Dental Hygiene and Why Regular Check-Ups are Important

Having healthy teeth doesn’t just happen. Many people assume that just because a person has straight white teeth, they have good oral hygiene. However, this is not always the case. Even if your teeth look like they’re in good condition, it is possible you’re not maintaining your oral hygiene as well as you should be. Most experts agree you should have at least one dental check up a year.

Maintaining good oral hygiene is integral for keeping your mouth clean and free from diseases and problems such as tooth decay and bad breath. Therefore, it is important to ensure you keep your teeth that way through regular cleaning and dental check-ups.

How Does Preventative Dentistry Help Oral Hygiene?

Preventative dentistry involves good oral hygiene, regular dental check-ups, and carrying out healthy practices at home. Keeping your mouth healthy through preventative dentistry significantly reduces your need for extensive dental treatment. After all, the two main causes of dental problems are gum disease and tooth loss or decay. So, the more thoroughly you prevent against these two problems, the healthier your teeth will be for longer.

Who Benefits from Good Oral Hygiene?

Maintaining good oral hygiene is beneficial for everyone. Even people who no longer have any of their own teeth can benefit from good oral hygiene as it reduces risks of mouth cancer and denture stomatitis. It is important to instill good oral hygiene practices in people from a very young age. However, it is never too late to properly look after your mouth.

Use the Right Oral Care Products

Having a quality toothbrush can be the difference between a healthy mouth and stained teeth. In fact, we would recommend using an electric toothbrush as these are shown to be better than manual toothbrushes at removing plaque from teeth. Mouthwashes are also a great help as most have anti-bacterial ingredients that help protect your mouth throughout the day.

Why It’s Important to Floss Every Day

Cleaning your teeth twice a day, once after breakfast and again before going to bed, is highly recommended. However, while brushing your teeth regularly can keep your mouth healthy, it is important to floss every day, too.

Flossing helps clean in between the teeth in spaces your toothbrush cannot easily reach. Flossing removes food pieces and reduces risk of infection, bad breath, ad plaque build-up. If you find flossing difficult, there are many tools you can buy that help clean thoroughly between the teeth, including interdental brushes. It is really up to you which tool you use, but you must floss every day to maintain good oral hygiene.

Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Diet has a significant effect on health and eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding sugary foods can help prevent gum disease, tooth loss, and mouth cancer. If you eat highly-acidic or sugary foods often, you will be more at risk of dental erosion than people who eat a healthy diet. Foods such as fruit, vegetables, seeds, and nuts are far better for your teeth and can help keep your mouth healthier for longer. It’s amazing the effects a well-balanced diet can have on your oral hygiene.

Prevent Tooth Decay with Fluoride Toothpastes

There are many specialised toothpastes targeting problems such as plaque build-up, sensitive teeth, and whitening ingredients so that you can find a product catered to your requirements.

One of the best ways you can maintain good oral hygiene is by using fluoride toothpaste. If you’re unsure, your dentist should be more than happy to recommend the right level of fluoride for you to use in your toothpaste. Fluoride is an ingredient that helps prevent tooth decay and helps you keep your teeth healthier and stronger for longer.

If you’re unsure which toothpaste to choose, you can read all about recommended toothpastes in our latest article. Alternatively, ask our team for advice and we can suggest a toothpaste that’s right for you.

Wait an Hour After Food Before Brushing Your Teeth

Every time you eat or drink, the enamel on your teeth softens for a short while and loses some of its mineral content. Therefore, we recommend you avoid brushing your teeth for at least one hour after eating or drinking anything so that your mouth has a chance to restore to its natural balance. This will also ensure you avoid any damage to the enamel on your teeth.

Why Regular Dental Check-Ups Are Important

Dental check-ups are vital for maintaining your oral health and avoiding the cost of extensive work or dental hygiene problems. Here at Hove Dental Clinic, we advise everyone to have a dental check-up at a professional dental clinic every six months. While there may be some people who require more regular dentist visits, every six months is the average. Regular check-ups such as these will help prevent tooth decay, poor mouth hygiene, oral diseases, and other health-related problems.

Don’t put off going to the dentist. Detecting any oral health problems earlier means they are generally easier to treat and not a severe problem. If you do not go to the dentist regularly, your oral hygiene may decline and lead to damage that is far harder to repair.

Visit the Dentist Often If You Smoke

Smoking and drinking regularly can have a significant affect on the health of your teeth and gums. What’s more, smoking can stain your teeth, cause tooth loss, mouth cancer, and even make gum disease worse. Therefore, if you smoke it is important you alert your dentist so that they can recommend the best treatments for you. Maintaining good oral hygiene when you’re a smoker often means you need to visit the dentist more regularly for check-ups.

When You Should See A Dentist

If you notice any of the following signs or symptoms in between your regular dental appointments, you should book a dental appointment as soon as possible:

• Unusual tooth sensitivity
• Red, tender, or swollen gums
• Gums that are pulling away from your teeth
• Bleeding gums when you brush or floss
• Permanent loss of teeth
• Changes in tooth alignment
• Persistent bad breath
• Bad taste in your mouth
• Difficulty swallowing
• Mouth ulcers or sores that simply don’t heal

It’s important to remember that if you experience any of these signs or symptoms, early detection is the key to treatment and can help ensure a lifetime of good oral health.

Book Your Dental Appointment Today

Maintaining good dental health is a matter of practice and healthy lifestyle choices. However, keeping your oral hygiene up to scratch can significantly reduce the likelihood of oral infections, tooth decay, and gum disease. For some, it can be the difference between life and death as it helps prevent oral cancers and keep other horrible diseases at bay!

Here at Hove Dental Clinic, we know how quickly oral infections can spread and how fast your oral hygiene can be compromised when you don’t look after it properly. That’s why it’s so important you contact our team as soon as possible to book your regular six-mouth check-ups. Let us help you keep your dental hygiene in check!