Nutrition and Oral Health

If you practice poor oral hygiene and poor diet, the first signs will often show up in your oral health. If your diet is low in the proper nutrients your body needs, your mouth may have a more difficult time resisting infection. Poor nutrition affects the entire immune system, and people with lowered immune systems have been shown to be at a higher risk for periodontal disease. At the practice of Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD, we can’t monitor what you eat, but we can explain how nutrition and oral health work together.

When we’re hungry, most of us tend to snack on empty calorie foods such as candy, sweets, and snack foods like chips. What we don’t realize is that these foods offer us no nutritional value, and because of the amount and type of sugar that these foods contain, they can adhere to teeth. The bacteria in your mouth feed off these sugars, releasing acids, and that’s what leads to tooth decay. When reaching for a snack, cheese, milk, plain yogurt, as well as fruits and vegetables are foods that may benefit tooth health thanks to their high amounts of calcium and other nutrients they provide. Fruits and vegetables are good choices for a healthy smile since they are high in water and fiber, which balance the sugars they contain and help to clean the teeth.

If you have further questions about how nutrition and oral health go hand-in-hand, give us a call. To learn more about services provided at the office, visit www.drrobertruyak.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD at his practice in Bethlehem, PA, call 610-861-0777. 

Are You Flossing Correctly?

At the practice of Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD, our staff is always gifting you floss following a professional cleaning, but how often do you run home to use it? Most of us only use floss to remove food from our teeth, but flossing does much more than that. It removes the film of bacteria that forms on your teeth before it turns to plaque, which can cause gingivitis and cavities. Next time you get your hands on this powerful tool, utilize these tips for effective cleaning.

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty.


• Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.


• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.


• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a “C” shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.


• Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up-and-down motions. Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth and don’t forget the back ones!

If you need assistance maintaining your oral hygiene routine, give us a call. To learn more about oral hygiene services provided at the office, visit www.drrobertruyak.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD at his practice in Bethlehem, PA, call 610-861-0777. 

Are You Brushing Effectively?

When you brush your teeth, you help remove food and plaque – a sticky film that forms on your teeth and contains bacteria. The longer plaque is left on your teeth the more time it has to break down tooth enamel and lead to cavities. As much as we love to see your smile here at the practice of Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD, we want you to keep it healthy and utilize these brushing tips in between professional cleanings.

• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.


• Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.


• Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.


• Use the tip of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.


• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and don’t forget to floss!

If you need assistance maintaining your oral hygiene routine, give us a call. To learn more about oral hygiene services provided at the office, visit www.drrobertruyak.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD at his practice in Bethlehem, PA, call 610-861-0777. 

Why Do We Need To Floss?

Every time you visit Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD for a cleaning he probably reminds you to floss or mentions that you aren’t flossing enough. He tells you this with good reason, because floss is the single most important weapon against plaque, perhaps more important than a toothbrush. A toothbrush cleans the surfaces of your teeth, but dental floss cleans between them. By flossing your teeth daily, you increase the chance of keeping them for a lifetime and decrease your chance of developing gum disease.

Flossing does more than keep your smile pretty and healthy. It removes plaque and debris that sticks to teeth and gums in between teeth, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. Many people don’t spend enough time flossing or they may have not been taught to floss properly. To give your teeth a good flossing, spend at least two or three minutes on the process and be gentle to your gums.  

If you need assistance maintaining your oral hygiene routine, give us a call. To learn more about services provided at the office, visit www.drrobertruyak.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD at his practice in Bethlehem, PA, call 610-861-0777.

What is Scaling and Root Planing?

Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on your teeth. If you have a stubborn case of gum disease, Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD may recommended scaling and root planing. This procedure is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. In fact, it’s even been known to reverse it.

Teeth scaling and root planing causes very little discomfort and can be completed in one single visit. During the teeth scaling process, Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD will numb the gums and tooth roots with local anesthesia. He will then use special tools to remove the hardened deposits of tartar from the teeth both above and below the gum line. Root planing involves detailed scaling of the root surface to decrease inflammation of the gum tissue.

If you need assistance maintaining your oral hygiene routine, give us a call. To learn more about scaling and root planing, as well as other services provided at the office, visit www.drrobertruyak.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Robert Ruyak, DMD at his practice in Bethlehem, PA, call 610-861-0777.