HOW TO GET AND KEEP THOSE PEARLY WHITES YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED

5 Steps to Keeping Your Teeth in Tip-Top Shape

It’s easy to get lazy about oral hygiene. If you skip flossing once in a while, what’s the big deal? So you fell asleep without brushing your teeth. It’s not going to kill you, right?

With this mentality, you’ll never have the strong, healthy teeth that you envy in others. If you’re ready to make a change in your dental care routine, start by implementing these five steps:

Don’t be lazy…

#1 Get your teeth professionally cleaned.

That’s why you must visit a dentist on a regular basis to get your teeth professionally cleaned by a dental hygienist. He or she, depending on the state of your teeth, will do one of these three types of teeth cleanings:

It’s essential to take care of your teeth daily through brushing and flossing, but sometimes your own efforts aren’t enough to keep the plaque and tartar from building up in those small spaces your floss can’t reach.

#1 Cont…

Regular Cleaning. This is what you’ll get if you go to the dentist every six months. You can expect the hygienist to floss, polish and scrape off the plaque (which should only be minimal).

Deep Cleaning. If you have plaque buildup below the gum line, bleeding gums or deep gum pockets, you’ll need more intensive cleaning (known as scaling and root planing) because these are signs of gum disease.

Periodontal Maintenance. After you’ve received deep cleaning for your gum disease, your dentist may recommend follow-up periodontal treatments to make sure the periodontal disease doesn’t return.

#2 Use floss and mouthwash.

Brushing your teeth alone isn’t enough to keep the plaque and tartar away. You need to floss if you don’t want cavities. Those little buggers can creep in between your teeth.

Floss every.single.day. Not every other day, not once a week, but every day. This will prevent gum disease and help get rid of bacteria.

#2 Cont…

Mouthwash is another great tool for killing bacteria and giving your mouth a clean feel.

However, it should not be used every day because too much of it can wear away the enamel on your teeth, which could result in receding gum lines and little white spots.

#3 Change your toothbrush.

According to dentists, you should change your toothbrush every three months.

Not only does your toothbrush accumulate bacteria over time, but the bristles becomes frayed and flattened and ultimately less effective.

#4 Consider getting your teeth whitened.

A teeth whitening treatment offered by your dentist can do wonders to stained, yellow teeth.

Over-the-counter products don’t work nearly as well as laser teeth whitening treatments, which can make your teeth 8-10 shades lighter in just one hour.

#5 Drink fluoridated water.

Most bottled waters don’t contain fluoride. Call your city’s water company to see if it is fluoridated.

Fluoride helps fight cavities. Many community water systems are fluoridated, which means drinking tap water (or filtered tap water if that’s what you prefer) is actually better than drinking bottled water.

Start implementing these five steps into your daily routine today. Go to the dentist and start off with a clean slate by getting your teeth cleaned. Be proactive in your effort to have clean, bright teeth and you won’t be disappointed with the result.

Call Your Dentist Today