Taking care of your teeth is a basic necessity. Whether you use a water pick in the suburbs or a whittled twig out in the wilderness, good dental and oral health not only prevents tooth problems, infections, and pain, but also affects your overall health, too. So how can you develop good oral health habits for life? It breaks down into two groups of activities: what you do when you brush and floss, and what you do the rest of the day. We'll start with the second one.
Throughout the Day
Dental care is what you do all day long!
What you eat affects your mouth and teeth. Avoid sugary drinks, sticky sweet snacks, and seriously acidic foods. Cut snacks in general so that you can brush and then have clean teeth for more than a couple of hours. Crunchy foods like apples and carrots can help clean your teeth, and so can drinking water.
Wear a mouth guard for sports that may involve rough contact. Don't chew on ice cubes. When my children grew out of the toddler stage but still felt the need to chew because of teeth coming in, I gave them drinking straws to chew on. That cut down on snacks, too, because sometimes they weren't hungry, they just needed to chew on something.
Attend those semi-annual dental check-ups. This catches dental problems before they become bigger and more painful.
While Brushing and Flossing
Remember basics!
Brush and floss properly, twice a day, and more often if you have braces or other dental health considerations. The most important brushing/flossing time is at the end of the day. That cleans your mouth after the day's meals so that you aren't fighting bacteria while asleep. Have a healthy smile!
For more information on oral health and how to maintain healthy dental habits, contact Southfield Family Dental today.
