Taking care of your teeth should be a huge priority for you. With proper preventive care, you can reduce your risk for cavities and gum disease. You only have one set of adult teeth, so you should aspire to keep them healthy. As you do your best to care for your teeth, you may wonder whether or not there are any oral healthcare best practices to help guide you. There are some general guidelines that you can follow to protect your teeth. However, genetics play a large role in how susceptible to cavities you are, so you may need to tweak those guidelines to fit your own situation.
Visit the Dentist Once Every Six Months for a Checkup and Cleaning
The standard recommendation for dental visits is once every six months. Most dental insurance plans cover these visits completely, so there’s no reason to miss them. Your dentist may recommend more frequent visits if he or she believes that you need more consistent attention to prevent bacteria buildup. During your checkup and cleaning, your dentist can examine your mouth to ensure that there aren’t any serious problems developing. You will also receive a thorough cleaning to remove plaque buildup that causes cavities. This level of professional cleaning is important for the long-term health of your teeth.
Brush Your Teeth at Least Twice a Day and Floss Once
This is another good starting point as you build your home care routine. Brushing twice a day (once in the evening and once at night), at all ages, is a good baseline for oral health. However, it’s also a good idea to brush after meals to remove any lingering food from your teeth (this is especially important if you’re predisposed to cavities). Flossing once a day removes plaque buildup from difficult-to-reach areas. Your toothbrush can go a long way toward cleaning your teeth, but there are some spots that it simply can’t reach.
Avoid Sugary Foods and Brush After Eating Them
Sugar seems to find its way into many of the foods we consume. It’s a good idea to avoid particularly sugary foods for nutritional reasons, but also for the health of your teeth. Sugar sticks to your teeth and becomes an easy food source for bacteria. The bacteria that are already present on your teeth will metabolize the sugar to proliferate, and in the process, create harmful acid that wears away at your enamel. This, ultimately, will lead to cavities if left unchecked. Brush your teeth after eating any particularly sugary food.
Practice Strong Oral Healthcare at Cedar Dental
Brushing and flossing at home are steps that you must commit to making individually. As for your regular dental visits, trust Cedar Dental. The experienced team at Cedar provides thorough examinations and recommends preventive care to help you preserve your teeth. Schedule an appointment at Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA by calling 319-364-7108.
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