At-Home Tips
When you’re in our office, it’s our goal to make sure your teeth are clean and healthy, but the hygiene habits that you practice outside of our office have a big impact on your oral health. From time to time, it helps to be reminded of the best ways to keep teeth clean at home. For example, do you know how long you should brush your teeth? Read on to find out more.
Dental Hygiene 101
You may already be familiar with some of these dental hygiene facts, but a refresher doesn’t hurt, especially if it means maintaining the health and beauty of your smile:
- Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes twice a day, as that is how long it takes to remove bacteria from teeth.
- There’s a difference between plaque and tartar. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that can be removed by flossing, but once plaque hardens into tartar, it can only be removed by our dental hygienist here in the office. If it’s not removed, tartar can increase your chances of gum disease, a condition that you want to avoid.
- Watching what you eat can contribute to good dental health. Bacteria in your mouth love the sugar and starch from foods that remain on your teeth after eating. Bacteria eat these foods and give off acids that, in excess, lead to tooth decay. Be mindful and brush your teeth after sweet snacks to help prevent this from happening.
Along with these at-home tips, we recommend, as always, sticking with your regular dental checkups so we can give your teeth a professional look and make sure there are no signs of any lurking dental problems. Please call us at our Burton office if you have any questions or concerns, and we will be happy to help!
