Your Oral Health
Your Oral HealthAre you concerned about your oral health? If not, you should be. Your oral health has a massive effect on your overall health. It affects nutrition, bone density in the jaw, and can spread infection to the rest of the body.
As part of protecting your oral health, you should see your dentist for an exam and cleaning every six months to one year, depending on your dentist’s recommendation. But in addition to this, there are several things you should do on a daily basis.
Brush for at Least Two Minutes
Most people brush their teeth every day, but are you brushing correctly? It should take you at least two minutes to brush your teeth if you are doing it properly. Bring the brush down from the gum, getting every tooth from the front, back, and chewing surface. You should brush at least twice per day.
Floss
Flossing is an important part of protecting your oral health that many people skip over. Flossing is important for preventing gum disease. Even if you do floss daily, you may not be doing it appropriately. Make sure that you are bringing the floss down in a C motion from the gum between every tooth.
Mouthwash
Most mouthwashes that are advertised on TV are designed to prevent bad breath, such as Scope. However, the best mouthwash to use is a therapeutic mouthwash. These are recommended by the American Dental Association to prevent plaque and bacteria, and the bottle will say as such. You should rinse with a therapeutic mouthwash either after brushing or after flossing.
Nutrition
How you eat each day is important to your oral health. Eating plenty of fresh produce and calcium will help keep your teeth strong and healthy. Drinking lots of water, especially after having high carb or sugary foods and beverages, will help keep your mouth rinsed of harmful bacteria and the substances that cause tartar and plaque buildup.
If you have any questions about how you should be caring for your oral health, contact us today for more information or to schedule your appointment.
