Step 1 – Spit it out
How we clean our teeth is something we learn as children. That doesn’t always mean we learned the right way though. With modern brushes and paste, two minutes is considered sufficient for brushing, so long as it’s done once during the day, before breakfast is a good time, and last thing at night.
Many of us, however, rinse our mouths after brushing, with either water or mouthwash.
Don’t do it!
Even rinsing with mouth wash is not advised as it has less fluoride in it than toothpaste. And we need to keep the fluoride in our mouth, working to strengthen our tooth enamel for as long as possible. Save the mouth wash for another time during the day, when you want to quickly freshen up your mouth.
Step 2 – Rethink snacking
Snacking is a habit that is worth re-thinking. Consider anything, whether solid or fluid, that you consume between meals.
Sugar and acid if consumed even in small doses over a longer period of time are more harmful to teeth than a larger quantity that’s part of one meal.
Therefore, our advice is to try to limit eating and drinking to mealtimes, and avoid snacking.
Step 3 – Mind the gaps
Follow professional advice. Make flossing a step in your daily routine to improve your oral health. It really helps reduce plaque build-up and protects gum health.
There’s more to the surfaces of our teeth than just the front, back and top! We need to do something to clean the inter-dental planes too, where bits of food can get stuck and bacteria likes to accumulate.
Daily use of dental floss and/or inter-dental brushes means you can clean all the surfaces of your teeth. Just add this to one of your tooth brushing sessions each day, and you’ll soon fee the difference.
With regular attention your gums will become healthier and any sensitivity or bleeding should stop. If it doesn’t, ask about booking a hygiene appointment to speed up your gum rehabilitation.
Preventive care
The three steps above are part of your at-home oral health routines. It is sensible to see a dental professional regularly, so they can spot concerns early, before they become more expensive and difficult to restore. We recommend joining a dental plan for regular, cost-effective treatment.