Everyone is supposed to get a dental checkup every 6 months, so twice a year. The 6-month gap is a pretty long time if you think about it. We all know to brush twice a day at the very least, also to avoid too much sugar, but is there anything else? Well, your dentist at Genesis Dental will let you know! So, what can be done to improve dental hygiene during those gaps where you’re not seeing a dentist? These are some tips to help you know what to do between checkups and to improve your dental health overall.
Floss every day
So this is something that everyone knows, but a surprisingly low amount of people do. Even the idea of flossing seems like a chore. Why floss when there isn’t any food stuck between your teeth? Well, flossing daily is very important and needs to be implemented into your dental hygiene routine. Flossing not only helps with dislodging food, but it also helps with getting plaque build-up out of your teeth. Brushing can only do so much and those bristles can’t reach everywhere, and this is why it’s best to floss. You should brush and floss a minimum of twice a day, but it’s even better to do it after all of your meals.
Change your toothbrush
While it may not sound eco-friendly, it’s important to regularly change your toothbrush. Toothbrushes get old and worn down quite quickly, and they become far less effective compared to new ones. Not to mention that there may be the potential of having bacteria built up on the bristles as well. Regular tooth brushing makes the toothbrush bristles splay and sometimes even just break.
So, in order to ensure good hygiene, try to switch your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. This does seem quite often considering the fact that 3 to 4 times a year you are putting plastic toothbrushes into the landfill. But thankfully there is an eco-friendly option which is bamboo toothbrushes. These are free from plastic, biodegradable, and they work just as well so you can feel less guilty about your environmental impact just for trying to focus on having good health.
Cut down on sugar
It’s important to stay active while you’re at home, as this is going to help your physical health but it’s also important to watch over what you eat. Keeping a health journal will do wonders for you as well. While sugar foods and junk food may taste wonderful, they’re far from being good for your health. Sugar can have a lot of negative effects on your teeth. Plaque is a thin film of bacteria on your teeth, and this can cover your whole mouth. Sugary foods contribute to this which can lead to tooth decay. Looking into eating some fatty fish, vegetables, and even some fiber-rich fruits is great too. Plus, you want to make sure that you have a strong immune system too (something that sugar weakens).
Quit smoking
If you’re a smoker, then you most likely already know all of the harmful effects that it can have on your health. While it’s true it does cause yellowing of the teeth, did you know it puts you highly at risk of gum disease?