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Four Habits for a Healthy Smile

March 14, 2018
Dental Health

The best very best thing you can do for your smile is to practice excellent preventive dentistry. This includes the obvious stuff like regular dental visits and good brushing and flossing at home, as well as adopting daily habits that help, not harm, your teeth and gums.

In observation of World Oral Health Day, which falls on March 20, 2018, here’s a list of five simple behaviors that will pay off with a healthier mouth. This means a more beautiful smile, less pain less time spent in the dentist’s chair, and money saved from costly restorative procedures.

So adopt these habits and don’t forget to book your next dental checkup. Call Uptown Dental Associates of Albuquerque, NM at (505) 219-4548.

Add Mouthwash To Your Oral Hygiene Routine

So you know you should brush twice per day and floss every day, but have you picked up the mouthwash habit? Many people skip this product because they don’t understand its value or they are skeptical that it is necessary. Mouthwash offers another layer of protection to your teeth. When you swish it around your mouth, you are helping to clean areas that are inaccessible to your toothbrush and floss. It is able to seep into all the nooks and crannies of your teeth, reducing bacteria and acids. Mouthwashes with fluoride help to remineralize your teeth. There are many different formulations available, including specifically for children.

Drink Water, not Sugar

When you imbibe soft drinks, juice, and even sports drinks, you are essentially coating your mouth with sugar. This creates an environment in which bacteria will flourish and produce acids that wear down your tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. Even diet soft drinks are not off the hook — their high acid content makes them destructive to your teeth.

Water, on the other hand, helps keep your mouth clean between meals and between brushings. It rinses away food particles and bacteria and neutralizes acids. Get into the habit of carrying a refillable bottle with you throughout the day.

Chew Sugarless Gum

Sugarless gum is a great thing for your dental health. That’s because chewing stimulates saliva flow in your mouth, which dilutes acids and rinses away bits of food and disease-causing bacteria.

Studies have shown that chewing a piece of sugarless gum for twenty minutes following a meal may prevent tooth decay.

Just make sure the gum you choose is indeed sugarless. If it’s not, you will be doing your teeth more harm than good.

Eat Meals. Don’t Graze.

Constant snacking is bad for your weight, and it is harmful to your dental health. Here’s why. When you eat, food particles left in your mouth create nourishment for bacteria, which go on a sort of feeding frenzy and generate the acids that harm your teeth.

When you stick to three distinct meals over the course of the day, you are subjecting your teeth to a limited number of these acid “attacks.” If, on the other hand, you snack frequently, your teeth are under a continuous bacterial barrage.

If you must indulge between meals, choose a cheese stick, an apple, a handful of nuts, or another tooth-friendly option.

Practice good preventive dentistry, and your smile will shine bright for life. Call Uptown Dental Associates of Albuquerque, NM at (505) 219-4548 for your next checkup. Or reach us online.