At Beaumont Family Dentistry, we love helping our patients maintain healthy mouths and beautiful smiles! We work hard each day to deliver the best dental care possible so that each patient leaves our office a little better than when they walked in.
A critical part of good oral health is a thorough at-home hygiene regimen. Since October is National Dental Hygiene Month, we want to help you do your part to keep your smile in the best shape possible by providing a few key tips.
Brush Your Teeth For Two Minutes Twice a Day
Everyone knows they should brush their teeth regularly to keep them healthy and strong. But did you know that you should brush twice a day for two minutes each time? Good brushing is crucial to ridding your mouth of bacteria and plaque that can potentially damage your smile.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when brushing:
- Choose a soft-bristle brush with a head size that’s suitable for your mouth.
- Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to your gums.
- Divide your mouth into quadrants – upper outer, upper inner, lower outer, and lower inner.
- Brush each quadrant for 30 seconds before moving on. Use a timer on your phone or a watch with a second hand to make it easier.
- Brush your tongue to freshen your breath as well as remove bacteria.
Thorough brushing will go a long way toward preventing dental emergencies and the need for restorative dental work such as tooth fillings and crowns.
Floss Your Teeth Once a Day
We understand that flossing is not at the top of the list of fun things to do. However, flossing plays an important role in keeping your teeth clean. Without flossing, you’re missing a full 40 percent of your teeth surfaces!
Here’s the best way to floss:
- Begin with a strand of floss that’s about 18 inches long.
- Wrap the floss around both of your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches in the middle to work with.
- Use your forefingers and thumbs to hold the floss and work it in between each of your teeth.
- Use both back-and-forth as well as up-and-down motions to remove food particles, plaque, and bacteria.
- Curve the floss around each tooth to reach just below the gumline, but make sure you don’t irritate your gum tissue.
A regular flossing regimen will help prevent cavities as well as gum disease that could require additional dental work and expense.
Chew Sugarfree Gum to Clean Your Teeth
Clinical studies have shown that chewing gum (Always sugarfree and never with sugar!) stimulates the production of saliva. Having enough saliva in your mouth is crucial to wash away food particles that can become trapped in your mouth as well as to neutralize acids left behind by bacteria.
So, it’s simple. Just chew your favorite sugarfree gum for at least 20 minutes after meals or snacking. Not only will you help keep your teeth healthy, you’ll also freshen your breath and avoid any potentially embarrassing social interactions.
Rinse Daily For a Cleaner, Healthier Mouth
Even if you brush and floss regularly, you’re not cleaning your entire mouth. Biofilm and plaque can live on your tongue, gums, and the roof of your mouth. That’s why it’s important to rinse at least once a day with a good-quality mouthwash.
Make sure you choose one that is alcohol-free, as alcohol can dry your mouth and disturb the balance of saliva that is so crucial for washing away hidden debris in between your teeth.
Be sure to follow the directions on the package of the mouthwash, but a good rule of thumb is to rinse for at least 30 seconds to one minute. Doing so will kill bacteria that can cause cavities and gum disease, plus it will help you maintain the freshest breath possible.
Visit Beaumont Family Dentistry Every Six Months for a Checkup
No oral care regimen is complete without a dental cleaning and exam twice a year. Regular checkups will allow our team to keep an eye on your oral health and provide treatment for any small problems before they have the chance to worsen.
Dr. Takacs and her team have been helping the area smile with more confidence for over 35 years. No matter what your smile needs, we can take care of it at one of our three Lexington locations. Our services include:
- Restorative dentistry like fillings, crowns, and bridges
- Cosmetic dentistry including veneers and orthodontics
- Implant dentistry to replace your missing teeth
- Family dentistry for all your loved ones
- Oral surgery to restore your oral health
- Emergency dental care when you’re in pain and your smile is suffering
Take care of your smile not only during National Dental Hygiene Month, but all year round. Call us today to schedule your next regular checkup!
- Beaumont: 859-223-2120
- Hamburg: 859-687-0975
- Leestown: 859-368-8260