Ways to Keep Your Teeth in Good Health

Any family dentist will tell a patient that taking proper care of the teeth begins with the individual. Much of what must be done to maintain good dental health is based on the habits you practice each day. Here are some of the top ways you can keep your teeth and gums in the best of health, and ensure the dentist finds less issues when you go in for your annual exam.

Brush After Every Meal

Most North York family dentists will urge patients to brush after at least two meals per day. Others hold to the older standard of brushing after every meal. As best as you possibly can, shoot for the latter goal.

The point of brushing is to remove any residue from food or drink that could weaken enamel or make the conditions in your mouth more favorable for developing tooth decay. Choosing to brush after every meal removes more residue in a timely manner and improves the odds of avoiding these two serious dental issues.

Learn How to Brush Properly

While brushing is important, make sure you are doing it right. Like so many other areas of life, it’s easy to develop bad habits with brushing. Perhaps you aren’t using the proper amount of tooth paste. Maybe you are not brushing long enough or the brush strokes themselves are less than effective. Instead of assuming that what you do is fine, talk with an expert in family dentistry. A few minor tweaks in how you brush could be the difference between healthy teeth and developing quite a few problems in the years to come.

Be Mindful of Bad Habits That Damage Teeth

Speaking of bad habits, do you find yourself chewing on ice after a meal? Perhaps you aren’t patient enough to allow hard candies to melt in your mouth and end up biting and chewing them. These are only a couple of examples of habits that can do quite a bit of damage. If you don’t break them, the result could be chipped or cracked teeth, a greater risk of tooth decay, and a few other unpleasant situations.

Talk with a professional at the local family dental clinic and get some tips on how to deal with these habits, as well as habits like grinding your teeth. Learning how to break them will mean enjoying health teeth for more years.

Understand the Connection Between Diet and Dental Health

Diet affects every area of the body. That includes your teeth and gums. Learn how to limit foods that are high in processed sugar and provide little in the way of nutrition. At the same time, identify foods that contain many of the nutrients needed to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Those are the foods you want to use as the basis for your meal planning.

See Your Dentist Regularly

While there is much you can do on your own, never assume that seeing a dentist is optional. At the very least, you should go in once a year for a complete dental checkup. Match that with a minimum of one teeth cleaning per year. Between your efforts to care for your teeth and the support that you get from a dental professional, the odds of enjoying excellent dental health are much higher.