Tips for Oral Health

Avoid sugary food and drinks to avoid excess plaque.

Plaque feeds off sugar and creates a cavity causing acid with it. If your teeth are feeling rough or fuzzy, like they have a film on them, you may have excess plaque.

Limiting added sugar in foods and drinks can prevent overproduction of plaque.

Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day for the full recommended 2 minutes.

The American Dental Association recommends using fluoride toothpaste to do this to keep your teeth in the best health.

Take time to make sure you are brushing your back teeth, so cavity-causing plaque does not build up.

Floss your teeth once a day to make sure you are cleaning all four sides of your teeth.

Brushing only cleans half of each tooth, making flossing essential to getting the other half clean and avoiding cavities between your teeth!

Use mouth wash once a day.

This will get rid of any lingering plaque or food particles that did not get washed away from brushing or flossing.

By using fluoride mouth wash, you will also work to strengthen your enamel, making your teeth even stronger.

Dental sealants aren’t just for kids!

As adults, you can also get sealants to fill any grooves or hard to reach places to protect them from plaque building up.

Smoking, chewing tobacco, and consuming alcohol can all have terrible consequences when it comes to your oral health.

Smoking can cause discoloration, gum disease, tooth loss, and even oral cancer!

Alcohol dries out your mouth and creates a breeding ground for bacteria and plaque. Limiting consumption of these is very important to keeping good oral health.

Make sure to regularly visit your dentist every 6 months for an examination and cleaning.

This allows your dental professional to scrape away plaque and tartar, which you are unable to remove. If untreated, these increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.