Good oral hygiene
is important for maintaining one's overall health. If you believe this and you should, then
there are 4 essential guidelines of preventative care to maintaining good oral
health, all of which are endorsed by the American Dental Association:
1.
Floss regularly and floss first- It is
recommended that individuals floss on a regular basis after meals and before
brushing their teeth. The reason to
floss first is to dislodge any food particles trapped in between your teeth,
which can be disposed of while brushing.
The proper way to floss is to push the floss gently between your teeth
to the gum to loosen debris your toothbrush cannot reach. Initially, you may
experience some light bleeding but this should disappear once your gums get
used to the flossing process.
2.
Brushing your teeth- If
you don’t have an electric toothbrush, good brushing by hand should
take a minimum of 2 minutes and should involve brushing in a circular motion, which
the electric toothbrush does for you.
You work your way from one side of the mouth to the other, keeping in
mind to pay attention to certain neglected areas such as the very back teeth
and your tongue. Dentists recommend using soft bristle brushes and toothpaste
that contain fluoride. The fluoride is
important, because the rise in the consumption of bottled water has led to the
population’s decline in fluoride intake.
3.
Mouthwash- I am not sure how effective this is, but if you’re
not going to brush twice a day, using a mouthwash that contains
fluoride at least twice a day is a good preventative measure that kills the bacteria
responsible for cavities and gum disease.
4.
Your Dental visits- Maintaining your oral health requires regular
dental visits at least every six months.
You need to do this for early detection of potential problems that could
develop into more serious problems and the hygienist can clean areas that might
have been missed or that were resistant to the 3 steps above.
Finally, Finding a Dentist that is Right for You
Your dental care is an
important aspect of your general health care. So you need to make sure you find a dentist
that is right for you. This can be a difficult process. Look for someone who’s competent and you feel
comfortable with, one you can have a collaborative relationship with. This is
important because there are conditions and problems that were not discussed in
this article that the dentist will need to pay attention to during your regular
checkups. Hopefully after reading this article, you will have a better
understanding of the basics for good oral health. I you have questions or concerns feel free to
contact or call.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA
30328
404-256-3620
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