It can be challenging to find the right dentist for your needs. Luckily, with some research and education, it can be easy to care for one’s teeth. Use the following tips to make the best dental care decisions.
If your age is 50+, you may want to use an alcohol-free mouthwash. Alcohol can burn an older person’s sensitive mouth. The best mouthwash to use is alcohol-free with fluoride added. Use a mouthwash at least twice a day.
If you are only going to brush twice a day, do it when you are first getting up and when you finally go to bed. Early morning brushing gets rid of morning breath and deals with anything that settled in during your sleep. Brushing at bedtime helps your plaque-fighting saliva out, since it is going to dry up overnight.
Time how long you brush your teeth. You should in fact spend no less than two full minutes doing it. Make sure that you brush the outside, inside and tops or bottoms of every tooth. Also make sure that you brush underneath or above both of your gumlines too.
Flossing is not difficult, but many people have a hard time doing it. Ask your dentist to demonstrate for you on a model of the mouth and to allow you to practice on that same model. You can also floss in front of the mirror in your dentist’s presence so that you can learn how to floss properly.
If you ever run out of your regular brand of toothpaste and need a quick fix, experts say it’s okay to mix baking soda and water to hold you over. The bubbly concoction is actually as good as most major brands of commercial toothpaste. Simply wet your brush and dab the bristles in the baking soda and voila, your teeth are clean!
To ensure your teeth are getting properly cleaned, make it a point to brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes. It’s very easy to get bored when brushing your teeth, and boredom can lead to a rush job. However, thinking of a favorite song or some other pleasant thought during brushing can help pass the time. It’s important to give your teeth the attention they deserve.
Everyone brushes their teeth, but not everyone brushes their tongues. Whenever you are brushing your teeth it is also important to brush your tongue as well. There are several different bacteria that thrive on your tongue so make sure you keep your entire mouth clean by scrubbing your tongue too.
Acidic foods can damage your teeth’s enamel and lead to cavities. Anytime you consume citrus fruit or fruit juices, make sure you thoroughly brush your teeth immediately afterwards. This helps prevent carbonic acids from deteriorating your enamel.
In order to keep your teeth healthy, try to avoid eating foods high in carbohydrates. These foods, such as candies, chips, pretzels, and pastas, tend to stick onto your teeth and are hard to come off, even when you brush them thoroughly. This is what causes cavities and other dental issues.
A great tip when it comes to dental hygiene is to avoid extreme temperature changes. When you go from a particularly hot environment to a cold one (or visa versa) your teeth can become very sensitive and in some cases, you can damage the enamel. This also means you shouldn’t eat hot and cold foods together.
Milk is good for the teeth because it contains a lot of calcium, but you should make sure to brush after each glass. There are natural sugar in milk and they can lead to tooth decay. Also, drinking milk that is lower in fat will reduce the amount of sugar each glass contains, but it won’t effect the calcium.
Never buy a mouthwash with alcohol in it! These products can dry out the mouth, letting bacteria go wild and causing bad breath. This really defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? It’s great to use mouthwash, but choose a natural option like mixing baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, salt and water as a rinse.
Many people with bad breath are missing one important part of their oral hygiene process – brushing their tongue! In fact, just by brushing their tongue, people find that they quickly fix their problem and end up with fresh, clean breath in no time, so give it a try yourself!
When you suspect you have any type of dental issue, see your dentist right away. If you’re dealing with a cavity or something similar, you should visit your dentist as soon as possible. If you put it off, the cavity might get worse. The result could be a root canal rather than simply a filling.
Learning how to properly care for your teeth can be difficult. If you put in your time doing your homework on the differences between plans and the options that each offer, you’ll be able to choose a service provider than can give you the coverage that best suits your needs. Be sure to keep these tips handy for ensured success.
