Cavities are extremely painful and uncomfortable, and no one wants to suffer from tooth decay during the holidays. So, to help you prevent cavities, even though there are delicious treats all around, we recommend keeping up with your oral hygiene routine and attending your six month checkups.
To help you have the most effective oral hygiene routine possible, we recommend doing the following things:
Brush your teeth
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and brush your teeth every morning and every night. Doing so will clean your smile from the food particles, debris, and plaque that are stuck on and in between your chompers. Make sure you are gentle as you clean against your gums and you do your best to clean every tooth in your smile.
Floss your smile
Floss your teeth at least once a day. Doing so will free the debris and food particles from your smile. It will also help you scrape the plaque from your teeth, which is a beneficial technique that helps reduce the chances of developing gum disease. If you aren’t sure which floss to use for your smile, please feel free to try both waxed and unwaxed floss and then decide which product works best for your smile.
Rinse your mouth
For a thorough cleaning job, rinse your mouth with beneficial mouthwash at least once a day, preferably after you have brushed and flossed your teeth. Beneficial mouthwash includes antibacterial mouthwash, plaque mouthwash, fluoride mouthwash, or desensitizing mouthwash. You can purchase any of these rinses at the store—just make sure that you pick one that has been approved by the American Dental Association.
Clean your tongue
Just like your teeth, your tongue needs to be cleaned each day. You can clean your tongue with a tongue scraper or with your toothbrush and toothpaste. No matter which way you decide to clean your tongue, make sure you are cleaning the entire surface of the muscle, including the two sides, the center, and the back.
If you have any questions or if you would like to schedule your six month appointment, we invite you to call our office today and talk to a member of our friendly dental team. We are happy to hear from you!
