How healthy do you think your dental habits are? We recommend 5 daily dental habits that should keep your mouth healthy and cavity free.
The first habit we recommend adapting is brushing twice daily. It may sound like common sense, but plenty of patients admit to letting that second brush of the day slip. If you can make it a habit to brush as soon as you wake up, and before you fall asleep at night then you are on the right track. For morning coffee drinkers, we would recommend brushing before your first sip. Coffee loves to attach to plaque and leave stains, so it would be best to brush before your morning coffee. As for your night time brush, we would like you to remove any possibility of left over bacteria in your mouth with some floss, as well as a good brush before your head hits the pillow.
We know that our second tip isn't everyone’s favorite thing to do. Even a dentist will say they don’t necessarily like doing it, but it’s definitely necessary. You may not be able to see residue left over from your dinner, but it may be hiding in between your teeth. This is cavity central. A lot of the cavities that develop come from in between your teeth. This is why flossing is so important because it removes what a toothbrush cannot. Flossing also removes any visible plaque, which improves the look of your smile.
For our third tip, we would highly recommend using an electric toothbrush. If you absolutely must use a manual tooth bush, we will accept that. But, if we can convince you to switch to an electric toothbrush, we will be reducing your chances of cavities significantly. The electric toothbrush removes up to 10 times more plaque than a manual tooth brush. The vibration may take some getting used to, but we promise you will get used to it after the first couple of brushes.
Our fourth tip would be to use a water flosser. What the water flosser does is flush out any residual particles from your mouth, almost like a pressure washer. For a guaranteed clean mouth, the Water flosser is a must.
The fifth tip that we recommend would be the icing on the cake for your teeth. We are huge fans of prescription strength, fluoride toothpaste. The higher dosage of Fluoride is like putting vitamins on your teeth every day. If it were up to us, we would have everyone brushing with it. We always have some in stock at our office, but if you don’t have access to fluoride toothpaste, any toothpaste will work. If you have sensitive teeth, we would recommend using Sensodyne, or anything catered to sensitivity. Plus, who doesn’t love that minty fresh feeling after a good brush?
If you are a patient with active Periodontal Disease, everything listed above is not just a recommendation, it is a MUST. If you would like to keep your teeth when you’re older, then you need to make sure you are taking care of them just like every other part of your body. With Periodontal disease, we would also recommend talking to your dentist about a prescription strength mouthwash and visiting your hygienist every 3-4 months.
With the combination of good home care, and your routine check ups at your dental office, you should stay pretty far away from cavities.