Taking care of our teeth is a vital part of our health as humans. Today, there are many over-the-counter products and dental treatments out there to help aid in oral hygiene. Disease and tooth loss is still possible, but most are easily treatable by a professional. However, most of us don’t ever want our oral health to get to that point. It’s important that we stay on top of our hygiene. Here is a simple guide with dental health tips to help you do just that.
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Brushing
Brushing is one of the most important actions we can take to ensure good dental hygiene. Unfortunately, many of us don’t understand the correct way to brush our teeth and instead cause a lot of harm to our gums. You can check out a visual guide to brushing your teeth here or ask your dentist during your next check-up. There are some standard rules you should follow when brushing your teeth and they are:
Two, Three, but Never Four – You should brush a minimum of twice a day, but never more than three. Brushing once in the morning after breakfast and once at night before bed is highly recommended. It won’t hurt to fit a third brushing in the afternoon after a meal as well. Brushing before bed is really important because your body salivates less as you sleep. Therefore, it is unable to wash away as much bacteria. Making sure you wipe away that bacteria, before it sits in your mouth for 8 hours, will help prevent tooth decay and disease. Conversely, brushing too much can recede your gums over time. So, make sure you’re not brushing more than three times a day.
Two Minute Rule – Brushing your teeth for a minimum of two minutes will ensure that your teeth are getting the time they deserve to be properly cleaned. You can set a timer or sing a two-minute song while brushing to make sure you’re not skimping out.
Softly & Lightly – Brushing lightly is really important to the health of your gums. If you brush too hard, you run the risk of receding gums. To ensure the health of your gums, you may also want to buy a toothbrush with soft bristles. This will be less harsh on your gums and prevent them from receding.
Change Your Brush Often – When the bristles on your toothbrush start to flare out, the brush doesn’t work as well. This usually occurs around the 3-month marker, but everyone is different so be sure to stay on top of changing yours as soon as signs start to show.
Proper Brushing Routine
Developing a proper brushing routine is also key to oral hygiene. If you’re not brushing properly, you could be damaging your teeth and gums without knowing it. You can refer to the video above to learn how to properly brush your teeth or follow this simple guideline at Colgate Professional’s website under “How To Brush”. Your dentist can also show you how to properly brush your teeth and may even give you some tips specific to your teeth. Be sure to stick to this routine every time you brush.
Floss
Flossing is the second most important part of keeping up with good oral hygiene. Most people tend to skip out on flossing, but by taking this small extra step, you can greatly improve the health of your gums. Flossing doesn’t have to be such a burden. Just do it once a day and be sure to get in between each tooth. You can do this any time of day, but, again, it’s highly recommended before bed.
Regular Dentist Visits
It’s not uncommon that people go years without seeing the dentist. They may have lost their health insurance at some point or perhaps the embarrassment of time is keeping them at bay. It’s never too late to make an appointment with a professional dentist. There are always financial options for those who don’t have insurance and even if it’s been years since your last visit, it’s better to start now than never. Keeping up with these visits is very important to overall dental health. We often walk around with cavities or other bacteria build up in our mouth and aren’t aware of it until it’s too late.
Other Steps
Some other steps you can take to stay on top of good oral hygiene is limiting your intake of acidic liquids and sugary foods, using toothpaste with fluoride, and protecting your teeth from injury when engaging in physical activity.
Cosmetic Dentist in Hollywood
For an extensive look on how to properly clean and take care of your teeth, visit GLO Modern Dentistry or call us to schedule an appointment today.