San Diego Cosmetic Dentist – Good Oral Hygiene With Simple Dental Health Tips

Good oral hygiene is vital if you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Here are some valuable dental health tips that will help you do just that.

Brushing
The first step in getting and maintaining good dental health is brushing your teeth. Here are some standard guidelines for the proper way to brush your teeth:

• You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. Take your time and make sure the job is done thoroughly.

• Use the right kind of tools for the job. This includes a fluoride toothpaste and a brush with soft bristles. Hard bristles are too stiff to use on the gums and may make them bleed. You might even think about using an electric or battery-operated brush.

• There is a right and wrong way to brush your teeth. The correct technique to follow is to angle the brush to your teeth and use very short back and forth or circular motions. Don’t forget to brush the insides of the teeth and the chewing surfaces. You should also brush your tongue to get rid of bacteria.

• Replace your toothbrush every three to four months.

What are the repercussions of not brushing your teeth adequately or often enough? The answer would be mainly cavities. Cavities are areas of decay that eventually turn into small holes or openings in the teeth. Besides not brushing well, cavities can be caused by constant snacking and drinking sugary drinks. If a cavity goes untreated it can result in a toothache, infection, and even loss of the tooth.

Flossing
Flossing is very important in order to clean between the snug areas between the teeth that the toothbrush can’t get to. Here are some tips for good flossing habits:

• Be sure you use enough floss so that you can get it wound securely around the middle finger of each hand. Use about 18 inches and leave about one each area to do the flossing.

• Use your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss from the gum to the top of the tooth. Repeat this for both sides of each tooth. Unwind the floss from your fingers as you go to use fresh floss.

• Some people have trouble getting the floss through their teeth, especially if they have teeth that are set close together. Waxed floss works well or you might try a floss holder.

Flossing is required to make sure plaque doesn’t build up between your teeth. This is what causes gingivitis. Gingivitis is a mild version of periodontal disease. It can cause the gums to swell and bleed when you brush your teeth.

If you don’t floss for two or three days at a time, the plaque can build up under your gums and turn into tartar, which is the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. Once plaque turns to tartar, the only way to get rid of it is get a cleaning from an oral hygienist.

Other Tips
There are a few other things you can do to make sure your teeth and gums are at their healthiest.

• Use an antiseptic mouthwash after brushing a flossing.

• Oral irrigators are great for removing food particles that get trapped in the teeth. Oral irrigators shoot a stream of water around your teeth.

• Toothpicks should not be used instead of flossing. In fact, toothpicks can injure your gums.

For more information about dental health please visit San Diego Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Friedman at http://www.sdcosmeticdentist.com.