Practices that Prevent Frequent Visits to the Dentist

10

Oct

Our teeth are undoubtedly the most sensitive and crucial body parts. Aside from helping us chew food, which is the first step of the digestion process, healthy teeth also give us an aesthetic smile. Unfortunately,  the health of your teeth could be affected by unhygienic practices, changing food habits, and much more.

That is why having a dentist to consult with or visit whenever you have any dental concerns is essential. Your dentist will detect dental or oral health issues early during routine check-ups to prevent problematic and expensive dental procedures in the future.

Even though you keep receiving compliments that you have appealing teeth, you must care for them daily to prevent unnecessary dental and oral health issues. You can avoid many dental health issues and frequent dental visits with well-thought-out and healthy oral hygiene practices. If you want to learn more about healthy practices that can help prevent frequent visits to the dentist, this article is for you.

Top Healthy Habits or Practices That Can Keep Your Teeth in Good Health

Excellent oral and dental hygiene is critical to keeping your gums and teeth healthy and avoiding frequent dental visits. Excellent oral hygiene typically involves habits or practices like flossing, brushing twice daily, and scheduling frequent dental check-ups. However, maintaining oral and dental health is about more than just preventing gum disease and cavities.

According to research, there is a link between overall body health and your mouth. Without immediate intervention, gum problems or tooth decay could lead to possible tooth loss and issues with self-esteem and confidence. These issues could also lead to speech issues, malnutrition, and other detrimental difficulties in your personal life.

Fortunately, you can avoid these issues with excellent dental healthcare practices at your dentist's clinic or at home. Explained below are some of the top healthy practices that can help you stay on top of your dental and oral health:

Do Not Retire to Your Bed Before Brushing Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth every day is one of the best preventative dentistry practices. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your teeth twice daily, in the morning and evening, for at least two (2) minutes each. However, many people neglect these simple life-saving rules and fail to brush their teeth at night before they sleep, putting themselves at risk of dental caries and cavities.

Brushing your teeth before you retire to bed at night helps remove plaque, germs, and food particles that build up in between your teeth and tongue throughout the day.

Brush Your Teeth Properly

Most people understand the value of brushing their teeth, but some struggle with doing it properly and effectively. Not brushing your teeth properly as required is as bad for dental health as not doing so at all. When brushing your teeth, it is advisable to move your toothbrush in circular and gentle motions to eliminate plaque and food debris on the surface of your teeth (top, front, back, and sides).

When left unremoved, plaque can harden over time and become tartar, which is challenging to remove and is the main culprit for cavities and periodontal diseases like gingivitis. According to the ADA, it is advisable to use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging your teeth's enamel and injuring soft tissues in your mouth, like the gums.

The ADA also recommends changing your toothbrush every three (3) months or once it appears frayed, whichever happens first.

Do Not Forget to Brush Your Tongue

Many people overlook the need to brush their tongues and wonder why they still have bad breath after thoroughly brushing their teeth. Your tongue can also collect and trap food debris, leading to bad breath and other oral health issues. Because of this, you should make it a habit to brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth to maintain good oral health.

Use Fluoridated Toothpaste

Flouride typically comes from a naturally occurring element known as fluorine. Several experts believe fluoride can help reverse tooth decay and strengthen your teeth. That is why it is a significant ingredient in most toothpaste brands. Therefore, when buying toothpaste, you should look for fluoridated ones because some lack this crucial mineral.

While fluoride is under scrutiny to determine its impacts on other areas of our general health, it is a crucial element that helps our teeth remain strong throughout our lifetime.

Make Daily Teeth Flossing as Crucial as Brushing

Many overlook the need to floss their teeth daily. However, this simple practice is as crucial as brushing your teeth. Generally speaking, flossing helps you remove bacteria and plaque from the spaces between your teeth, which are challenging to clean with a toothbrush.

Daily flossing helps prevent bad breath, also known as halitosis, by removing food particles stuck between the spaces of your teeth. Although no long-term studies show that flossing is crucial to dental health, the ADA recommends it.

You must floss your teeth correctly to reap the most benefits from this dental hygiene practice. Most dentists recommend gently guiding your floss to the gumline before hugging the tooth's side with gentle up and down motions. While cleaning each new area, remember to use new parts of the floss to avoid introducing microbes and bacteria to different healthy areas of your teeth.

If you have metal braces on to correct an orthodontic problem like an overbite, you will need a floss threader to help you clean in between the metal brackets. Do not let the flossing difficulties stop you from keeping your teeth clean and healthy, even if you are undergoing orthodontic treatment to correct misaligned or mispositioned teeth.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water is the most crucial beverage for our overall body health, including dental and oral health. Because some of your favorite meals could cause your teeth to decay due to their acidic level, most dentists recommend drinking plenty of water after each meal to neutralize this acidity and wash out food particles from your mouth.

Drinking plenty of water also helps prevent dry mouth issues by ensuring sufficient saliva production to keep your mouth wet.

Maintain a Proper Diet

Teeth are the hardest parts of our bodies because they are highly mineralized. Some of the minerals that make your teeth strong include phosphorus and calcium. A high intake of foods with these minerals can remineralize your teeth, preventing cavities.

You can ensure a sufficient supply of calcium to help strengthen your teeth and bones by drinking cheese, low-fat milk, beans, almonds, lentils, and yogurt. On the other hand, consuming eggs, fish, dairy, beans, nuts, and lean meat can supply your body with sufficient phosphorus.

Although ready-to-eat foods like biscuits are convenient, they are not ideal for dental and oral health. Aside from helping clean your teeth, vegetables and crunchy fruits contain healthy fibers that help boost our dental health.

Consider Using Mouthwash

All mouthwash advertisements will make it seem integral for excellent dental and oral health, but several people do not use it since they do not know how it works. Mouthwash is a unique liquid used to rinse the gums, teeth, and mouth. In a nutshell, using mouthwash could be beneficial to your dental health in the following ways:

• It can help neutralize the acidity in your mouth.
• It helps clean hard-to-brush sections of your gums and teeth.
• It helps remineralize and strengthen your teeth.

If you have children, it is vital to introduce them to using mouthwash early to avoid dental issues, which could necessitate frequent dental visits. However, you should consult your dentist before you do so for specific mouthwash recommendations because some brands are more suitable for children and people with sensitive teeth.

Avoid Cigarette and Tobacco-Related Products

Smoking cigarettes or using any tobacco-related product negatively affects your immune system, making it challenging for your body to heal tissues, including those in the mouth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking is one of the risk factors or culprits for gum disease among many patients.

The ADA also warns people who smoke or use tobacco products that they could experience slow healing when they undergo a dental procedure. On top of that, smoking causes bad breath and yellowing of the teeth, affecting your smile's aesthetic appearance and necessitating frequent dental visits.

Avoid Bleaching Your Teeth Frequently

Teeth whitening is an excellent way to remove discolorations and stains from your teeth for an improved smile. However, using teeth whitening chemicals frequently could erode your teeth's enamel, making them more likely to develop cavities. The erosion of your teeth's enamel also makes them sensitive to stimuli like cold, salty, or warm foods.

Avoid or Limit Your Consumption of Sugary Foods

Although it is essential to eat a balanced diet, you should reduce your consumption of certain foods, specifically sugary foods like sodas. Sugary foods create an ideal environment for acid-producing bacteria to thrive, causing tooth enamel erosion and increasing your chances of developing cavities.

While we all love a tasty dessert, it is important to moderate your intake of these sugary foods to avoid damaging your teeth. If you choose to indulge in sugary foods, have them alongside dinner or lunch because, when eating full meals, your mouth has sufficient saliva to break down acids and wash away remaining foods from your mouth.

Although you do not necessarily have to eliminate sugary foods from your diet, you should reduce them to protect your dental health and prevent frequent dental visits.

Schedule Regular Dental Check-ups With Your Dentist

Regular dental exams and check-ups are another way to ensure excellent oral health and prevent frequent dental visits. While home-based dental care practices like daily teeth brushing and flossing can help keep your teeth healthy, scheduling regular dental check-ups with your dentist is crucial.

At the minimum, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist at least twice a year or every six months. Aside from cleaning parts of your teeth that you cannot effectively clean with a toothbrush, scheduling regular dental visits allows your dentist to do the following:

• Take x-rays of your mouth to check whether you have abnormalities you cannot see with your naked eye.
• Check your dental restorations and their effectiveness.
• Check for swelling in your gums and mouth sores.
• Measure your periodontal pockets (spaces between your teeth and gums) to determine when you have gum disease.
• Gently feel behind your neck and jaw using his/her fingers to check for any signs of cancer.
• Provide any necessary treatment.
• Ask about your lifestyle and the foods that you consume.
• Check your blood pressure.
• Answer your questions and offer advice on what to do at home to stay on top of your dental hygiene.

Timely Dental Care

Although it is advisable to visit your dentist every six months, you can see your dentist sooner if:

• You have a loose or knocked-out tooth.
• You have swelling on your gums, jaw, lips, jaw or any other area of your mouth.
• You cannot chew anything due to tooth sensitivity.
• You have bad breath that does not go away, even after brushing your teeth.
• You have gums that bleed easily.
• You feel pain in your tooth while chewing or biting.
• Your dentures no longer fit correctly.
• You have gums that pull away from the teeth, also known as receding gums.

Some of these issues could necessitate immediate medical assistance for treatment. For instance, if you have a knocked-out tooth, you should visit your dentist immediately to increase the chances of saving it. Most dental or oral health issues are treatable when detected on time before they become severe.

Why are Preventative Dental Practices Critical?

The most effective way to stay on top of your oral and dental health is to prevent oral health problems before they emerge. Excellent oral and dental hygiene habits can lessen the chances of developing gingivitis, periodontitis, cavities, or other dental problems. Some of the dental issues that could be linked to poor oral and dental health include:

• Respiratory disease.
• Cancer.
• Diabetes.
• Heart diseases.
• Osteoporosis.

Poor dental and oral health could cause low birth weight or premature birth. That means you should adopt or continue practicing excellent oral and dental health habits, even if you are pregnant. In addition to lessening your risk of infection, adopting excellent preventative oral and dental healthcare practices can help you save money in the long run.

Even with dental insurance, the medical costs associated with poor oral health could add up. While preventative dentistry cannot help eliminate your need for fillings, dental implants, or canals, it could go a long way in lessening the need for these expensive treatment procedures.

How to Find a Reliable Dentist for Routine Dental Check-Ups

If you are looking for a dependable dentist for your and your family’s oral and dental health needs, you should take your time to find the best dentist within your location for the best services. The following tips can help you find a reliable dentist without hassle:

• Consider the dentist’s reputation.
• Consider the dentist’s qualifications and experience.
• Consider the dentist’s cost of services.
• Check whether he/she is licensed.

With a reliable dentist in your corner, you can be sure of the best services and guidance to stay on top of your dental health and avoid frequent dental visits.

Bottomline

It is not uncommon for patients to ask their dentists for tips to keep their gums and teeth healthy. While every dentist's dental care tips could vary slightly, the general ways to care for your teeth and gums remain the same, including:

• Brushing your teeth regularly (at least twice a day).
• Scheduling regular dental appointments.
• Make wise diet choices, limiting acidic and sugary foods.

Aside from improving your oral health and preventing frequent dental visits, these practices can help keep your smile bright and healthy. Generally speaking, preventative dentistry is the key to keeping your teeth healthy and aesthetically appealing for a lifetime.

You can achieve excellent oral and dental health by following excellent hygienic practices, including scheduling regular dental appointments with your dentist. Although visiting a dentist every six months is advisable, some dental insurance providers cover more frequent dental visits. If this is the case for you, you should take advantage of it, especially if you have a history of dental problems like frequent cavities or gingivitis.

Find a Whittier Dentist Near Me

Proper oral hygiene habits are the key to optimal dental and oral health. By sticking to healthy dental practices like those explained in this article, you can avoid the need for frequent dental visits, which are costly. If you are looking for a reliable dentist for routine dental check-ups and exams to stay on top of your oral health, you can rely on our dedicated dentists at The Whittier Dentist.

We offer various services, from restorative dental services to cosmetic dental procedures like teeth whitening. We invite you to call us at 562-632-1223 to schedule your initial appointment with our reliable general dentists. You can rely on our experienced and courteous dentists for your and your family's dental and oral health needs.