The best way to protect your oral health is to adopt good habits like brushing your teeth twice a day and visiting the dentist every six months. Experience has shown us that patients who appreciate the need for preventive dentistry tend to have the brightest smiles. Fortunately, it’s never too late to start taking charge of your oral health.
Why do we need to look after our smiles?
After engaging in daily habits like eating and drinking, our teeth become covered in an invisible coating of germs called plaque. This plaque gradually consumes sugar and produces acid that damages your gums and erodes tooth enamel. If plaque is left untreated, it turns into tartar and can lead to severe tooth and pulp decay over time.
If plaque build-up is something you’re dealing with, please contact your dentist in Woodbridge so they can address this swiftly and smoothly. They’ll be happy to help you schedule a cleaning.
How can we keep our teeth healthy?
Outlined below are seven simple but very effective tips that you can integrate into your daily hygiene routine that will allow your smile to remain bright, healthy, and functional:
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Brush your teeth properly
It’s very important to clean your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after every meal. Rushing your teeth right before bed encourages saliva to dry up while you sleep. Alva prevents the formation of cavity-causing plaque. Use a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles, and brush your teeth for an average of two to three minutes. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and work your way around each tooth while cleaning the gums and teeth. Rush carefully because being aggressive could cause damage to your teeth. Replace the head of your electric toothbrush every two months.
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Floss daily
Use dental floss to remove plaque that accumulates in these areas by cleaning between your teeth. For proper dental care, you should floss your teeth before brushing them because the majority of dental issues are located between the teeth. To gently open the flap, use your thumbs and forefingers, then gingerly open and close each tooth in the region where the gum and tooth meet. Use an internal toothbrush to fill in larger gaps.
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Use mouthwash
Non-alcoholic mouthwash is important for proper dental care because it is so effective at killing bacteria and removing plaque. Use mouthwash every day after brushing your teeth before going to bed since it can reach areas that a toothbrush cannot. However, be sure your mouthwash is alcohol-free. Alcohol is a harmful substance that depletes saliva, leaving your teeth and gums vulnerable to bacteria and plaque.
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Maintain a healthy diet
Lastly, sugar turns into acid in the mouth, which can wear away at the enamel. Cavities are caused by these acids. Teas, acidic fruits and coffee can all erode dental enamel.
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Limit tobacco and alcohol consumption
One of the practices that is the worst for your oral health is smoking. Smoking causes oral cancer, gum disease, tooth loss, plaque and tartar buildup, and tooth discolouration. Additionally, it hinders your mouth’s capacity to recover from injuries.
Alcohol abuse can have a similar negative impact on your oral health as smoking does. Alcohol dries out your mouth, causing less saliva to be produced, which encourages plaque and bacteria growth. Since alcohol contains a lot of sugar and acid, it causes tooth decay and eventually tooth loss. Alcohol frequent drinkers have a higher risk of mouth cancer than non-drinkers do.
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Visit the dentist twice a year
To maintain your oral health, we advise scheduling a teeth cleaning and oral examination with a dentist near you every six months. At the start of the appointment, a dental hygienist will be able to gently scrape plaque and tartar off your teeth during a teeth cleaning with special tools. If debris is left to sit on your smile, this raises your chance of developing tooth decay, infection, and gum disease.
Book a Consultation with Our Dental Experts Today
A healthy smile and body depend on maintaining your teeth and gums. At Vellore Woods Dentistry, our dental staff is available to provide you with advice on how to maintain your oral health and to respond to any concerns you may have along the road. Get in touch with our dentist in Vaughan to learn more about proper dental hygiene.