Do you feel confident about your current approach to oral health care? If your dentist happened to show up to watch your brushing and flossing routine, would your approach impress or disappoint them? Maintaining a healthy smile is not complicated, but it does call for smart and consistent habits. Between thoroughly cleaning your teeth, protecting your enamel with smart diet choices, and attending regular dental exams, you can avoid trouble that requires restorative dental work. In addition to providing care for you during a dental exam, your Ankeny, IA dentist can provide guidance on your current daily routine. A few beneficial changes may be enough to keep you safe from cavities in the long term!
1. You Should Floss Every Day (Not Just When Something Is Stuck In Your Teeth)
Flossing is meant to do more than just remove a piece of food stuck between teeth. You should practice this habit every day in order to keep spaces between teeth clean. You can reduce your cavity risk this way, and you can have an easier time avoiding problems with gum disease.
2. Swap Out Soft Drinks With Water During Meals
What is your go-to beverage during meals? For lunch and dinner, many people choose soft drinks, tea, or other flavored beverages. These products can be less than ideal for your teeth, particularly soft drinks. Sodas tend to be loaded with sugar, plus they are acidic, so they can weaken your enamel. By choosing water over flavored drinks, you can have an easier time staying hydrated, you can lower your risk for picking up teeth stains, and you can have an easier time washing away food debris.
3. Make Sure You Replace Your Toothbrush Every Three Months
Brushing for at least two minutes twice a day helps you keep your smile free of harmful plaque and tartar buildup. While your daily habits are important, some important choices occur less frequently. For example, you should make a point of swapping your old toothbrush for a new one every three months. When you do so, you can ensure that the bristles remain fresh and firm enough to effectively clean even those hard-to-reach areas. In order to reduce friction on your enamel, stick with soft bristle brushes.
Dental Impressions In Ankeny, IA Offers Quality Smile Care For Families
Could your current oral health care regimen benefit from a few changes? At our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, patients who are worried about their routine can learn about practices that better protect them from harmful tartar accumulation, cavities, and gum disease. Dental Impressions is proud to serve as an all-ages dental office, and we are prepared to help patients with a variety of needs. In order to make an appointment, or to find out more about our office, call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA at (515) 965-0230.
