Biyearly professional teeth cleanings are a necessary part of an effective oral hygiene routine, and they leave your teeth feeling smooth and clean. But teeth cleanings alone are not enough to maintain good oral health; you also need an effective at-home oral hygiene routine. In this article, we discuss tips for keeping your teeth clean between dental visits.
Tips for Keeping Your Teeth Clean Between Dental Visits
Below are the key rules we recommend you follow to keep your teeth clean on a daily basis:
- Brush your teeth twice a day for two full minutes, making sure to clean well at the back of the mouth and along the gum line.
- For your evening hygiene, make sure that you do not eat anything after brushing your teeth. Otherwise, food particles will prompt bacterial growth in your mouth during the night.
- Opt for fluoride toothpaste, as it remineralizes enamel, making it more resistant to bacteria and decay.
- Avoid abrasive toothpaste (for example, toothpaste with soda or charcoal) and over-the-counter whitening products.
- Floss your teeth thoroughly every evening, removing food debris and plaque that accumulate between your teeth throughout the day. Be careful not to push the thread too far into the gums to avoid bleeding.
- If flossing is challenging, try special tools, such as floss threaders or interdental brushes, to streamline your routine.
- Add a water flosser to your routine to boost its effectiveness. A water flosser can not replace traditional flossing and brushing, but has been proven effective at improving oral hygiene and preventing gum disease when used as an additional step.
- Avoid sugary and very acidic foods and drinks, as sugar feeds bacterial growth in the mouth and acid erodes tooth enamel.
Why Daily Oral Hygiene Is Essential
It is essential to remove plaque from your teeth daily, as it can turn into tartar within 72 hours. Tartar is a sticky substance that is impossible to remove at home without professional dental tools and techniques. Both plaque and tartar are perfect environments for bacterial proliferation. On top of that, they are acidic, and acids can erode enamel over time.
Plaque and tartar accumulation lead to the following oral health issues:
- Cavities
- Advanced tooth decay
- Gum disease
- Bleeding gums
- Receding gums
- Cysts
- Tooth loss
- Jawbone density loss
The oral health issues listed above require time-consuming and expensive treatments. Still, they can be avoided if you combine biyearly professional teeth cleanings with a consistent, effective at-home oral hygiene routine.
Other Preventive Dentistry Procedures
Typically, a professional cleaning is done alongside a checkup. During a checkup, your dentist examines your teeth to detect signs of cavities or gum disease. Dental x-rays might be done every 1 to 2 years, in addition to an examination. Having biyearly dental checkups will allow you to treat potential issues before they become serious problems and avoid complex, expensive procedures in the future.
Another procedure recommended twice a year, along with cleaning and checkups, is a fluoride treatment. Fluoride solutions used in dental offices are more potent than over-the-counter products and deliver a significant improvement in enamel strength, making your teeth more resistant to bacteria and decay.
Make an Appointment at Shodhan DHS
Do not hesitate to schedule a checkup, professional cleaning, and fluoride treatment with an experienced dentist at Shodhan DHS. At our office, we use modern techniques and tools to help our clients improve and preserve their oral health. We are looking forward to your visit.
