Our Top Tips For Great At-Home Oral Health: Keep Your Smile Bright!

Wondering how you can take steps to keep your smile healthy at home? Preventive dentistry starts with a great at-home oral hygiene routine, so taking steps to take better care of your smile is one of the best ways you can protect your oral health. Wondering how you can do a better job of caring for your mouth in Simpsonville? Get a few top tips in this blog from Pearl Dental Studio.

1. Step Up Your Brushing Routine

If you want to keep your smile healthy, one of the most important things you can do is make sure that you brush properly. You should:

• Brush at least twice per day for two minutes
• Brush once in the morning after you eat breakfast, and once at night after your last meal of the day
• Make sure you brush the front, top, and back chewing surfaces of each of your teeth
• Consider using an electric toothbrush to clean your teeth more thoroughly
  

2. Start Flossing Regularly

Most people don’t floss every day. But if you really want to keep your mouth healthy, it’s a good idea to make daily flossing a habit. Brushing alone only cleans about 60% of the surfaces of your teeth. Your toothbrush simply can’t get into the little cracks and crevices between your teeth to clean them. 

Flossing helps clean away food and plaque that would otherwise remain stuck between your teeth. If you want to minimize your risk of gum disease and cavities, flossing every day is one of the best things you can do! 

3. Make Healthy Food Choices

Try to avoid eating too many processed foods that are high in sugar or simple carbohydrates, such as cookies, candy, chips, pretzels, and other such foods. The bacteria in our mouths love to eat starch and sugar, so eating too many of these foods can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. 

Instead, try to eat a diet of mostly fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lean meats, dairy products, and other minimally-processed foods. And when you do have a sugary snack, make sure you rinse or brush afterward to minimize the effects on your teeth.

4. Avoid Sugary Drinks

You should try to avoid drinking too much soda, sweetened tea and coffee, fruit juice, cocktails, and other such excessively sugary drinks. The high levels of sugar in these beverages will contribute to the growth of oral bacteria. Instead, drink beverages like tap water or unsweetened sparkling water, and avoid excessive sugar in tea and coffee.

5. Minimize Snacking Throughout The Day

If you snack frequently, your saliva can’t wash away all the food particles in your mouth as effectively. So don’t “graze” on snacks. Restrict yourself to a few set mealtimes, as well as 1-2 daily snacks. This will help keep your mouth in tip-top shape.

Need More Tips Or A Six-Month Cleaning? Come To Pearl Dental Studio! 

At Pearl Dental Studio, Dr. Lindsay Cash can provide you with all of the tips, advice, and preventive dental services you need to keep your smile healthy in Simpsonville. Contact us online or give us a call at (864) 214-1440 to schedule an appointment.