Correct oral care is essential for healthy teeth and gums, giving you the confidence to show off your perfect smile! While regular check-ups with a dental professional are important and help to monitor risks of decay, there are a few things you can do at home to help. Below are a few things you can do to help keep your mouth free of cavities and tooth decay.
The fundamentals
A correct and consistent daily oral-care routine is crucial for fighting against cavities and tooth decay. This regular routine can not only help with maintain the health of your teeth and gums but can also reverse decay with regular brushing and flourish. It’s also important to use the right toothbrushes, toothpastes, floss and mouthwash to improve your routine. Here’s a few of the basics you should be doing to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
- Using the right toothbrush. Whether you’re using an electric or manual toothbrush it’s important to rinse it after every use and replace it after the brush is worn out.
- Brush correctly, ensuring you are brushing in a gentle circular movement over the front, back and top of your teeth. Do this for at least two minutes, twice a day.
- Use high quality fluoride toothpaste which is proven to enhance dental health.
- Remove food particles and plaque that can get stuck between your teeth by flossing at least once a day.
Additional Tips
Here’s a few additional oral care tips that can help maintain your teeth and protect from tooth decay.
- Monitor what you eat and stick to a well-balanced diet. Sugary foods can quickly and easily damage teeth and gums, we recommend keeping these to a minimum.
- Eating greens can help to protect your teeth. Dark, leafy fruits and vegetables add calcium to your diet which reduces acid in saliva.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day. A dry mouth allows plaque to stay in your mouth so make sure you stay hydrated.
- Limit your coffee, soft drink and alcohol intake. The ingredients in these types of liquids can discolour the tooth surface and can deplete your calcium which isn’t good for your tooth and gum health.
Finally, visiting your dentist is one of the most important things you can do to maintain healthy teeth and gums and prevent tooth decay. A dentist can use their expert knowledge to observe and notice any issues with your teeth early on which can minimize the risk of tooth decay. Additionally, they also provide professional cleaning which will remove tartar build ups in hard to reach places which were caused by plaque. We recommend visiting your dentist around two times are year for a check-up.