There’s nothing like leaving the dentist with beautifully clean teeth. Clean teeth are not only hygienic, but knowing your teeth are looking their best also boosts self-confidence and makes you feel good about yourself. But this clean, “just left the dentist” feeling doesn’t take long to fade, so how do you keep your teeth feeling clean and healthy between dentist visits?
Ask for advice
Firstly, ask advice from your Houston dentist
or hygienist about how he or she would recommend you clean your teeth. If you are unsure, ask them to demonstrate the most effective brushing and flossing techniques. Brushing and flossing on a regular, twice-daily basis will ensure you are laying good foundations for ongoing oral health. It is important to take care to brush the full surface of the teeth, as well as the sides and up into the gum region as these are the areas most often missed when brushing and where bacteria are most likely to develop. Teeth should be brushed twice a day for at least two minutes each time, ideally after you have eaten. Flossing should be done daily, after you have brushed your teeth. Flossing is essential as it reaches parts of the teeth that are impossible to reach with just a toothbrush.
Bacteria Build-Up
It is impossible to stop some bacteria from developing in the mouth, however often and however diligently you brush and floss. 72 hours after cleaning, the bacteria in the mouth have already formed hard deposits on your teeth. If the teeth are not properly cleaned, the bacteria and hard deposits can start to cause problems with gum disease. At first, the gums will become red and sore, and you may notice blood when you brush. This first start of gum disease is known as gingivitis. If brushing techniques do not improve and the gum disease is left untreated, then gums can start to recede, causing a great deal of pain. If the gum disease progresses to the most extreme stage where the bone in the jaw is affected, then the only way of remedying the damage caused to the teeth is often to remove them completely. This advanced stage of gum disease is called periodontal disease.
Book Regular Dental checks and Cleaning
Despite the bad news about bacteria build-up, the good news is that it takes around 6 months for the bacteria to get to the stage of causing gum disease problems. Therefore it is important to have your teeth both examined and cleaned professionally at 4 or 6 month intervals.