Do you struggle to keep your teeth and gums free from bacteria? Maintaining proper oral hygiene is essential to your health. Not only will simple things like daily flossing help to reduce the risk of gum disease, it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. It is important to schedule regular visits with The Moose Dentist to maintain your oral health. Here are some things you need to do to maintain proper oral hygiene.
Daily Brushing
While most people will focus on brushing their teeth daily, are they actually brushing their teeth correctly? Daily brushing does require at least two minutes of brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush. You need to use ADA recommended fluoride toothpaste to help control the amount of bacteria in the mouth. Managing the levels of bacteria in the mouth will decrease the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. It also helps to improve the freshness of your breath. The bacteria that forms between the teeth, under the gums, and on the tongue can often be the culprit of bad breath woes. When you keep your teeth clean and free of bacteria, you will see a decrease in bad breath woes.
Daily Flossing
Always floss once a day to reduce the amount of bacteria the forms between the teeth. Flossing should be done before you brush to help loosen the bacteria, allowing a toothbrush to remove it. Gently floss between the teeth, being careful not to press too hard. If you are too forceful, you can easily damage the gum tissue, causing it to bleed. If you notice that your gums are bleeding, are dark red, swollen, or painful, call your dentist. This normally indicates you are in the early stages of gum disease. Catching gum disease in the first stage is important for treatment programs. If you don’t treat gum disease early on, you will need to see a periodontist for treatment. These treatments are usually quite painful and invasive.
Healthy Eating
If you really want to control your issues with gum disease, take a look at what you are eating. You need to start improving your diet to improve your oral health. Some of the things you can do to eat healthier include the following:
- Eliminate soda and coffee from your diet as these foods will stain the teeth and strip enamel from the teeth.
- Reduce your intake of high-sugar foods.
- Reduce your intake of acidic foods.
- Drink plenty of water, especially after snacking or eating to help wash carbohydrates and bacteria from the mouth.
See your dentist at least twice a year to maintain adequate oral health. Mountain View Pediatric Dental will look for signs of gum disease and gum disease with each visit. Catching gum disease and tooth decay in the early stages is essential to reversing them, preventing expensive and painful procedures.