subject: Daily Oral Care Can Keep Your Teeth And Gums Healthy [print this page] You have many different responsibilities to keep your body healthy. One of the most important is to keep your teeth and gums healthy. To make sure your smile remains beautiful and healthy, you need to floss and brush your teeth everyday. Talk to your Lafayette dentist about your daily oral care routine. He or she will be able to give you tips to help you maintain your oral health.
Brushing And Flossing
Your responsibility to take care of your mouth begins when you are at home. Although having to brush and floss your teeth daily may seem like a mundane task, it is essential to make sure your mouth remains healthy.
If you follow these basic instructions, you will be able to keep your mouth healthy and avoid costly and inconvenient dental procedures in the future:
*Brush your teeth at least twice per day, preferably after meals. Make sure that you provide yourself enough time to do a thorough job.
*Use a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste. You can also use an electric toothbrush for optimal results.
*Hold the toothbrush at a slight angle against your teeth and use short back-and-forth motions to clean all of your teeth. Try not to use too much force when you brush as this will cause bleeding in your gums.
*Make sure to get a new toothbrush every three to four months. This will ensure that your brush remains effective at cleaning your teeth.
*Floss every day to clean the spaces in between your teeth. Brushing cannot reach certain areas so plaque will begin to accumulate there if you do not floss your teeth.
Visiting Your Lafayette Dentist
In addition to flossing and brushing, it is also very important for you to visit your dentist on a regular basis. Although brushing and flossing your teeth are very effective at removing plaque from your teeth, there are still certain areas of your teeth that only your dentist is able to clean by using special tools and techniques. By performing a thorough examination of your teeth, he or she will be able to spot any potential problems early on before they become serious. If a problem is caught early on, it will almost certainly be easier and cheaper to deal with than if you wait until the problem becomes serious for you to deal with it. See your dentist if you experience any of the following symptoms:
*Change in alignment of your teeth or bite
*Loss of permanent teeth
*Gums that bleed easily
*Red, tender or swollen gums
*Unusually bad breath or persistent bad taste in your mouth
*Sensitivity to heat or cold
To learn more about the importance of daily oral care or to schedule an appointment, contact your dentist in Lafayette as soon as you can.
