A beautiful smile is one of the most important keys to confidence and success, and preventive dentistry is the key to keeping that smile beautiful. Keeping up good oral health is easy, as long as you follow two basic but important steps: taking good care of your teeth and taking regular trips to the dentist. For self-care, know what to do and what not to do to keep your mouth healthy and happy:
- When flossing, be sure to take enough floss that you can wrap it around your fingers and still have two inches to work with. Be careful not to dig into your gums, but focus on scraping the sides of your teeth and the contact points between them to break up as much plaque as possible.
- Use only ADA-approved toothpastes and brush at least twice a day for two minutes each time. Avoid hard-bristle brushes as these can actually damage your teeth and irritate your gums. Use gentle, small circular strokes to brush. Take time and care to brush all the exposed surfaces of your teeth, even the hard to reach places in the back of your mouth. Tooth decay can occur anywhere!
- Avoid sugary foods when possible, as sugar is a major cause of tooth decay. Every bite of sugar you eat exposes your teeth to 20 minutes of exposure to acidic by-products. When you can’t (or won’t) avoid sugar, brush your teeth as soon as possible to minimize the time your teeth are exposed to corrosion. Soft drinks in particular are hard on teeth, since they are both sugary and acidic.
Regular trips to the dentist for preventive dentistry ensure that your teeth and gums are clean and healthy and are important for catching problems before they become serious. Meet with your dentist every six months for teeth cleaning and screening for gum disease. If it’s been longer than six months, contact Clark Family Dental today to set up an appointment!
