Oral Hygiene Tips to Save Your Smile…

We all want to have beautiful smiles, which is why good oral hygiene is so important!

Having poor oral hygiene can lead to a variety of dental and medical health problems in the future. Regular dental check-ups can help to prevent these problems and help promote good oral hygiene.

We have provided 3 simple oral hygiene tips that are easy to follow and can save your smile:

Oral Hygiene Tip #1: Proper Brushing

One of the easiest oral hygiene tips to help promote good oral hygiene is to keep your teeth clean. When brushing your teeth, position the bristles at an angle of 45 degrees near the gum line. Both the gum line and the tooth surface should be in contact with the bristles. Brush the outer surfaces of the teeth using a back-and-forth, up-and-down motion, making sure to be done gently in order to avoid bleeding of your gums. To clean the inside surfaces of your teeth and gums place the bristles at a 45-degree angle again and repeat the back-and-forth, up-and-down motion.

Lastly, brush the surfaces of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove bacteria, which might cause bad breath.

It is recommended that you brush your teeth twice a day to remove build-up of bacteria. If you are unable to brush, try to rinse thoroughly with water after eating to minimize the amount of food that remains in the mouth.

Oral Hygiene Tip #2: Floss, Floss, Floss!

We know that it seems like a chore to floss, but flossing can help you remove food particles and other detrimental substances that are not removed with regular brushing. Flossing allows you to reach deep between your teeth where the toothbrush bristles cannot reach or even mouthwash cannot wash away. When flossing your teeth, hold the floss tightly around each tooth in a C shape; move the floss back and forth in a push-pull motion and up and down against the side of each tooth.

It is recommended that you floss once a day to promote good oral hygiene.

Click here for a helpful guide on how to brush and floss from Colgate.

Oral Hygiene Tip #3: Visit Your Dentist

You should visit your dentist twice each year at a minimum to have a full dental check-up completed. At one, if not both of these appointments, a comprehensive exam with x-rays should be done to detect present issues and help to prevent any future dental emergencies from arising. Our expert team is always willing to provide you and your family with home care coaching, just ask us. It is extremely important that you keep up with your regular dental check-ups to promote good oral hygiene.

Related Article: The Best Kept Secret in Dentistry

Everyone understands that you should take care of your teeth to avoid toothaches, maintain your beautiful smile and keep dental treatment costs low. Many people; however, don’t understand how crucial their oral health is to their overall health. Tooth problems can lead to health problems, such as: diabetes, heart disease, systemic infections, an inability to eat or speak properly and other maladies. Therefore, it is important to have good oral hygiene at home and to keep up with your regular dental check-ups.

If you are looking for a new dental team to help you maintain a healthy smile, contact us at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates to schedule your dental check-up. We have three convenient locations within the Kansas City area, including Lee’s Summit / Independence, the Country Club Plaza and Downtown Kansas City. The gentle dentists and expert team at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates look forward to working with you to achieve proper oral health and a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment.