When you effectively care for your teeth, you minimize the likelihood of dental issues occurring. When you don’t properly care for your teeth, you allow a buildup of plaque, which will eventually harden into a substance called tartar. This tartar is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, which can lead to escalated oral health issues. By following the right steps to protect your teeth, you can keep them in much better condition. At Leavitt Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we strive to provide all of the services necessary to optimize the health of your teeth. Here are a few components of oral health to help you effectively care for your teeth and prevent decay and other issues from occurring.
Why It Is Important to Brush Your Teeth Every Day
Plaque and bacteria build up on the surface of the teeth on a daily basis. Not only can the bacteria do damage to your teeth, but when plaque is allowed to build, it hardens into tartar. Tartar is much more difficult to remove and creates an environment where bacteria thrive. As you strive to take proper care of your teeth, it is important to brush your twice a day.
Brushing at night is especially important because it helps to remove the bacteria and plaque that have grown throughout the day. Your toothbrush should be the last thing to contact your teeth prior to going to bed. Bacteria grow at an escalated rate throughout the night because you aren’t producing saliva or otherwise removing bacteria from your mouth. It is similarly important to brush in the morning to remove the bacteria that has built up throughout the night. Brushing twice daily is important to minimize the amount of damage that plaque and bacteria can do to your teeth.
Care For Your Teeth by Brushing Properly
The method in which you brush your teeth is just as important as the frequency of brushing your teeth. Make sure that you replace your toothbrush regularly to ensure that it is able to continue to effectively clean your teeth. Brush in small circles and use short back-and-forth strokes to remove food particles, bacteria, and plaque from the teeth. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to ensure that it can most effectively remove harmful bacteria from your mouth.
Ensure you brush the surface of your tongue in addition to brushing your teeth. Plaque and bacteria can also build up on the tongue, so it is important to remove these particles to protect your oral health. Ensure that your toothbrush is the last thing to touch your teeth before bed. If you are uncertain regarding the best ways to brush your teeth, consult with your dentist to obtain tips on the most effective methods.
Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums
There are many things that you can do to help keep your teeth and gums healthy. Your oral hygiene routine is one of the most important things you can do to care for your teeth. Not only is it important to brush regularly and effectively, but it is also important to floss every day. Floss will reach the places between your teeth that your toothbrush isn’t able to access. There are alternative methods for flossing if dexterity is an issue, like water flossers. You may also want to consider adding mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine, as it can help remove more food particles and provide other benefits to the teeth, depending on the active ingredients.
It is incredibly important to visit your dentist on a regular basis. Prevention is the superior approach to take when it comes to your oral health. Plaque can harden onto the teeth, becoming a substance called tartar. A dental cleaning is one of the most effective ways to remove tartar from the surface of the teeth. In addition to the extensive benefits of dental cleanings, dental visits will also allow your dentist to catch any problems in the early stages. These problems are often less painful and expensive to fix when they are caught early on. Your dentist may also be able to provide services that can help protect and care for your teeth, such as fluoride treatments or dental sealants. Chewing sugar-free gum between meals can also help to increase saliva production, flush out food particles, and protect the teeth.
Food for Healthy Gums and Teeth
Many people are aware that sugary foods and beverages can significantly harm your teeth. Regular consumption of sugary products allows bacteria to create acids that are particularly harmful to your teeth. By reducing your sugar consumption, you can minimize the amount of damage that can be done to your teeth. However, there are also foods that can actually help to improve the health of your gums and teeth. Adding these foods to your diet can go a long way toward protecting your teeth.
Dairy products are particularly valuable additions to a diet, as they provide multiple benefits to the health of the teeth. These products provide high levels of calcium that are great methods for strengthening the teeth, bones, and improving the health of the gums. They also are particularly effective at neutralizing acids in the mouth. This helps to regulate the pH levels within the mouth, which can help to protect the teeth. Onions can help to neutralize bacteria, while green tea contains antioxidants that can reduce inflammation in the mouth. Leafy green vegetables provide many different vitamins and nutrients, while simultaneously stimulating the production of saliva in the mouth.
Schedule your Dental Visit Today!
There are many components that are involved in maximizing the health of your teeth. When you effectively care for your teeth, you can prevent decay and other issues from occurring. It is similarly vital to regularly see your dentist, as this will allow them to find and resolve issues before they are allowed to escalate. Understanding how to care for your teeth is only half the battle; you need to implement these processes regularly to ensure that they effectively protect your teeth. Contact us at Leavitt Family and Cosmetic Dentistry today to schedule your dental visit with us!
