You need more than just your six-month checkup and cleaning visits to keep your teeth and gums strong. You also need to care for your smile from home! To accomplish this, you and your entire family need to brush and floss. In today’s blog, your Allen, TX, dentist offers tips for better oral hygiene from the comfort of your own home.
Brushing Your Teeth
People who make time to brush often don’t do so for the correct amount of time. Each session should take no less than two minutes, as this ensures you’re reaching every available surface for enough time to remove stray food particles. You should do this when you wake up and then once more before going to bed. Make sure the toothbrush you use, whether manual or electric, contains soft bristles, as brushing too rough with hard or medium bristles could inadvertently damage enamel. Be sure to use a fluoride toothpaste too! Fluoride helps strengthen the outer enamel, and protects your smile from tooth decay. To make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride, look for the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance on the packaging. Kids also need to brush as soon as the first baby teeth arrive.
Flossing Daily
Even more vital than brushing your teeth is flossing. This removes the particles trapped between the teeth in along the gum line, which could be beyond the reach of your toothbrush’s bristles. You should take an 18 inch to 20-inch length of tape and run it up and down each side of every tooth, dipping below the gum line when you do. You can also use a pick or water flosser if this is easier. Kids should have their teeth flossed as soon as there are teeth sitting side by side in their mouth.
When to Have Your Smile Cleaned
When you clean your teeth at home, this removes stray food particles that could feed harmful bacteria, limiting the severity of plaque and tartar buildup. But to remove the buildup completely, you need to see us for a checkup and cleaning visit every six months. A cleaning means we use an ultrasonic scaling device to remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth. The process not only provides fresher breath and brighter teeth, but lowers the risk of tooth decay and gum disease too. If you have any questions about keeping your smile clean and healthy, then contact our team today to learn more.
Talk To Your Allen, TX Dentist About Oral Hygiene Habits
We want to help you enjoy a strong and healthy smile from home. To find out more about protecting the health and stability of your smile, please contact your Allen, TX, dentist, Dr. Torrens-Parker, by calling 469-342-6644.
