10 hygiene tips

Your oral cavity serves many functions like smiling, chewing, and speaking. Moreover, dental health is directly related to your overall body health. Apart from this, discolored teeth, broken teeth, gum infection and other dental problems can affect your self-confidence. Thus, maintaining good dental hygiene is extremely important.

As your trusted partners in oral care, we would like to share ten useful tips that will help you take care of your pearly whites.

1. Brush twice a day

Brushing your teeth helps to remove food debris and prevents the formation of dental plaque. Moreover, toothpaste fights against bad breath and gives a feeling of freshness. The main contributing factors responsible for causing dental problems are food debris, dental plaque, and calculus. Plaque is a thin biofilm that sticks to the teeth and gums. It eventually forms tartar and leads to gum infections, dental cavities, and other oral diseases.

Optimally, you would clean your teeth after each time you eat, but at the minimum you should brush your teeth twice a day. Brushing one’s teeth may be a morning ritual for many of us. However, your mouth remains closed for a long period during the night, and micro-organisms can thrive in this environment if you don’t brush after dinner or before going to bed. So, Brush, Brush, Brush!

2. Floss daily

Flossing is equally important as brushing teeth and too often gets skipped in our busy lives. You can use a floss thread, water flosser or other interdental cleaning aid. We will advise the correct option for you during the check-up appointment. Moreover, our dental hygienist will also guide you the right technique of using floss.

Floss removes the food remnants that are stuck between teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach. Food lodgment in between your teeth can cause cavities, gum swelling, and other oral problems. Brushing cannot effectively clean such tricky areas. So, flossing is necessary to maintain great dental hygiene.

3. Get a dental check-up, at least once every six months

Regular dental check-ups help to diagnose or identify dental problems at an early stage; the latter playing a crucial role in the prognosis of the disease. For example, dental cavities initially require a filling. However, extensive cavities mandate root canal treatment or extraction. Thus, it pays to stay up on your regular check-ups and dental hygiene, negligence when it comes to your teeth, can cost a lot!

4. Avoid habits that are harmful to your teeth

You should avoid tobacco and other substances that are harmful to teeth. Limit snacking between meals and reduce the intake of sugars. Moreover, you should not bite your nails or open bottle caps with your teeth. If you have the habit of sucking your thumb, lip-biting, tongue-thrusting or clenching your teeth, you should consult your dentist for appropriate treatment.

5. Eat healthy

Choose foods that are beneficial for your dental health. Practice maintaining a balanced diet so that your body receives vitamins and minerals in the correct amount. Nutritional deficiencies can result in malformed teeth and gum bleeding.

Moreover, you should take the right amount of fluoride ion. This mineral is important for the remineralization of enamel caries and is a structural component of teeth. However, fluoride in excess amount can be harmful to teeth and cause toxic effects on your body. You can always discuss the correct fluoride dosage with your dentist.

Avoid sticky foods or those containing high amounts of sugars. Also, you should avoid consuming acidic drinks or citrus fruits in excess as it can wear off the tooth enamel.

6. Plan your child’s dental visit at the right age

Baby teeth are equally as important as adult teeth. Although they get replaced by permanent variants, they still serve major functions in the early stage of your child’s life. They play a key role in guiding the adult dentition in its proper place. According to the American Dental Association, a child’s first dental visit should not be any later than his/her first birthday. Regular dental check-ups during childhood serve as the building blocks of a good dental hygiene during the later phases of life.

7. Don’t delay dental treatments

Many people have fears that prevent them from getting timely dental treatments. Moreover, others avoid treatments thinking that they will cost them an arm and a leg. However, preventative check-ups and treatments do not cost much when compared to extensive care like a dental crown, implant, and others. So, next time do a dental treatment as and when advised by your dentist. Any delays in treatment may impact your dental hygiene in a negative way and end up costing you much more in the long run.

8. Sealants do work

Dental cavities can be prevented if diagnosed at an early stage. Moreover, if preventive steps like fluoride application and sealants are done, then it becomes easy to clean the teeth and maintain a good oral hygiene.

9. Protect your mouth while playing sports

Trauma or accidents can cause tooth fracture and even tooth loss. So, you should wear a proper device like a mouthguard to protect your teeth while playing sports. Moreover, don’t forget to wear a helmet as it protects your head as well as your oral cavity from force-impacts that may occur during sports.

10. Use correct tools for cleaning your teeth and gums

You should use a soft toothbrush if you have gum disease. Moreover, if you have wires and braces, then you should use a special orthodontic toothbrush and mouthwash. Apart from this, dental hygiene in dental implant patients also require special steps.

If you prefer manual toothbrushing, don’t forget to change your toothbrush once every three months. Also, don’t use excessive pressure or force while brushing as it can harm your teeth. Our oral hygienists can always help you in choosing the right device for you and will also show you the correct method of using it.

Book your appointment today!

If you have any further questions or want to schedule your appointment, please contact us today. You can call us at 208-667-7461 or click here to request an appointment. We hope to see you soon!