Often overlooked, taking good care of our teeth is one of the more crucial elements for overall good health as well as a bright smile. Dubai dentist Dr Carla Cyrino says that often a dental issue can reveal problems in the rest of the body, offering up a red flag for further investigation.
Vogue Arabia, September 2021. Photo: Silja Magg
Based in Dubai Marina’s luxe Cornerstone Clinic, Dr Cyrino has been in the industry, caring for our smiles for almost 30 years and covering every dental concern from wisdom teeth woes and root canals, as well as the more aesthetic offers like whitening, straightening, and deep-cleaning. The gentle dentist’s in-depth knowledge and experience means she knows exactly how patients should look after their teeth in order to avoid any more appointments than necessary. The Dubai dentist explains the top tips she gives her patients to help preserve and support their best dental health.
1. “Take care of your oral hygiene for a bright smile. You should be brushing your teeth three times a day, flossing at least once a day, and brushing or scraping your tongue always when you brush your teeth. For mouthwash, I prefer some essential oils.”
2. “Buy a soft-bristled toothbrush. Brushing hard or using abrasive materials on your teeth can actually do more harm than good, so when you’re looking for a toothbrush, be sure to purchase one with soft bristles. If the bristles are too hard, they can irritate your gums and contribute to enamel erosion; over time, this can contribute to receding gums and sensitive teeth.”
3. “Replace your toothbrush often. I recommend every two to three months.”
4. “Eat healthy snacks. It’s no secret that sugary foods can cause cavities, but they aren’t the only culprits. Carbohydrates, foods such as bread or pasta, are prone to sticking to your teeth. This exposes the surface of your teeth to the food for longer, and the carbohydrates quickly break down into sugars. Instead, try eating fruits and vegetables. In addition to being better for your body as a whole, many of them are great for your teeth.”
5. “Limit staining foods, drinks, and habits. There are many foods, drinks, and habits that are proven to stain your teeth, preventing a bright smile. Tea, sodas, and coffee are all culprits, as are foods like tomato sauces, curry sauce, blackberries, and blueberries. You certainly don’t have to eliminate these foods and drinks-some of which have proven health benefits-from your diet, but you should probably limit your daily intake. Smoking, which increases your likelihood of getting many different kinds of cancer and is bad for your body in a multitude of ways, is known to stain teeth yellow incredibly quickly. If you smoke, your teeth will likely be yellow just a few months after you undergo a professional whitening treatment, so it’s probably best to kick the habit to the curb.”
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6. “Use straws. When you’re drinking staining, sweet, or acidic drinks, it’s a good idea to drink from a straw. This reduces staining and potentially helps to protect your teeth and bright smile from cavities.”
7. “Drink water often. Water is incredibly good for your body, but it’s also great for your mouth. It works to help prevent cavities by dislodging food particles from between your teeth and reducing the acidity level in your mouth. To find out how much water you should drink per day, it’s simple. Multiply your weight in kilograms by 35ml. Per example: 60 kg x 35 ml= 2 liters and 100 ml of water per day.”
8. “Keep your body as healthy as possible. Everything in our body is connected, and although it’s tempting to think of our mouths as completely separate, they’re not. Just like the bacteria in our mouth can impact the health of our bodies as a whole, the health of our bodies impacts our mouth. Eating a healthy, balanced diet, exercising, and doing your best to keep your blood pressure and blood sugar in the normal range actually go a long way towards keeping your teeth and gums healthy.”
9. “For veneers, bigger isn’t always better when it comes to a bright smile. What I’ve been seeing a lot of recently are patients who come to me to change the veneers they’ve had fitted a few years ago, because they don’t like the artificial look of the veneers. The important thing is that the professional knows how to analyze the face of the patient to choose the ideal size, shape and color for that patient. I use digital smile design, where I scan the teeth, all in 3D images for the laboratory to create the mock-up and then I install it over the patient’s teeth so they can see how their new smile will look with the ideal measurements for their face. This allows them to test drive their new smile.”
10. “Take regular trips to the dentist. No matter how careful you are with your dental health, it’s always a good idea to come to me for a professional cleaning every six months for a white and bright smile. This is a great preventative measure, similar to how you visit your primary care physician for regular checkups. During these cleanings, I am able to clean hard-to-reach areas in your mouth, remove hardened deposits of plaque called tartar, and detect cavities or problem spots that may develop into cavities early.”
