Top Ways To Take Care of Your Teeth Between Visits
by Kyle O'Brien
More often than not, we all leave a dentist’s office knowing we’ve been
bad. We haven’t flossed enough, brushed more than once a day,
vigorously used mouthwash, watched what kind of foods we eat and so on.
There’s a reason that dentists recommend a visit to the office every 6
months: it’s because stubbornness or forgetfulness creeps into our
dental hygiene psyche. So, rather than wish upon a cavity or root
canal, here’s a list of ways to make your teeth both stronger and whiter
and keep the general
dentistry side of things in check.
1. Your Teeth Are What You Eat: If
you’re a soda fan or eat 7 apples a day, your teeth more than likely
will not appreciate it. If soda’s great for shining up a penny, think
what it’ll do to the enamel of your teeth if left untouched. The more
acidic substances that hang around, the more likely you are to expose
your defenses to stains and/or bacteria formation. Which is why the
solution’s simple: tone down the soda intake or cleanse your teeth with
a glass of water after each acidic food or drink.
2. Update Your Accessories: Speaking
of bacteria growth, if you’re still holding on to a 2-year old
toothbrush, you’re probably housing bacteria, as well. Update your
toothbrush every 4 or 5 months or sooner if the bristles are softer than
usual or stained. And if you own the electric kind, invest in backup
heads. You want your teeth and gums to feel the brunt of new bristles
because that’s what a good cleaning demands.
3. Use Quality Mouthwash/Toothpaste:
If there’s one instance where you shouldn’t buy generic, it’s
this. Buying up on higher-end mouthwash and toothpaste - if it means
higher-quality additives and defenses - should be on everyone’s list.
Toothpastes with whitening and baking soda ingredients or mouthwash
with mineral restoration and enamel strengthening, things of that
nature.
4. Quit Smoking: If you’re a
regular smoker and wonder why your teeth are more yellow than usual,
it’s probably because of the tar and staining additives. Cigarettes are
high on the list of harmful things to do to your teeth and gums because
for one, they can dry out your gums and teeth, let alone stain them.
So, if you really want those pearly whites, it might be time to curb
your habit or at least cleanse your teeth with gum or water after each
cigarette, so as to keep the saliva in your mouth running at an optimal
pace.
5. Stay The Course: Keeping
in line with brushing and flossing every day is the most important - and
obvious - task on this list. Making sure to brush right when you wake
up and before you go to bed is par for the course. And before you brush
your teeth at night, make sure to floss away food particles lodged deep
between the gaps of your teeth or up around the gums. As for those who
despise flossing, it’s okay to do it every other night, but make sure
that’s the farthest gap you allow.
And with these tips, hopefully your dentist begins to take notice the
next go-around. Not only are these good for beefing up your discipline,
but who knows, it might save you a few financial (and painful) headaches
from fillings, root canals, or something much worse.
About The Author: Kyle is a
consultant for a cosmetic
dentist in Independence and has published other dental
hygiene articles on other blogs and contributed to dental care
discussions.
More dental articles
America's Dental Bookstore maintains this collection of articles on dentistry submitted by visitors to our site. These
could be clinical tips, research articles, opinion articles, dental jokes, or
whatever. Do you have something you'd like to submit? If so, click here to
submit a dental article. |