Your dentist can do an excellent job of enhancing and repairing your smile, both through regular dental care and more advanced work such as orthodontics. Additionally, here are ways on how you can play your part and look after your smile!
1) Effective Brushing
It seems like an obvious point, but effective brushing is the first absolute essential of regular dental care. Unfortunately, it’s easy to let a good brushing technique slip as it becomes a routine daily habit. Make a point of upping your brushing game by using a soft toothbrush that you replace every couple of months, and applying fluoride toothpaste in circular movements for at least two minutes a time. Don’t take any shortcuts, make sure you reach every surface of every tooth, and your dental care regimen will be built on strong foundations.
2) Support Brushing With Flossing
But even the most careful brushing technique can’t remove all the nasties lurking between your teeth. Using dental floss daily will help your dental health in three ways. First, it will clear out any tiny food particles, helping to prevent both decay and bad breath. Second, it’ll reduce the bacteria that can soften tooth enamel. And last, it will help to keep plaque under control, reducing gum irritation and even preventing gingivitis.
3) Reduce Sugary Drinks
Drinking sugary sodas and sports drinks is one of the worst ways you can treat your teeth as part of your everyday routine. The high level of sugar is a problem in itself, as it degrades into acids that attack the enamel which protects your teeth. But even worse, most sodas contain high levels of acid to start with, doubling the assault on your enamel to make it softer.
If you do drink sugary drinks, remember to use mouthwash soon after, and always wait at least half an hour before brushing or flossing, or you may actually wind up doing more harm than good by damaging the softened enamel.
However, this advice doesn’t just apply to artificial sodas. Natural fruit juices can be just as damaging with their high sugar and acidity content, so use the same precautions even with these otherwise healthy drinks.
4) Eat Healthy Foods
Eating a healthy diet can help your dental health on many fronts. Reducing your intake of sugary foods will help prevent decay, while avoiding chewy candy bars and so on will help protect your fillings.
But just as importantly, some foods can actively help with dental care. Crunchy, fibrous fruits and vegetables can act as natural cleaners to brighten your smile, while fresh dairy produce provides plenty of calcium, the mineral that’s essential for strong teeth.
5) Wear a Mouthguard for Working Out
If you get your exercise from a contact sport, wearing a mouthguard is a sensible precaution to prevent damage. But even running or gym work has the potential for falls or bumps, so a lightweight guard can offer an extra layer of protection for almost any type of workout.