5 Things You Can Do Today to Improve the Health of Your Teeth
If you’re like most people, then you’ve been hearing for your entire life that oral hygiene is essential. This is 100% true and there are many reasons it’s so important. Yes, it keeps your smile beautiful, but it can also reduce bad breath, lower the chances that you’ll have a dental emergency, and improve your overall health. Here are five simple things you can do today that will get you started toward good oral health. Read on and then reach out to California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 with any questions.
- Brush and floss your teeth
- Brush correctly
- Rinse your mouth out with mouthwash
- Skip sugary drinks
- Don’t use your teeth as tools
It’s important to start with the basics: brushing and flossing. This is easily the best way to ensure that your oral hygiene is as good as possible. It’s recommend that you brush your teeth after each meal, but the reality is that most brushers do so in the morning and at night. Try to add in a third brushing each day and see a difference quickly.
You’ve been brushing since you were a wee one and so of course you assume you know how to brush correctly. But do you? First and foremost, you should be brushing for a long enough time. Ideally, you’d brush your upper teeth for a minute and a half and your lower teeth for a minute and a half. Doing this and ending up with three total minutes of brushing is the best way to get everywhere in your mouth and to maximize the chances that you’ve gotten even to the toughest spots.
No matter how well you brush and no matter how well you floss, the reality is that it’s likely you’re going to miss some food particles. That’s where mouthwash comes in. It gets into even the smallest crevices and can rinse out the bad bacteria that lives there. Choose a mouthwash that has the ADA symbol on it. This stands for American Dental Association and assures it’s a good product.
You may like drinking soda. You may like to drink it regularly or occasionally. The truth is that any sugary drink, whether juice or soda, can damage your teeth. There’s acid in that sugar, and that acid can eventually eat away at the enamel on your teeth. Once that enamel is reduced, the chances of getting a cavity and needing a filling are significantly increased. If you must have sugary drinks, use a soda so that much of the sugar will bypass your teeth.
If you’re dealing with a stubborn bottle that won’t open, or a package that’s stuck, it’s tempting to use your teeth to open it up. Don’t do that. This can actually damage your teeth and lead to chipping. Instead, just grab some scissors and use them for what they’re meant for.
If it’s been more than six months since your last dental appointment then we recommend you reach out to California Dental Group at (800) 407-0161 to set up a cleaning and exam.
