You have heard before to keep your hands out of your mouth, to keep your fingers away from your lips, and more. Why? Well, because you can end up transferring germs to your mouth and you can cause other problems for yourself. However, you might wonder: What are you supposed to do when you need to use your hands for dental care? Are there some exceptions to the general rule? Allow our Ankeny, IA team to guide you through this bit of confusion, so you can keep your oral health thriving!
When You Need To Brush And Floss
We know that when you’re practicing your dental hygiene, you’re going to need to use your fingers and they’re going to have to enter your mouth! This is perfectly acceptable, of course. With that said, however, it’s important that you remember to follow through with keeping your hands nice and clean. Always wash your hands with soap and water before brushing and flossing, so you’re not transferring all of the germs you recently picked up onto fingertips directly into your body!
Habits Like Nail Biting
Habits like nail biting are not great for your oral health. Maybe you bite your nails. Maybe you nibble on the skin next to your nails. Perhaps you just have a tendency to tap on your teeth. Whatever you’re doing, in addition to ingesting germs, you are also putting your teeth at risk of damage. Skip it, so you don’t end up suddenly requiring a crown!
When It’s Time For Oral Appliance Therapy
Again, you’ll want to remember that to protect your oral health and general health, it’s important to wash those fingertips before using them to place your oral appliance where it belongs. Easy!
When You Think Something Is Wrong
It may seem as though you really need to do some thorough investigating when you think something is wrong with your tooth, your soft tissue, etc. While it’s exceptionally tempting to put your finger in there to feel around, we remind you that it’s best to leave your smile alone. You may aggravate a problem or contribute germs to what may turn into an infection, in the case of a problem like an oral sore. Instead, call us. Let us know something feels different. Allow us to safely check in on your oral health, as we then direct you on how to proceed!
Keep Up With Our Smile Care Tips
Remember that preventive care is in part, all about following through with the dental care you need for your smile in terms of brushing, flossing, and visits but it is also about considering our advice! See us soon! Visit us for a dental checkup in Ankeny, IA by contacting Dental Impressions to schedule a visit at (515) 965-0230.
