Today I’m going to give you five things you can do to improve your dental health. If you need to start small, you can only make one of these five suggestions. Maybe add another one each month. But if you want to go big and do all five right away of course your teeth and health will thank you.
1. Go to the dentist.
If you are not someone who visits your dental office routinely, call and schedule your appointment right now. It should be at least twice a year for checkups and cleanings.
2. Brush twice a day.
Once in the morning when you wake up and once in the evening before bed. Do not skip before bed. I know lots of us are tired and sometimes fall asleep without brushing our teeth. So make it a habit to always brush before bed. If you’re falling asleep and you suddenly remember you didn’t brush your teeth, then pull yourself back out of bed and go brush your teeth. Bacteria like to multiply in dark wet places, so when you’re sleeping they have a solid six to eight hours to go wild all over your teeth, which increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush your teeth every single morning and evening.
3. Floss.
We all know everyone needs to floss their teeth more. However, if you are someone who really tries and you just can’t properly use the traditional string floss, whether it’s due to manual dexterity or your hands are too big, ask your dental hygienist at your next cleaning if there are any alternatives they think would help your individual mouth. For example, floss picks are better than nothing. I much rather floss with floss picks than with nothing at all.
Also, some people benefit more from using interproximal or interdental brushes, those little brushes that clean between your teeth. They can really amp up your dental hygiene gain. And of course, there are always water flossers. My best advice is to ask your dental hygienist what they think is best for your individual mouth.
4. Donโt be snacking all the time.
We really need to try to limit our snacking because snacking is the absolute worst for our teeth. Itโs actually healthier for our teeth to eat all the snacks at once. You don’t want sugar or carbs or any food debris to sit on your teeth for a prolonged period of time. Because frequency the amount of time food is on your teeth is what significantly increases your chance of cavities. So if you want to eat something, try to do it all at once.
5. Drink lots of water.
Not only does water help remove debris from your teeth, especially if you’re snacking. Really try to swish it around your mouth, so you can rinse away any food sticking to your teeth. Water also helps keep your overall body healthy. Water is key to a healthy life. We all know that drinking water is good, but what lots of us don’t realize is your dental health. The health of your teeth and the health of your gums is directly connected to your overall health. So water is good on so many levels from so many different angles, preventing cavities which in turn keeps our teeth stronger fresher, and healthier, allows us to properly eat and talk and increase our quality of life.
I hope you’re feeling motivated now. new teeth schedule your appointment at your dentist, brush twice a day, clean between your teeth at least once a day, limit snacking and drink more water and again. I know this may have sounded like a lot like Iโm suggesting you do a million different things. Thatโs not the intention of this blog. I don’t want to overwhelm you. Donโt feel bad that it feels like it’s too much. Instead, try to start slow like adding one of these things I mentioned, even if it’s as simple as brushing twice a day. It can help so much.
I hope this blog helped you with your dental health. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
