atlanta oral hygiene Archives - Peter A. Pate, DDS

March 8, 2012

Men vs. Women: Who Has Better Oral Health?

It’s the battle of the sexes! Men and women have different environmental, lifestyle, and behavioral factors that influence their oral health. Let’s take a look at some common gender differences that can affect your mouth.

Regular Hygiene

Women, in general, tend to pay more attention to their health and body. When it comes to oral hygiene, women are 26% more likely to floss on a daily basis, and 57% of women will brush twice a day. Additionally, about 53% of women brush their teeth at the workplace, compared with 37% of men. Only about 49% of men will brush twice daily. Due to their lack of preventive dental care, men are more likely to develop gum disease. Women are more likely to follow routine checkup schedules to keep their health in line, and they have a more positive attitude toward dental visits. They are also more likely to schedule a doctor visit when feeling sick or injured, while men will often try to fix an injury or problem on their own.

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January 31, 2011

Say No to Soda Pop

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: atlanta dental cleaning, atlanta general dentist, atlanta oral hygiene, buckhead dental checkup, buckhead family dentist, buckhead general dentist, dental checkup buckhead, dental cleaning atlanta, family dentist buckhead, general dentist atlanta, general dentist buckhead, oral hygiene atlanta — dr_pate @ 3:48 pm

Everyone loves a good glass of bubbly now and then. I’m not talking about champagne; I’m talking about soda! Sodas are sweet, tasty, and come in hundreds of different flavors and colors. There’s nothing better than the sound of a can popping open on a hot summer day, but doctors have discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop.

I’m Dr. Peter Pate of Dentistry in Buckhead, and I want to tell you a few reasons why soda may be a thing good to avoid.

Soda is truly worthless to your body. “It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is filled with sugar and calories and nothing else,” American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Keri M. Gans says. If you think you’re off the hook because you drink diet soda, think again. Diet sodas don’t have any nutritionally redeeming qualities.
Soda damages your teeth. Obviously, as a dentist, I want to help you maintain a healthy and beautiful smile. Soda and other sugary confections contribute nothing positive to your oral health. The sugar in soda coats your teeth and combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. These acids weaken your tooth enamel, which can cause cavities and tooth decay.
Drinking soda can weaken your bones. Soda is bad for your bones, just like it’s bad for your teeth. The phosphorous and caffeine agents in soda might contribute to osteoporosis. If you are a soda drinker, your bones might be deprived of calcium because you aren’t drinking enough milk.
Soda can harm your major organs. The consumption of soft drinks may be linked to chronic kidney disease, development of metabolic syndrome, increased heart risk, obesity, and liver disease.

Experts say that soda contributes nothing positive to your overall health, and as a care provider, I have to agree. Healthy drinks, however, contain vitamins and minerals your body can utilize. Milk, tea, and fruit juice (in small amounts due to added sugar) are healthy alternatives to soda. Of course, water is the best thing you can give your body. It has the power to rehydrate your body without adding extra calories.

For more information about what you can do to maintain a healthy mouth, please contact my office in Atlanta at (404) 266-9424.

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