October Is Dental Hygiene Month!

How long has it been since your last dental visit? October is National Dental Hygiene Month. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a dentist, why not take this opportunity to start anew?

While nothing totally replaces a professional visit, there are somethings you can do on your own to make your dental visits more positive.

Brushing: 

Most of you know to brush twice a day, morning and night. But did you know that the best recommendation is to brush your teeth shortly after each meal or snack?

Brushing removes food particles, acids and sugars from your teeth. These items eat away at your teeth to cause cavities and irritate the gums, leading to gum disease.

To be effective you should brush for 4 to 5 minutes using a soft or extra soft bristle tooth brush. Make sure you brush the chewing surface, cheek side and tongue side of each tooth.

Flossing:

Food, acids, and bacteria often are trapped between your teeth. Flossing is the best way to clean this area. But it isn’t enough to just push the floss between your teeth, to do it properly, you need to wrap the floss around the tooth and gently move it up and down to dislodge the material.

Make wise food and beverage choices:

Some foods and drinks, such as coffee or tea, stain your teeth. Removing surface stains on teeth can lengthen your time in the chair. Clear liquids are less likely to stain teeth.

Sugary beverages and foods promote acid formation and these acids can eat away at your tooth structure to form cavities. Drink milk, 100% juices or water. If you must have something sweet try to eat it as part of your meal, and chew sugarfree gum.

Acidic foods and drinks erode tooth structure. Try to avoid them when possible and to minimize their contact with your teeth when you do have them.

See Your Dentist:

Your dentist or dental hygienist can show you the correct ways to brush and floss as well as recommend specific products that will help you keep your teeth and mouth healthy. She or he can also discuss your eating habits with you and help you to identify areas that might be contributing to specific oral problems that you have.

Professional cleanings remove hard build up that you can’t remove with your toothbrush and floss, reducing your chance of gum disease and also remove surface stains from your teeth, making your teeth look brighter.

Please support a local independent dentist during National Dental Hygiene Month. If you do not have a dentist, I invite you to visit my office in Lorain. We’re holding a place for you! Please give us a call at 440-960-1940.