It’s no secret that you’ll find a range of dentists in Frankston offering all kinds of high-quality dental services to the community. Visiting one of these dentists regularly will help you curb the myriad problems one can suffer from their teeth and gums that can happen if you don’t but is there more one can do?
There are many things you can do yourself to maintain healthy teeth and gums. The more of the following things you manage to do, the better each visit to the dentist will be!
1. Brush Regularly and Properly
Healthy teeth and gums start with good brushing. Dentists recommend that patients keep their teeth clean by brushing for 2 whole minutes twice a day, hopefully at the same times each day. This is known by some as the rule of 2×2. The timing is important because it’s what dental experts have determined is the optimum time to ensure thorough brushing. You could use a timer on your phone, or perhaps brush for the duration of your favorite song each time to make the time feel more enjoyable.
You can also work it out by spending 30 seconds on each of the four sections of your teeth, ensuring that you use small circular motions, and remembering to clean along the gum line where many contaminants can gather.
2. Floss!
Dentists are telling their patients to floss so often, that the single-word command “Floss!” has quickly become the dentists’ battle cry heard across the country and the world. You might wonder about the value of flossing, but as dentists will point out, flossing can remove those things that your toothbrush is unable to reach in the most difficult corners and recesses of your mouth. Those missed bits are the ones that give you the most trouble and start you on the road to decay.
3. Boost Your Dental Arsenal
A good toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss are the main weapons you have in your fight to maintain the health of your teeth and gums, but there are more you can use, too. If you want to maximize your chances and keep your teeth really gleaming, then also look into things like mouthwash, tongue cleaners, and interdental cleaners.
Anything and everything that helps you widen your cleaning coverage and remove the harmful bacteria and leftover food that sits in your mouth are making a big contribution to better dental and gum health.
4. Alter Your Diet
Eating starchy and sugary foods is the worst thing for your teeth. Anything that gets stuck in there with its slow-dissolving sugars is what causes cavities in your teeth that ultimately have to be repaired lest they turn into something worse. The best food groups for your teeth include leafy greens, cheese, yogurt, and other things high in calcium. Almonds are a good nut for your teeth for those who like to snack on nuts.
5. Cut Out Smoking
If you’re a smoker now, quit today and enjoy years of benefits to your oral health — as well as the rest of your body, especially your lungs! Smoking yellows the teeth and also causes periodontal disease which ultimately leads to loss of teeth and even oral cancers. Putting down the cigarettes for good is one of the best things you could do for your teeth and gums.
6. Visit the Dentist at Least Twice a Year
Finally, we can’t forget what has to be at the core of your strategy, which is making appointments at the dentist at least once every 6 months. This has to be on the list because making and keeping that appointment is down to you, and only you have the power to do it. The dentist can’t subpoena you, after all!