At Midway Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Alpharetta, Ga., we offer a variety of oral health care services to children, teenagers and adults. We recommend using these dental hygiene oral health tips so that you have healthier gums and teeth.
Tip 1: Consuming a Nutritious Diet
Your oral health care begins with the foods and beverages that you consume each day. We recommend focusing on a plant-based diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables along with whole-grain breads and pasta. You should also eat lean proteins that include poultry, beef or chicken in addition to seafood. Dairy foods contain calcium that can improve the strength of your teeth and alveolar bones.
Tip 2: Brush Frequently
Experts suggest that you brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, but it is okay to brush after every meal and snack. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to brush your teeth, making sure to remove the food debris and bacteria from all sides of each tooth. After brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with water to get rid of the loosened debris.
Tip 3: Avoid Bad Habits
Bad habits can destroy your teeth in a variety of ways. Smoking cigarettes will inflame the soft oral tissues and reduce blood flow in the gums. The tobacco can stain your teeth, and you are more likely to have cavities or gum disease when you smoke. Chewing tobacco is also bad for your gums, and it can lead to cancer in the mouth. However, there are other bad habits, including sucking on the thumb or biting the fingernails. These habits can change the position of your teeth, introduce bacteria to the mouth or damage the enamel on the teeth.
Tip 4: Floss Your Teeth
If you aren’t flossing your teeth at least once a day, then you will have large amounts of plaque and food debris between your teeth and along the gums. Most adults have teeth that are too close together, and this is where food particles collect to cause tooth decay. If you have pockets around your teeth, then these areas are often filled with bacteria that can lead to periodontal disease. You can use strand floss or plastic floss devices to remove the food particles and bacteria from these difficult to reach places.
Tip 5: Use Mouth Rinses
You can improve your oral health with mouth rinses that contain additional fluoride to strengthen the dental enamel on your teeth. There are also antiseptic mouth rinses that destroy bacteria that can cause gingivitis or halitosis. If you have discolored teeth, then you can find mouth rinses that help to whiten your teeth with hydrogen peroxide.
Tip 6: Stay Away from Sugar
Sugary foods and beverages are considered bad because bacteria thrive in the sugary debris that is left behind on your teeth. Limit the amounts of soft drinks and sweet desserts that you eat, but when you do eat something that contains a lot of sugar, make sure to rinse your mouth with water right away. If you are at home, then take the time to brush and floss your teeth again.
Tip 7: Wear a Mouth Guard
At Midway Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, we recommend wearing a mouth guard on your teeth when you play sports. Our dentist can make customized mouth guards that fit precisely over your bottom and upper teeth to prevent damage to the enamel on your teeth or your sensitive gum tissues.
Tip 8: Have Your Teeth Straightened
If you have dental malocclusions, then it is more difficult to brush and floss your teeth. You may have teeth that are overlapping or packed together, making it impossible to remove food particles and bacteria. Today, many adults are opting to wear braces to having straighter teeth in only a few years, and in many cases, adults can wear clear plastic aligners to repair dental misalignments.
Tip 9: Use an Oral Irrigator
To remove additional plaque from your mouth, you can use an oral irrigator that blasts pressurized water into your mouth. This is a great way to remove food particles that are between your teeth or in the pockets around your teeth. If you wear braces, then an oral irrigator will keep the brackets and wires cleaner. You only need to fill the oral irrigator’s tank with water before using the device’s wand to clean your teeth with the blast of water.
Tip 10: Tongue and Palate Cleaning
If you look at your tongue, then you may notice a white film. This film contains bacteria that cause bad breath, but it can also cause problems from gingivitis and tooth decay. Fortunately, there are plastic tongue scrapers available that you can use to remove this disgusting film, and also, while brushing your teeth, use a toothbrush to brush your mouth’s palate gently to remove additional debris that can cause halitosis.
Tip 11: Visit Our Dental Office for a Yearly Checkup
For additional dental hygiene tips for adults, teenagers and children, call us at Midway Family and Cosmetic Dentistry at 678-393-1868 to schedule an appointment for your yearly dental checkup. We accept patients from Alpharetta, Cumming, Atlanta and the surrounding region. Patients can count on us for routine examinations, medical images and cosmetic treatments with veneers or dental crowns.
Recent Comments