Oral health is often overlooked, although it is an essential aspect of our daily life. It's never too late to take charge of your dental health and avoid issues. Here are some simple tips a family dentistry expert in Willow Knolls, IL, might give you.
While brushing and flossing are two of the most important daily routines for keeping your teeth and gums healthy, there are a few more easy things you can do to minimize toothaches and tooth loss.
How to Avoid Having Cavities
Know Your Cavity Risk Level
A complete dental exam is the best way to find out. You will know where you are with frequent examinations and discussions with your dentist, which treatments may be required, and which modifications in dental hygiene and diet may be beneficial.
Brush Your Teeth Regularly, Correctly, and with the Appropriate Brush
This is the most obvious piece of advice, and you've probably been hearing it since you were a child. But first, let us explain why it's so critical for your dental and overall health.
Did you know that over a billion microorganisms live in your mouth, recycling the food and drink you consume?
That's how bacteria cause tooth decay in our mouths: they develop by feeding on the sugars in the foods and drinks we eat, then leave the waste behind in the form of a biofilm known as dental plaque.
This plaque permits all those small recyclers to remain on your teeth for longer, eventually producing acids that wear down the tooth enamel and create cavities.
Reduce Your Intake of Sugary and Acidic Beverages
Long-term contact with acidic coffee or tea on your teeth, worsened by additional sugar or even just added milk, can raise your risk of developing new cavities.
The issue with drinking coffee with cavity-causing ingredients like sugar, syrups, and cream is that the sugars remain in your mouth for a long time. To combat this, drink enough water and other beverages to rinse your mouth and avoid saliva from getting excessively sugary and eroding your teeth.
The Habit of Flossing
We understand that flossing is a chore that no one enjoys. Consider this: our teeth have five sides, and each of them must be cleaned regularly. We only really clean three of those sides even though we brush every day. Brushing alone will only clean roughly half of your tooth surface if you don't floss.
Keep in mind that flossing takes only a few minutes every day. What else can you do in only a few minutes to enhance your health so dramatically?
Quit Smoking
It is generally known that smoking and tobacco usage can lead to a variety of health issues. Many individuals are unaware of the dangers that smoking and chewing tobacco poses to the mouth, gums, and teeth.
Smoking may cause more than simply stains on your teeth; it can also cause gum disease, tooth loss, and even oral cancer.
Need an Expert in Family Dentistry in Willo Knolls, IL?
At the end of the day, we want our patients to know that we're here to assist. Here at Smalltown Dental, we have experts on family dentistry in Willow Knolls, IL. We recognize that changing and adopting new behaviors can be difficult, so our trained experts can help.