Practicing good hygiene on a daily basis is only part of a good preventive dental care routine. However, it’s an important one, and how well you stick to it can largely determine how the other half – your routine visits to your dentist – will go. Today, we take a look at the importance of your daily dental care at home, and what you can do to improve your chances of preventing things like cavities and other concerns from developing by the time you visit your dentist again.
Practicing good hygiene regularly
Your daily hygiene routine is the most important thing you can focus on when it comes to preventing concerns from affecting your smile. The process of brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once is vital to ensuring that harmful oral bacteria can’t linger on your teeth long enough to cause trouble. To successfully keep bacteria at bay, you have to pay close attention every time you brush and floss, taking care to clean every surface of your teeth and floss thoroughly between them. Otherwise, you may leave behind excessive amounts of bacteria and plaque, which can quickly calcify into tartar.
Staying away from too much sugar
In addition to keeping your teeth clean every day, one of the most common pieces of advice you may remember about caring for your smile is to stay away from too much sugar. Since childhood, most of us have heard this admonition, but without parents to enforce it, it can be easy to forget its importance as you grow older. However, sugar is still one of the driving factors behind cavity development, as it feeds harmful oral bacteria what they need to produce harmful acids that weaken your tooth enamel. Be cautious of eating and drinking things with excessive amounts of sugar, and focus more on eating and drinking healthier foods and beverages.
Drinking more water every day
As you avoid beverages that are loaded with sugar, you’ll find plenty of healthier, tasty alternatives that are much more beneficial for your teeth. For example, drinking milk will give your teeth more of the essential minerals they need to remain strong and repel cavity-causing bacteria. Also, drink plenty of water every day, more than any other beverage, preferably. In addition to being the healthiest thing you can drink, water is also a natural neutralizer against harmful oral bacteria, and effective rinse for washing them away. The more you drink, the greater chance you have of defeating the oral bacteria that could lead to cavity development.
Learn more about preventing cavities
There are plenty of things you can do at home to boost your chances of preventing cavities, in addition to practicing good hygiene. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
