Preventing bone loss is important to your entire skeleton, but it is also very important to your mouth.  Your mouth is full of teeth which are also bones.  When you are losing bone mass you are also losing calcium from your teeth.  Hence, if you allow yourself to have bone loss, you most likely have problems with your teeth.

If you're not getting enough calcium in your diet, over time your body will have to use the calcium stored up in your bones and teeth in order to make up for the shortfall.  Slowly and silently, your bones and teeth will become less dense and more brittle.  You may also have more tooth decay than normal.

Osteoporosis is the disease you get when you lose too much bone mass.  Your bones literally become hollow.  Your teeth will do the same thing.  The two ways that you can get osteoporosis is by not getting enough calcium deposited in your bones during your development years or by having bone loss too quickly once you get into the bone loss years.  This is why consistent calcium intake is so important.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends that you can build bone strength and maintain bone health by:
1.    Eating a balanced diet with lots of calcium and Vitamin D.
2.    Living a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and not smoking or drinking to excess.
3.    Getting bone density tests and taking treatment as recommended by your doctor.

Calcium intake is clearly important.  Many people find it necessary to take calcium supplements.  NOF recommends coral calcium as the best source of calcium intake.  Coral calcium is more bio-available than other supplements or dietary calcium.  Since fossilized coral calcium is ionic, it gets into your bloodstream more easily, and your body can direct it to build bone strength or replenish bone calcium deficits.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium better.  Hence, you will want to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D in your diet.  Vitamin D comes from milk, cod liver oil, fish, and shellfish — but you have to make sure you get some sun for the Vitamin D to be activated and work together with the calcium in your body.  So, it is recommended coral calcium supplements that contain Vitamin D to help with calcium absorption.

Women are most often the victim of osteoporosis.  However, men are not exempt and many millions suffer from this disease.  Do not think that you are not at risk of developing osteoporosis.

Because it is hard to replace bone that is lost, prevention is key.  Beginning a lifelong commitment to exercise and healthy nutrition while you are still young will reduce your risk of developing this condition later in life.  Remember, you are never too young to think about preventing osteoporosis.

For women, exercise increases bone mass before menopause and helps to reduce bone loss after menopause.  Bone strength increases with regular exercise and to help prevent bone loss weight-bearing exercise such as walking, low-impact aerobics, or tennis work best.

If you feel that you are at risk for osteoporosis, talk with you physician.  You physician may order a bone density scan which is a simple and painless tool that measures bone density.  Women who do not take estrogen after menopause have other options for preventing osteoporosis including drugs such as calcitonin which slows bone loss.  Your physician can help you determine what is best for you.

In summary, you are never too young or old to work at preventing bone loss.  A good healthy diet and exercise is your best methods to build and maintain bone mass.  Additionally, calcium supplements with vitamin D are recommended to make sure you get enough calcium to prevent bone and calcium loss in your teeth.

First impressions are very important in today's society.  Your smile is one of the first things people will notice when they first see or meet you, so it is essential to take great care of your teeth.  Nothing can make you look as good as a bright smile, so one of the best things you can do is know what foods can discolor your teeth and try to avoid consuming them extremely often. 

    Tobacco (chewing and cigarettes), tea, coffee, red wine, soft drinks, juices

This first group of products that can discolor your teeth are the most commonly consumed, but perhaps the most damaging.  All of these different items contain dark compounds that are absorbed by the enamel and can quickly tarnish your teeth.  Teeth bleaching is relatively effective in removing these kinds of stains; however, if you continue to use and drink these products, it is more than likely that the stains will return.  The best way to alleviate the discoloration brought on by these drinks and products is to cut back significantly or quit all together.

    Dark Fruit, chocolate

This next group is the dark and acidic foods.  Dark fruits include blueberries, purple grapes, blackberries, etc.  Chocolate is also considered a food that can discolor teeth if not eaten in moderation.  The general rule is, if it could stain your carpet, it will stain your teeth.  These foods are superficial, so using a teeth bleaching system will generally be effective in removing these stains, but again, the best way to maintain a bright smile is to cut back on the intake of them. 

While these foods and products are the main culprits in dulling and staining your teeth, there are some foods that you can eat that can help you keep a brilliant smile.

    Summer fruits, cheese, milk

Any fruits that are in season during the summer, such as melons, can help you maintain brighter teeth.  These fruits can help prevent stains and are less likely to cause cavities than the darker fruits.  Cheese, milk, or any foods that are low in acidity are foods that can help reduce cavities and are less likely to cause stains.

If you have been a regular consumer of any of the foods, drinks or products that can cause stains, it's not too late to reverse the damage.  Depending on how bad the stains are, there are different things you can do to whiten your teeth.

    Yellow Stains

If you have yellow stains, these will be the easiest to get rid of.  Yellow stains are the most common simply because it is natural for teeth to yellow as you get older.  The good news is any type of at-home teeth whiteners or even whitening toothpaste should eliminate these stains. 

    Brownish Stains

If the stains on your teeth are a brownish color, they may be a little harder to remove.  However, it is very possible.  Talk to your dentist about in-office procedures or even just getting a higher concentration of bleach.  Those procedures should remove or significantly reduce the appearance of stains.

    Gray or Purplish Stains

These stains are the most difficult to remove or reduce, if it is even possible.  If you have these kinds of stains, it may be your genetics that are causing this discoloration.  While you can try bleaching products, you will probably find the most effective procedures will be laser treatments or veneers.

The best thing you can do is know what foods and products you should stay away from and steer clear of them to avoid staining and discoloring your teeth.  However, it is never too late to brighten your smile by using teeth bleaching procedures and then reducing or eliminating your intake of those products. 

Many people, whether they smoke or not, may not realize what a big effect smoking has on your teeth.  It is often talked about how many horrible affects it can have on your lungs and heart, but the effect it has on teeth is rarely discussed. 

Smoking can have devastating affects on your teeth.  The worst, and unfortunately the most common, outcome is the loss of teeth.  Smoking triggers the accumulation plaque on the teeth which leads to tarter build up.  Tarter is a tough, sticky substance that builds up around the gums and causes the gums to become irritated and inflamed. This in itself can cause horrendous pain and serious problems.  This can even initiate the beginning stages of gum disease.  Gum disease is also another serious problem that smoking can cause in your mouth.  At this point, bacteria in the mouth can house itself in the tarter and continue to grow and multiply.  The bacteria will then move from the tarter into the already effected gums and the gums become infected.  The gums will swell and the structure and formation of the teeth weaken which then causes the teeth to fall out.  The bacteria and infection can also spread into the jaw which speeds tooth loss and can cause other problems in the jaw, including bone loss. 

Smoking can also have other less significant, but just as upsetting, affects on your teeth.  Severe discoloration of the teeth is extremely common for smokers.  It is almost guaranteed that you will experience some degree of staining on your teeth if you are a smoker.  Depending on the extent of the discoloration, these stains could be tremendously hard to remove.  Smoking also causes chronic bad breath, which can be caused by both the damage it causes in the lungs, as well as the decay of teeth and growth of bacteria it promotes in the mouth. 

Chewing tobacco can have just as many, if not worse, affects on the teeth and gum and cigarettes.  The worst consequence of chewing tobacco is cancer.  It leads to cancer of the throat, tongue, jaw, and mouth.  Tobacco is also a huge culprit in staining the teeth.  It can cause discoloration that may never be removeable.

Many people who smoke believe that these problems can be avoided or prevented by brushing after smoking, and more specifically, by using toothpastes made specifically for smokers.  However, these toothpastes may do more damage instead of good to your already sensitive teeth.   They are made to be very abrasive to remove tarter build up and stains, but the harshness of it can cause severe damage to the teeth by wearing away the enamel.  This can then lead to more accumulation of bacteria and most definitely more cavities.

Many smokers tend to believe that other factors are causing their oral problems, or that the problems simply aren't as bad as they could be. This is a big mistake, people who smoke need to be aware of the potential problems they could face and how big of an affect this could have on their life.  Smokers need to be especially careful in taking care of their teeth and have extremely good oral care habits.  They need to brush more often than non-smokers and be careful in choosing the products they will use to care for their teeth.  However, the only way to eliminate all the problems that smoking causes to your teeth and to your mouth is to quit completely.

Many people, whether they smoke or not, may not realize what a big effect smoking has on your teeth.  It is often talked about how many horrible affects it can have on your lungs and heart, but the effect it has on teeth is rarely discussed. 

Smoking can have devastating affects on your teeth.  The worst, and unfortunately the most common, outcome is the loss of teeth.  Smoking triggers the accumulation plaque on the teeth which leads to tarter build up.  Tarter is a tough, sticky substance that builds up around the gums and causes the gums to become irritated and inflamed. This in itself can cause horrendous pain and serious problems.  This can even initiate the beginning stages of gum disease.  Gum disease is also another serious problem that smoking can cause in your mouth.  At this point, bacteria in the mouth can house itself in the tarter and continue to grow and multiply.  The bacteria will then move from the tarter into the already effected gums and the gums become infected.  The gums will swell and the structure and formation of the teeth weaken which then causes the teeth to fall out.  The bacteria and infection can also spread into the jaw which speeds tooth loss and can cause other problems in the jaw, including bone loss. 

Smoking can also have other less significant, but just as upsetting, affects on your teeth.  Severe discoloration of the teeth is extremely common for smokers.  It is almost guaranteed that you will experience some degree of staining on your teeth if you are a smoker.  Depending on the extent of the discoloration, these stains could be tremendously hard to remove.  Smoking also causes chronic bad breath, which can be caused by both the damage it causes in the lungs, as well as the decay of teeth and growth of bacteria it promotes in the mouth. 

Chewing tobacco can have just as many, if not worse, affects on the teeth and gum and cigarettes.  The worst consequence of chewing tobacco is cancer.  It leads to cancer of the throat, tongue, jaw, and mouth.  Tobacco is also a huge culprit in staining the teeth.  It can cause discoloration that may never be removeable.

Many people who smoke believe that these problems can be avoided or prevented by brushing after smoking, and more specifically, by using toothpastes made specifically for smokers.  However, these toothpastes may do more damage instead of good to your already sensitive teeth.   They are made to be very abrasive to remove tarter build up and stains, but the harshness of it can cause severe damage to the teeth by wearing away the enamel.  This can then lead to more accumulation of bacteria and most definitely more cavities.

Many smokers tend to believe that other factors are causing their oral problems, or that the problems simply aren't as bad as they could be. This is a big mistake, people who smoke need to be aware of the potential problems they could face and how big of an affect this could have on their life.  Smokers need to be especially careful in taking care of their teeth and have extremely good oral care habits.  They need to brush more often than non-smokers and be careful in choosing the products they will use to care for their teeth.  However, the only way to eliminate all the problems that smoking causes to your teeth and to your mouth is to quit completely.