Brushing Up on Your Dental Home Care
Your smile’s health (as well as your comprehensive personal wellness) depends on some seemingly simple dental care habits. However, numerous patients that commit to visiting a dentist for regular checkups seem to forget this the minute they leave a dentist’s office.
Other patients may not utilize the right techniques or duration for the best results. Nonetheless, our dentist Dr. Andres de Cardenas wants to share some information on dental home care that we hope can help you protect your oral health while away from the examination chair.
Brushing and Flossing the RIGHT Way!
For most people, brushing and flossing represent a normal part of their routine every day. Unfortunately, many feel surprised when a dentist tells them that they simply aren’t doing these the right way.
Proper brushing takes at least two minutes to complete, and many patients don’t brush for anywhere near this long. When you think about your daily dental home care, do you pay attention to your entire oral healthcare routine?
You should always brush your teeth after each meal, as well as before bedtime with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Spend the aforementioned two minutes brushing EVERY time, and don’t forget to scrape or brush your tongue as well.
Additionally, floss each day when waking up, and before bed. Visit a dentist like Dr. Andres de Cardenas at least twice per year for a checkup and a cleaning.
If you need some help adjusting to the two-minute time period, we recommend setting an alarm on your phone or another device. Ensure that as you brush, you use short and gentle brush strokes. Take the time to focus on the hard-to-reach areas in your mouth like the rear teeth and gum line.
Flossing seems like a pain but is actually the easy part, once you develop the right technique. Pull about 20 inches of floss from the dispenser and wrap them around your fingers. Holding the floss tightly, move the floss back and forth and up and down against the side of each tooth.
Changing Your Habits is Key
If you start to realize that your dental home care could use some improvement, there’s never a bad time to adjust your routine. Today is the best time to start taking the absolute best care of your teeth and gums.
As you start improving your dental home care, this is also the best possible time to work on your eating habits and routines as well. We all indulge in a late-night snack from time to time, but if you find yourself regularly eating outside of meals, this can make it tough to maintain your oral health optimally.
By adjusting these eating habits, you not only encourage healthier choices but also ensure that you maintain an adequate brushing and flossing routine as you streamline and simplify your life!
Dental Home Care Advice from Dr. Andres de Cardenas
We hope that you enjoyed this brief rundown of caring for your teeth in between dental visits. Dr. Andres de Cardenas commits to helping patients take the best possible care of their mouths, providing all the services that you need under one roof.
To learn more about streamlining and optimizing your dental home care, contact our dedicated and caring staff today!
