Making sure your smile lasts a lifetime is extremely important! While things might happen sometimes – such as a cracked tooth, cavity or root canal, there are a few ways to make sure your teeth stay as healthy as possible. In this blog, we will list out the top 4 ways to keep your smile bright, healthy and beautiful! Read on for our best tips:
Brush at least twice a day
This one may seem self explanatory, but there are plenty of children and adults alike, that do not do this consistently. Brushing your teeth in the morning, after breakfast or when you wake up, helps get rid of all the stale germs that have been residing in your mouth while you slept (hence the old term “morning breath”). It allows you to start the day with a fresh, clean and bright smile! What could be better than that?
Don’t forget about your tongue!
All too often we hear stories of patients diligently brushing their teeth, but still encountering bad breath and germ build up on their teeth. What could possibly be missing?! The tongue of course! Just like our teeth, our tongue accumulates germs throughout the day – everything from eating, drinking and sleeping. As a result, it’s not enough to just brush your teeth, you need to keep your tongue healthy too. A great way to start doing this is by buying a toothbrush with a tongue scraper on the back of the brush. It makes it a convenient way to brush your tongue while brushing your teeth. Also, best practice is to start in the back of your mouth and gently scrape forward. The other way around scrapes germs towards your throat.
Drink plenty of water
Water not only keeps our entire body hydrated, but has a number of benefits for our smile. We recommend drinking water with every meal. The value in this is that it washes away food that may be stuck between your teeth. It’s a great way to ensure sugar, food particles and other beverages don’t remain in your mouth for long periods of time. Think of water as a natural floss! Another important benefit is that it keeps your mouth lubricated. When we are dehydrated, our mouth tends to get dry, making way for unwelcomed plaque and tartar build up. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your mouth lubricated and comfortable.
Visit the dentist twice a year!
Probably the most important part of keeping your smile happy and healthy for a long time, is to always visit your dentist for a cleaning. It is recommended to get your teeth cleaned twice a year (every 6 months). At this appointment, your dental hygienist will remove the plaque/tartar build up in your mouth and take x-rays to see what your teeth are doing below the surface. Once your dental cleaning is complete, your dentist will review your x-rays and make sure there are no other issues. Getting your teeth cleaned twice a month not only keeps your smile strong and healthy, but is a great way to ensure any issues are caught quickly by your dentist.
At Cedar Creek Family Dental, your dental health is our priority. We like to equip our patients with the right tools and information to keep their smile bright. Hopefully this month’s blog post helped make the most out of your daily dental routine! If you need to make an appointment for a dental cleaning, don’t hesitate to reach out and speak to one of our friendly team members! You can reach us by calling directly at (470) 394-2020 or filling out our online appointment request form here.