biological and lifestyle differences between teens and adults, Invisalign created types of aligners for both teens and adults.

But what’s the difference?

Here are 3 key differences between Invisalign Teen and adult Invisalign.

1. Adaptability based on tooth changes

One of the biggest differences in Invisalign Teen compared to the adult version is that Invisalign Teen is designed to adapt based on the changes teens go through. Because teens are constantly growing, whether it is their jaw structure or getting their permanent teeth, Invisalign Teen accommodates those changes through their distinguishing features.

With eruption tabs, small cutouts that allow room for newly erupting teeth and molars, Invisalign Teen allows for change without having to get another set of aligners altogether.

2. Treatment plan designed for Teens

The second difference between them is that Invisalign Teen knows teens will be teens. They will accidentally lose or misplace their aligners or damage them. This is why the Teen treatment plans include a limited number of replacement aligners included in the plan to adjust to the active lifestyle of teens.

3. Compliance Indicators

Because teens can be less compliant with the directions they are given about their Invisalign, the aligners designed for teens have small blue dots at the back of the aligner that fade after wearing the aligners.

This helps monitor whether the aligners are worn as recommended. Ultimately, highlighting the importance of wearing the aligners.

Adult Invisalign does not have this feature, as they are expected to follow the recommendations as provided.

These key differences are what make Invisalign Teens different from the regular version of Invisalign. Now the choice belongs to the parent, whether or not to opt for Teens. At Brown Family Dentistry, during our consultation, we can help you determine what choice is best for your teen.

Make your appointment today and start your journey to a perfect smile.

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Many parents forget about dental health during the rush to plan out the new school year, even when preventative dental checkups can save parents time and money later in the year.

If that doesn’t convince you to schedule your child’s next dental appointment today, here are four more reasons why you should schedule a dental visit before school starts.

1. Busy schedules create limited availability

During the school year, not only are parents busy now, but also students begin to fill up their schedules with classes, homework, and extracurriculars, leaving limited time to schedule dental visits without interrupting their schedule.

Prioritizing dental checkups before the busy season begins will save time from scheduling a checkup later.

2. Oral health can impact confidence

While this second reason may not seem obvious, oral health can have an impact on the social lives of your children and their confidence at school. If bacteria and infection go unnoticed in a child’s mouth, it can lead to bad breath that can cause issues in your child’s social life, if they are older children or teens.

A pre-school dental cleaning will remove debris and protect your child’s mouth to make sure they start the school year with a clean and healthy mouth, ready to meet new people and make friends.

A dental checkup can also address cosmetic issues that may be creating an insecure smile in your child. A teen may express discomfort with misaligned teeth that can lead to conversations about getting braces or retainers.

3. Protective Dental Health

A preventative dental checkup can help detect issues like bad breath and misaligned teeth, as mentioned earlier. These checkups can also detect cavities and begin work to protect teeth further.

During checkups, our dental staff works to detect oral diseases and work against them through cleaning by removing hardened debris on teeth, around the gum line, and between teeth. Not only that, at dental checkups, children can get sealants to prevent cavities and protect from bacteria settling in the crevices of the teeth, leaving a healthier smile for longer.

4. Dental records are important

Another reason to schedule a dental appointment before school starts is for record-keeping. Oftentimes, schools will ask for dental records, especially with younger children who are just starting school.

Having the checkup scheduled before school starts helps expedite the process of turning in documents and saves you time later.

Schedule a Dental Checkup Today

At Brown Family Dentistry, we care about your family’s dental health. As school starts, we want to make sure you have a happy, healthy smile, and that starts with us. Schedule a dental appointment today.

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A Year in the Making

Every month for the past year, Dr. Jake Brown made the trip to Alabama. Not for a conference. Not for a weekend seminar. For surgery — real surgery, on real patients — as part of one of the most demanding implant training programs available to dentists anywhere in the country.

On May 8, 2026, Dr. Jake received his certificate from the Comprehensive Implant Residency Program (CIRP) through McCracken Implant Education in Birmingham, completing over 110 hours of continuing implant education in the process. We could not be more proud of him, and we think you should know what this means for your care.

What Is CIRP?

The Comprehensive Implant Residency Program is a year-long, hands-on surgical residency designed for dentists who want to go deep into implant dentistry. Running from August through May, the program hosts monthly three-day sessions at a dental school in Alabama where participants work on actual patients. Not models. Not simulated exercises.

During each session, dentists place between 20 and 40 implants per day and follow those patients post-operatively. After the clinical work, the group reviews every case together in a seminar format, talking through what went well, what was complex, and how to continue improving.

The curriculum covers the full spectrum of implant care, from the fundamentals of implant placement and suturing to advanced procedures like socket grafting and sinus elevation. It is the kind of education that takes most dentists years to develop in a general practice setting. Dr. Jake completed it in one very focused year.

What This Means for You

If you have been thinking about dental implants, whether you have a missing tooth, are facing an extraction, or have been living with a gap for longer than you would like, Dr. Jake now brings a level of surgical and restorative implant training that is genuinely uncommon in a family dental practice.

You can stay with the team that already knows you. No referrals out. No starting over with someone new.

Brown Family Dentistry has always supported implant care, and with Dr. Jake’s CIRP certification, that care is now backed by more than 110 hours of advanced, hands-on surgical training.

Congratulations, Dr. Jake

This was not a small commitment. Traveling to Birmingham every single month, away from the practice, away from family, away from Fort Worth, takes real dedication. Dr. Jake did it because he believes his patients deserve a doctor who never stops learning.

That is exactly the kind of dentist he is, and exactly the kind of practice we are committed to being.

Congratulations, Dr. Jake. We are proud to have you leading the way.

Curious about dental implants? Call us at (817) 625-1548 or schedule a consultation online to talk through whether implants are the right fit for you.

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How Summer Activities Can Affect Your Oral Health

When playing sports or enjoying summer activities like hiking and swimming, most people are focused on having fun, staying active, or winning the game—not on their oral health. However, these activities can have a bigger impact on your teeth than many people realize.

While knocked-out teeth and cavities caused by sugary sports drinks are well-known concerns, there are several other ways summer activities can affect your smile. Taking a few preventative measures can help you avoid dental problems and enjoy a healthy, worry-free summer.

Protecting Your Teeth During Sports

Contact sports such as soccer, softball, basketball, and similar activities increase the risk of dental injuries from falls, collisions, or being struck by a ball. Although football players are typically required to wear mouthguards and face protection, athletes in many other sports can benefit from wearing one as well.

A properly fitted mouthguard helps protect your teeth, braces, and jaw from injury.

There are several types of mouthguards available:

– Stock mouthguards are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods or drug stores. While they offer basic protection, they are not custom fitted.
– Boil-and-bite mouthguards soften in hot water, allowing you to mold them to your teeth for a better fit and improved protection.
– Custom-made mouthguards provide the highest level of comfort and protection. Although they are a larger investment, they are the best choice for athletes who regularly participate in contact sports.

Stay Hydrated the Healthy Way

Summer activities often lead to dehydration, especially under the Texas sun. While sports drinks may help replace electrolytes, many contain high amounts of sugar and acid that can contribute to tooth decay and enamel erosion.

Water is the healthiest choice for staying hydrated. In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps maintain healthy saliva production. Saliva plays an essential role in protecting your teeth by washing away food particles, neutralizing acids, and reducing harmful bacteria.

Drinking plenty of water and eating water-rich fruits and vegetables throughout the day can help keep both your body and your smile healthy all summer long.

Swimming and Chlorine Exposure

Swimming is one of the best ways to stay active during the summer, but frequent exposure to poorly maintained pool water can affect your teeth.

If pool water becomes too acidic, repeated exposure can contribute to enamel erosion and a condition sometimes called “swimmer’s calculus,” which causes yellow or brown tartar buildup on the front teeth.

To help protect your smile while swimming:

– Rinse your mouth before entering the pool.
– Drink plenty of water throughout the day to encourage healthy saliva production.
– Brush with a fluoride toothpaste before swimming to give your enamel an extra layer of protection.

If you’ve noticed discoloration or tartar buildup after spending time in the pool, a professional dental cleaning can safely restore your smile.

Keep Your Smile Healthy All Summer

A little prevention goes a long way. Wearing a mouthguard, choosing water over sugary sports drinks whenever possible, and maintaining good oral hygiene can help protect your teeth throughout an active summer.

Schedule an appointment with Brown Family Dentistry today and let us help you enjoy a healthy smile all summer long.

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