Tips for Optimizing Your Home Oral Hygiene Routine
Visiting your dentist regularly is important to prevent cavities and gum disease, but your main line of defense is your home oral hygiene routine. Brushing your teeth and flossing daily, along with a low-sugar diet, help keep your smile healthy.
Proper Brushing and Flossing
The most important thing you can do to maintain ideal oral health is to brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once before bedtime. Brush your teeth in a circular motion while holding your toothbrush at a forty-five-degree angle, making sure to gently brush along the gum line.
Your toothbrush is also a good tool for cleaning your tongue and the roof of your mouth. This removes additional bacteria that can cause bad breath. It is also important to replace your toothbrush every three months.
Twice-daily brushing is vital, but a toothbrush can’t clean the spaces in between teeth. Floss daily to remove any food caught between your teeth to keep those these spaces clean.
Healthy Nutrition
Your diet also plays a role in maintaining oral health. Foods and drinks that are high in sugar damage tooth enamel and feed the bacteria that cause decay. Instead, choose fruits, veggies, and foods high in nutrients like calcium and vitamin C to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Crisp foods also help keep your teeth free from plaque and require plenty of chewing. promoting saliva production, and neutralizing acids in foods and in your mouth.
Consuming citrus juices are good for getting Vitamin C, but be sure to brush shortly after, or rinse your mouth with water to remove the citric acid. Other beverages can be harmful to your teeth too. In addition to sugary juices and sodas, alcohol and carbonated drinks are high in phosphorous, which is also destructive to tooth enamel.
For good oral health, stick to water whenever possible. If you do drink beverages that have the potential to damage teeth, using a straw can help reduce the contact your teeth have with the liquid.
The dentists at The Dental Clinic in Lincoln Park, MI understand the links between proper home oral health care, the status of your oral health, and your overall well-being. Following these tips can help you avoid tooth decay, gum disease, and a higher risk of some systemic illnesses.
If you want to make a fresh start with a new and healthier smile,
call The Dental Clinic today at (313) 386-9660.