Our West Allis Family Dentist Shares Important At-Home Dental Tips
A well-structured routine helps you get through your day faster and more efficiently. It’s beneficial your well-being, which includes your smile! Our West Allis family dentist provides helpful ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy in between your bi-annual visits below. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Our goal is to keep your smile strong.
Don’t Go to Bed Without Brushing Your Teeth
To keep your teeth bright and healthy, it’s important to brush them twice a day, every day. Ideally, you’re brushing your teeth every morning and every night. While it’s easy to remember to brush in the morning, you may be exhausted at night and just want to fall right into bed. That’s where routine comes in! Create a nighttime routine, which includes brushing your teeth, to ensure you’re protecting your smile. Be sure to include flossing in this routine, too.
Without brushing your teeth at night, you’re allowing the bacteria and food particles built up from the day continue to linger and cause harm to your oral health even longer as you sleep. If you don’t remove or get rid of these harmful bacteria, you’re at a higher risk for cavities, dental decay, and other dental issues.
Be Sure You’re Brushing Properly
As you remember to brush twice a day, every day, it’s also important to recall the right way to brush your teeth. Dental professionals like our West Allis family dentist say to brush for at least two minutes. This allows you to reach every area of your mouth, even the tough-to-reach places. Spend 30 seconds brushing each “quadrant” of your mouth to ensure a proper cleaning.
When you’re brushing your teeth, be gentle. Brushing your teeth faster and harder won’t guarantee a better cleaning – in fact, it’s the opposite! If you brush too hard, you’re weakening your enamel (the surface of your teeth) and risking your nerves to exposure and sensitivity. If you don’t brush for the recommended two minutes, you’re not giving your teeth the proper cleaning they deserve, allowing the harmful bacteria to continue damaging your mouth.
Use the Right Toothpaste
It’s certainly overwhelming to stand in the store and stare at the wall of toothpastes! How do you know what’s best? How do you know what your smile needs? Thankfully, that’s why we’re here. During your next appointment at our practice, be sure to ask us what toothpaste is best for your smile. We’ll even give you a sample!
Fluoride is one of the most beneficial ingredients in toothpastes to clean your teeth. This is a leading defense in tooth decay; not only does it fight back against bacteria, but it strengthens your enamel and creates a protective barrier on the surface of your teeth to make it even harder for bacteria to get in.
Don’t be Afraid to Floss
Flossing, although one of the most important steps in your dental routine, is also one of the most neglected. Flossing guarantees you’re reaching the spots that your toothbrush can’t clean, and without this task, you’re at a higher risk for cavities and dental decay. When you floss, you’re stimulating the gums, reducing plaque build-up, and lowering inflammation in those tiny spots.
If you’ve brushed your teeth and seen some red, flossing is even more of a necessity. Your gums are extremely vulnerable at this point and you’re at a higher risk for gum disease. While flossing is seen as difficult, there are numerous ways to ensure these areas between your teeth are getting cleaned. Ask us about the best tools that will work for your individual smile.
Have any other questions about improving your dental routine at home? Our West Allis family dentist is here to help! Call our office at (414) 914-7000 and we’ll answer any questions you have, as well as schedule your next appointment for your dental cleaning.
