5 Daily Practices to Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy

A lot of people tend to visit the dentist only when they are already facing serious dental problems such as cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and so on. In some cases, these even require costly and overwhelming procedures to treat.

Regular trips to the dentist do help you achieve and maintain optimal dental health. However, you should remember that you also have a part to play in caring for your teeth and gums.

In the sections below, you will find five effective tips and practices to help you avoid dental problems and ensure that your teeth and gums remain clean and healthy.

1. Always Brush Your Teeth After Eating

Remains of the food and drink you consumed can stick to your teeth or stuck under your gums after you eat. Drinking water after you eat will not be enough to dislodge deep-seated small particles.

Failing to remove these residues can put you at risk of developing halitosis or bad breath as well as more serious dental issues. You can effectively prevent this by brushing your teeth after meals, especially after dinner and before you go to bed.

2. Floss and Rinse Daily

Along with brushing your teeth, you must also floss daily to get to the bits of food that your toothbrush couldn’t reach. Finish your daily oral hygiene routine by rinsing with an oral antibacterial mouthwash like Listerine. Doing so can significantly reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth which are known to cause tooth decay and gum disease.

However, you should take note that swishing with mouthwash is not suited for young children. Moreover, antibacterial rinses must not be overused.

3. Watch What You Eat

Your diet affects not only your physical health but also your dental health. Considering this, there are certain food items that you must avoid.

Sugary foods and drinks, in particular, are among the food items that you must watch out for. You can have a piece of candy now and then, but you should keep in mind that continuous consumption of sugary foods is not healthy for your teeth. The molecules left from these foods can combine with saliva and bacteria already existing in your mouth and lead to plaque buildup. Eventually, this can dissolve enamel and cause cavities.

4. Stock Up On Calcium

Aside from foods that you must avoid, there are also those that you must consume regularly to keep your teeth strong. You must regularly eat calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese, for example, as they promote strong teeth. Aside from this, you also need a healthy amount of phosphorus in your diet. You can get this mineral from eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, nuts, and beans.

5. Visit Your Dentist For a Regular Dental Cleaning

On top of all these, make sure to see your dentist regularly to get a thorough dental cleaning. The recommended frequency is at least twice a year. Keep a record of your previous visits and make sure to take note of when your future appointments should be.

Even though you are not experiencing any kind of pain, you must see your dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy and identify possible problems before they worsen.

Conclusion

If you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy, you must start paying more attention to your daily oral hygiene. Including regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing into your daily routine may seem like simple tasks, but they significantly improve your dental health. They are all effective ways of keeping your mouth clean to avoid bacteria and plaque buildup. Ultimately, they’re also effective in helping you avoid painful dental diseases and saving your wallet!

Looking for a local dentist in Waterford for your oral health? We’re the one for you! Our team is dedicated to providing high-quality preventive dentistry services so that you can achieve the best oral health possible. Schedule an appointment today to get started.