Three Habits Dentists Recommend for Oral Health

In an age in which new health concerns are practically issued every week, it's no wonder why some people have just reached a point where they just don't care anymore. But that's not true for most of us. In fact, the majority of us still pay attention to health warnings and recommendations in the hopes that utilizing said advice will help us to prevent a health disaster later in our lives. This is true whether you are talking about your general health or your oral health. No matter what the latest developments are with respect to dentistry, dental care providers continue to insist that there are certain behaviors that continue to work in spite of changing times. It is the intention of this article is to discuss three habits dentists continue to recommend for oral health.

The biggest and perhaps most obvious habit dentists recommend for oral health is brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing. If you have grown up within the last 30 years or so, your dental care provider probably has advised you to brush your teeth twice a day to prevent cavities as well as maintain good oral health Flossing was added to this daily regimen. The logic is simple: be in practice of keeping food from building up and causing damage to your teeth.

Another habit that dentists recommend for good oral health is rinsing nightly with a fluoride mouthwash. Although brushing twice daily is often misrepresented as having the biggest impact on your oral heath, the truth of the matter is that brushing only gets rid of about 25 percent of bacteria in your mouth. Sure, flossing helps out, but the point is that rinsing with a fluoride rinse, particularly at night when the mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria, is also important in the fight against cavities. For instance, fluoride mouthwash helps keeps the enamel on your teeth strong, so that plaque doesn't weaken it, creating a hospitable environment for cavities and oral diseases.

The last habit that dentists recommend is maintaining a healthy diet. It is a little known fact that sugar turns into carbohydrates, which is an essential component of the bacteria found in plaque. By moderating your sugar intake — that is, by eliminating high sugar content food and beverages (i.e. sodas) — you can significantly decrease your chances of developing cavities and poor oral health.

Regardless of whether or not you focus on or even pay attention to the constantly changing health warnings and recommendations, there is some knowledge that continues to stand the test of time. This is especially true with respect to personal dental care. Specifically, there are three habits dentists recommend for oral health. They include: brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing, rinsing nightly with a fluoride mouthwash, and maintaining a healthy diet. The results of these simple habits only prove that, despite advances in technology, there is something fundamentally reassuring about sticking to the basics.