How To Care For Your Teeth At Home

Going to the dentist on a regular basis isn't enough to keep your teeth healthy. You have to do your part at home to keep your smile healthy, happy, and strong. To keep a white smile and prevent cavities and tooth decay — as well as gum disease — follow these tips for oral health care at home.

Use an Electric Toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes have timers built into them to make sure you brush your teeth long enough. These toothbrushes also vibrate, which allows them to dig out more of the debris, food, and plaque that's stuck in your teeth and gums that traditional manual toothbrushes don't reach.

If you have a hard time keeping your teeth brushed at home, an electric toothbrush is a wise investment as the unit does much of the cleaning work for you. Keep your charged toothbrush with you everywhere you go for a cleaning when you need it.

Floss Daily

Flossing is an ignored dental duty, but it's pertinent to healthy teeth. Flossing digs out the bacteria and other agents that toothbrushes don't reach and helps prevent gum disease. When you floss your teeth, use traditional floss at a length long enough to reach all your teeth. Or, you can use a dental floss pick for easy reaching of your back teeth.

If you have to, use several strings of floss in a single setting. You don't want to redistribute bacteria into your mouth by using the same string of floss for all your teeth. Bleeding can be normal if you don't floss regularly, but report gum swelling or pain to your dentist if the condition persists.

Use Mouthwash

Mouthwash does more than freshen breath, the cleansing liquid (especially foaming varieties) flushes out the stubborn food particles that all your other oral health cleaning tools have left behind. Furthermore, the contents in mouthwash are designed to kill bacteria that lives in your gums, on your tooth enamel, and even on your tongue or the inner cheeks of your mouth. Finish every brushing session with a mouthwash rinse to keep your teeth in the healthiest condition possible.

If you take care of your teeth every day, you increase your chances of not having a cavity or other dental problems at your next dental appointment. Your dentist will show you other ways you can protect your mouth so your oral health is always in good condition. See your dentist about their preventative dental care services.

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