How to keep on top of oral hygiene

Whether you are a dentist or a patient, you know that your oral hygiene needs to be the best that it can be. Having a clean mouth, fresh breath, and a fantastic smile will always make you feel good, and the best part is you can feel this way all the time! All you need to do is keep on top of your oral hygiene, and everything will be all good!

Here’s how best to keep on top of your oral hygiene, both for your next trip to the dentist, as well as for all the benefits that good oral hygiene can give you in your daily life!

Brush and Floss

It wouldn’t be the advice that every single dentist gave out if it didn’t work! Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes, as well as giving your teeth a very good floss afterward is something that everyone needs to do. Make sure that you are also using the toothbrush and floss that works for you as well.

You might find that you really like how clean your teeth look if you use an electric toothbrush, or might find that the dental floss picks work the best for you and your needs. Figure out what instruments are going to help you stick to a consistent brushing and flossing routine, because that consistency is going to work for you. 

Limit Alcohol and Tobacco

Of course, everyone knows the problems that too much alcohol and tobacco can cause you, most of them related to health. However, smoking and drinking to excess can stain, damage, and cause problems for your teeth. Having stained teeth due to tobacco especially can require you to have your teeth cleaned by a dental professional, because regular brushing and flossing won’t cut it.

Additionally, too much alcohol and tobacco can cause even more problems with dry mouth, which can make your breath worse and increase the growth of bacteria in your mouth… this can lead to all sorts of dental problems. So if you drink too much or smoke and want to do your oral health a favor, quit.

Use Fluoride

While you might be able to get away with just the fluoride in the drinking water, if you really want to take charge of your oral health, you need to find some fluoride. But you don’t need to go to the Dental store to snatch it up, because you can find fluoride options over the counter. These can include fluoride tubes of toothpaste and fluoride mouthwash.

Fluoride is a compound that will defend your teeth against tooth decay and other problems, and it can defend your teeth against the daily wear and tear that you put them through. While your dentist will always use fluoride and will treat your teeth with it, you do need to make sure that you are using fluoride outside of the dentist’s office in order to make sure your teeth are fully protected. 

Eat Healthier 

What goes into your mouth has a pretty big effect on your teeth, and in order to make sure that your teeth are well protected against damage and bacteria, you are going to want to eat a lot of good food. So make sure to eat lots of fresh and crunchy produce that will help your teeth and also increase your jaw strength as well.

Additionally, you should limit the sugar and acid in your mouth as well, by eating less sugar. The sugar is what eventually causes all the cavities inside of your mouth, and the healthier you eat, the less likely you will have cavities and other oral health problems as well.

Don’t Stop Working On Your Oral Health

No matter what step you take on getting your oral health back on track, you need to make sure that you are always working on your oral health and that means being very consistent. Brushing twice a day, every single day, and flossing once a day, every single day is going to help you… but you need to be consistent with it as well as with any other oral hygiene methods you want to try.

Sure, missing a day or two is fine, but you don’t want to have prolonged periods where you aren’t keeping on top of your oral health. Because that is what is going to keep the bacteria away and it is also going to leave you with a bright and healthy smile for the day ahead!