Teeth that are strong, healthy, and look terrific don’t just happen. Terrific teeth require good care and proper nutrients to look and function at their best, just as the rest of your body does. This means using the right oral care products, having a proper brushing regimen, and avoiding certain items known to cause issues. The following is a quick look at these and other oral care and maintenance tips that will help you get and keep terrific teeth:
- Remember 2×2! Brush 2 x a day 2 minutes each time. Everyone knows they should brush twice a day, but not everyone knows the best techniques for optimum effects. Think of brushing as a bit of exercise to ensure each tooth keeps up its looks and health. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and a toothpaste with fluoride to brush the top and bottom rows for one minute each. Mix up your brushstrokes — back-and-forth, up-and-down, circles-circles-circles — to ensure you get every angle.
- Floss every evening. Of course, a toothbrush can’t reach down into every crevice and draw out the tiny bits of food and plaque between your teeth. For that, there’s dental floss! Flossing is a key part of oral health for two-year-olds as well as eighty-two-year-olds!
- Avoid sharing silverware. We know this is a hard one for Lachine families to follow, especially when it pertains to parents and their young children. However, a mom who tries to entice her child with food on the same spoon she’s been using may inadvertently also give the child cavity-causing bacteria lingering on the metallic surfaces.
- Limit foods and drinks ladened with sugar. Soft drinks, cookies, dried fruit, and even cereal, these are everyday items that contain as much as 50% sugar. Sugar plays a detrimental role in tooth decay as the bacteria we know that forms into plaque utilizes sugar as a form of energy. In other words, sugar enables plaque bacteria to multiply and browth thicker and larger. Some types of bacteria also turns sugar into a type of glue to enable it to better adhere itself to the surface of the tooth.
- Establish a regular dental check-up schedule. For most people, experts recommend seeing a dentist twice a year, at six-month intervals. Naturally, everyone is different and some low-risk individuals (those who abstain from danger foods, cigarettes, and other plaque triggers) while others should plan on seeing a dentist more frequently. When our patients come into our Lachine-area dentist office for the first time, we work with them to understand their overall lifestyle and oral health to help determine the best schedule and dental care plan for them.
Set-Up Your Appointment Today!
Are you in need of a new dentist or new appointment? Contact us today either online or by calling 514-367-0300 to move towards those terrific-looking teeth!