(ARA) – With the economy taking a nose dive, Americans are cutting back on spending — from food and travel to even medical treatments. Both health care and dental care are taking a back seat to more urgent needs.

According to a recent survey by Cigna, a leading provider of health benefits, 41 percent of Americans are taking worse care of their health because of the economy. In fact, nearly half of Americans report that someone in their household has skipped necessary health care in the past year due to the cost, according to a recent Kaiser Foundation Poll. A recent study published in “Health Services Research” found that an increase in unemployment may be associated with fewer preventive care visits.

Even though times are tough, it is still important to take care of your body, particularly your oral health. With 92 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 experiencing dental caries — which can lead to cavities — in their permanent teeth at some point in their lives, proper oral care routines and preventive dental care visits are more essential than ever for achieving a cleaner, healthier mouth.

New York-based dentist Dr. Gregg Lituchy advises “include a fluoride rinse in your daily oral care routine to help protect your teeth against cavities. I recommend my patients use an anti-cavity fluoride rinse that delivers multiple benefits, such as Listerine Total Care Anticavity Mouthwash from the makers of Listerine Antiseptic, a product that has been trusted for more than 100 years and has more than 50 clinical studies supporting its safety and efficacy.”

Dr. Lituchy offers four easy tips to help reduce the risk of oral care problems and maintain a beautiful smile — without hurting your wallet:

* Multitask. Rinse your mouth with an anti-cavity mouthwash while you’re washing your face.

* Avoid sticky situations. Foods that stick to your teeth create an environment for bacteria to thrive, so the best strategy is to brush your teeth after meals and snacks.

* Don’t skip your dental check-ups. Visiting your dental professional at least twice a year is the best way to maintain good oral health and detect problems early on that could cause you more economic pain in the future.

* Technique matters. Learn the proper way to brush and floss. Ask your dental professional or visit the American Dental Association Web site, www.ada.org, which offers educational tutorial videos.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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How can fluoride help prevent tooth decay? It does so two ways. First, part of the fluoride that enters the bloodstream travels to the teeth and once there, helps strengthen enamel. The enamel is the translucent material that covers your teeth. Stronger enamel helps minimize the effects of demineralization – the loss of minerals caused by the damaging acids the bacteria in plaque produce. Demineralization will weaken a tooth’s enamel over time, making it more susceptible to decay. As the enamel decays, it’s more susceptible to dental cavities.

The other way fluoride benefits teeth is during the remineralization process. Remineralization is the body’s natural way of replenishing the minerals that have been lost via the demineralization process. Each time you drink milk, for example, a portion of the minerals contained in milk head to the teeth to assist with remineralization.

Fluoride works the same way. As it enters the body, either via drinking water, mouthwash, toothpaste or topical application, it helps enamel replenish its supply of fluoride. While remineralization is taking place, it has the added benefit of slowing down plaque’s ability to produce damaging acids.

To supplement or not? That’s a controversial question and the bottom line is this. If your drinking water supply is not fluorinated, you should inquire about receiving fluoride supplements. Children between the ages of 6 months and 16 years especially need fluoride as it’s the most effective way there is so far to keep dental decay under control. A dentist or your child’s doctor can prescribe fluoride in liquid or tablet form when deemed necessary.

Most people who get their drinking water from a ground water supply or from a water processing plant get an adequate amount of fluoride. However, those who purchase bottled water may have a problem because fluorine is not added to many brands. While bottled water may have other benefits, its lack of fluoride may outweigh those benefits. If you drink bottled water and you’re unsure whether it contains fluoride, check the ingredients listed on the label.

The controversy surrounding fluoride centers on the possibility of getting too much into your system. Like other vitamins and minerals, too much may cause problems. The most common result of excess fluoride is fluorosis, which may be unsightly, but isn’t harmful. Fluorosis is a condition in which the enamel becomes discolored or mottled.

Fluoride toxicity is more serious and occurs when a large amount of fluoride is ingested in a short time. Its symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, pain in the abdomen and abnormal thirst. Since this occurs most frequently in small children, it’s important to keep toothpaste out of children’s reach and to supervise children while they brush their teeth.

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