Daily care is necessary to help lower your risk of common concerns like tooth decay and gum disease. Kids and adults alike need to brush and floss to protect smiles in between our checkup and cleaning visits. In today’s blog, your Ankeny, IA, dentist talks about how to improve your brushing and flossing habits.
Brushing Your Teeth Properly
How often do you brush your teeth? To truly protect your smile, you need to brush when you wake up and then do so again before going to bed each evening. Each session also needs to take at least two minutes to ensure you are properly cleaning every surface of your teeth. 30 seconds just won’t cut it. This is true for kids and adults alike.
We also suggest choosing a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid inadvertent irritation in the gums or enamel damage. You can use an electric or manual one, your preference, just as long as you use it twice a day for two minutes. The toothpaste you choose matters too! Everyone should be using a fluoride one. Kids three and younger should employ a rice-sized amount, and everyone else needs a pea-sized amount. Fluoride helps strengthen the outer enamel to help protect smiles from cavities.
How to Floss Your Smile
You also need to floss, as cleaning between the teeth can help protect the teeth from gingivitis and gum disease, and from cavities from forming in between the teeth, in areas where a toothbrush’s bristles cannot reach. You can use floss string, tape or even a pick. Some opt for a water flosser. We just want to make sure you floss up and own each side of every tooth, and then dip beneath the gum line to remove any trapped food and drink particles. This should happen every evening before you go to bed!
Cutting Back on Sugar
Sugar feeds harmful bacteria to increase the risk of plaque and tartar, and can increase the risk of cavities, and even gingivitis and gum disease. As part of your new oral hygiene routine, try to cut back on how much sugar is in your diet. A healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk of oral health concerns, as well as the risk of serious concerns like diabetes. If you have any questions about protecting your smile with proper brushing and flossing habits, then contact our team today to learn more and get started. We want to help you enjoy your best possible smile in 2026 and in the years to come!
Dental Impressions Wants to Protect Your Smile
We want to help kids and adults alike enjoy better oral hygiene at home. To schedule an appointment and keep your smiles strong, then call Dental Impressions in Ankeny, IA today at (515) 965-0230.
