A dentists visit is a common occurance in our daily lives, but if you don’t do your part for keeping up with dental care, then you might have more problems to deal with. Read on to learn more.
Many people visit dentists for their one or two yearly checkups and believe they are doing all they need to do to keep their teeth clean and their mouth healthy. However what you do between these visits is as important,
if not more so, than what happens while you’re in the big chair.
Most everyone has been there at least once, and dentists all over the country undoubtedly have this experience every day. You open wide for the hygienist, he or she takes one look at your teeth and asks you if you have been flossing regularly.
“Um, not really,” you say.
When the dentist finally comes in at the end of your visit, you get scolded. You need to floss every day, he or she tells you. You nod in agreement, promise you will and hit the road. Maybe you floss for a day or two or even a week, but by the time your next cleaning rolls around it is rinse, repeat all over again.
Oral hygiene is a necessity for overall health, and it starts at home. You should brush at least twice a day, if not more, and for more than a minute at a time. And you should be brushing all of your teeth, including the back ones, in thorough, circular strokes.
When you’re done, it’s time to floss at least once a day, and that means all the teeth as well, making sure you remove everything that’s wedged between them. You simply cant rely on dentists to do all the work for you when it comes to maintaining a healthy mouth.
Both of these forms of cleaning are important in preventing the buildup of plaque, which is a yellow bacteria that eats away at tooth enamel. When plaque becomes hardened it is known as tartar. If left untreated, tartar can lead to tooth decay.
Believe it or not, it’s not just each tooth you should be brushing either. You should also brush your gums gently and also your tongue. This will help remove harmful bacteria and other buildup and prevent against bad breath as well.
Beyond brushing and flossing, the foods you eat can also benefit your overall oral health. Grain products that are rich in vitamin B and both fruits and vegetables that have ample vitamin C are beneficial to the development of your gums. Meat and fish also contain both zinc and magnesium, each of which can be beneficial to your oral health.
Some foods are also bad for teeth, including those containing sugars, starches and carbohydrates. Acids found in drinks such as soda and juices are also detrimental.
Nothing is worse for your oral hygiene than tobacco usage. Both cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use can cause tooth decay, gum disease and multiple diseases of the mouth, including cancer, that can lead to tooth loss and require surgeries.
Even if you take perfect care of your mouth, dentists should still play a major role in your oral hygiene. Make sure you schedule at least one professional cleaning per year and never forget that the health of your mouth is directly related to the rest of your body.
