Posted by Wayne Mori on Dec 14 2022, 09:47 PM
Practicing good oral hygiene habits essential for maintaining a healthy smile. These habits include brushing your teeth twice each day and flossing at least once each day. Additionally, regularly visiting your dentist for checkups and cleanings is also important for preventing and treating dental diseases. Listed below are preventive dental practices.
You should brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each session using a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste that contains fluoride. Don’t forget to brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh! You should also floss daily with floss or another interdental cleaner to remove any food debris or plaque between teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. Also, use an antibacterial mouth rinse to kill bacteria and remove surface stains from your teeth. It is also important to reduce your intake of sugary foods and beverages to prevent tooth decay. Water is your best option for quenching thirst instead.
There are many good ways to protect your oral health at home, but you still need to visit the dentist regularly for professional cleanings and exams. These appointments allow your hygienist to thoroughly remove plaque buildup that brushing alone cannot remove.
During these visits, we also check for signs of decay or other problems that might threaten your smile’s well-being. During your exam, your dentist will examine your smile to check for early warning signs of common oral health issues. These warning signs include:
Early detection is the best way to treat these issues and minimize their effect on your oral health. Your dentist can spot common oral health problems like cavities in their earliest stages when treatment is less invasive and more likely to have a positive outcome. A regular dental visit is also important because some patients require restorative dental treatments like fillings to treat decay. These repairs are best administered when you still have healthy tooth enamel that can be restored. That way, dentists can use strong, durable materials that don’t compromise your oral health in the future.
While brushing and flossing are an important part of a proper oral hygiene routine, it’s important to know that it’s not possible to reach every back tooth with a toothbrush and floss. That’s because there are pits and fissures in the molars that are difficult to keep clean. These crevices can trap food and plaque particles and lead to tooth decay and cavities. The experienced dentists at our practice can apply tooth-colored dental sealants to these vulnerable areas, creating a barrier that protects them from bacteria and food debris. Sealants are a conservative treatment that can help stop the progression of early cavities. Children and adults can benefit from the protective benefits of dental sealants that are applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Talk to the dentists at our practice about whether dental sealants could be beneficial for you or your family member’s smile.
Many people don’t realize that fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and is present in most public water sources. That said, the daily recommended dosage is usually much lower than the concentration found in your local water supply. A dentist can prescribe an oral supplement in liquid or gel form for patients who could benefit from receiving extra fluoride. Benefits from fluoride include cavity prevention, enamel hardening, and improved sensitivity.
If you would like to learn more about maintaining good oral health, contact our office. We look forward to seeing you! Contact us at (503) 230-8814 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
