Do you want to spend 2017 enjoying great oral health? Who wouldn’t, actually? While preventive dental care isn’t complicated, it does require combining healthy habits at-home with routine checkups and cleanings, in order to protect the teeth from common problems like cavities and gum disease. So if you really want to ensure your smile continues to look and feel its best, make sure your hygiene routine and eating habits are serving to protect and even improve your oral health!
Going to Bed Without Brushing
You might be tempted to skip toothbrushing occasionally, like after a long day of work or travel. It’s easy to try and justify this, too. If you brush on a consistent basis, what’s the harm? Sadly, this can be extremely damaging to your dental health, since the longer you go between brushings the more likely plaque is to calcify onto teeth.
Plaque bacteria can lead to bad breath, visible buildup, and eventually cause acidic erosion that creates cavities and contributes to gum disease, as well.
Help avoid this by brushing at least twice a day, but preferably after each meal, to limit how much time bacteria can feed on the food particles in your mouth.
Skipping Flossing
Speaking of hygiene, less than 30 percent of adults in America even claim to floss on a regular basis. Sadly, this can greatly contribute to plaque buildup.
After all, there is a reason general dentists so strongly urge patients to floss daily. Failing to clean the crevices between teeth is much like only washing two thirds of your body each time you shower. Keep your teeth cleaner between cleanings by flossing regularly.
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