May brings us National Smile Month, a time for us to ensure that we are doing our best to keep our smiles happy and healthy. Here are our top tips for great oral health.
Brushing Your Teeth
Brushing for two minutes twice a day is key to maintaining good oral health. Daily brushing removes plaque, thereby reducing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. An electric toothbrush can help to ensure that you are brushing for the recommended time.
Interdental Cleaning
Cleaning interdentally before brushing, using Tepe brushes or floss, is the best way to clean your teeth effectively. It loosens bacteria and food debris from between your teeth, allowing a more successful removal of plaque.
Spit, Don’t Rinse
After brushing, you should spit out the toothpaste. You then should
not rinse your mouth with water. Fluoride contained in toothpaste helps to strengthen the tooth enamel, therefore making it more resistant to tooth decay. Spitting out the excess paste and not rinsing ensures that the fluoride will remain on the teeth and continue to be effective.
Beware of Snacking
Snacking can have a negative effect on our oral health. Introducing sugars outside of meal times increases the number of acid attacks our teeth experience on a daily basis, therefore increasing the risk of tooth decay. It is best to stick to three meals a day to keep these attacks to a minimum. If you do need to snack between meals, nuts and vegetables are far better for your oral health than sugary snacks.
Visit Your Dentist and Hygienist Regularly
Routine visits to your dentist can help to reveal existing or potential dental problems, whilst your hygienist can remove any plaque build-up and provide tips for ongoing care at home.