Tag: dental tips

Family Dental Tips

5 Dental Tips For The Whole Family

Good dental health is hard enough to achieve on your own, let alone to ensure that your whole family is keeping their teeth healthy. So how can you work to help keep everyone in your family’s teeth looking healthy and cavity free? We share five dental tips for the whole family in today’s blog.

Start Them Young

We go into more detail in this blog post, but it is incredibly important to instill good dental hygiene practices in your children at a young age. On that blog we provide some tips for getting your kids to buy into the toothbrushing process, but the earlier you get kids to willingly participate in their oral health, the better. They are going to have their permanent teeth for decades, so you want them to grow up and continue using good brushing habits.

Brush Twice A Day

Another good habit to get the whole family to buy into is to brush in the morning and at night. Brushing really only takes a couple minutes, so there’s no reason to skip it, even if you think you’re running late for school or work. Make it a requirement before leaving in the morning and before bed, and your teeth will have hours of protection throughout the day. Bonus tips for regular flossing!

Meal Planning

Good oral health also involves eating a healthy diet, consuming plenty of water, and avoiding sugary snacks and sodas that could wear down enamel. If you’re planning meals for your family, try to get a range of healthy vitamins and minerals from your diet, including plenty of calcium, as this will help support healthy teeth development. Sugary sodas and juices can really damage teeth if regularly consumed, so try to make water the drink that is most consumed in your household.

Mouthguards for Activities

If your kids live an active lifestyle, you’re going to want to protect their teeth when they are on the basketball court or the soccer field. Mouthguards significantly reduce the risk of losing a tooth during athletic activity, and spending a little money on a mouthguard can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars down the road. A mouthguard can also protect your teeth during other activities, like cycling or rollerblading. Never underestimate the importance of mouthguards when your kids are active.

Regular Dental Visits

One final thing you can do for your family to help teeth their teeth healthy is to schedule regular dental exams every six months. Dental exams not only help by providing a thorough cleaning, but they can also help to catch any little problems before they snowball into a bigger issue. Your dentist can provide a sealant or treat a weak spot in a tooth before more damage can be done, and they can also give recommendations for caring for your mouth on an individualized basis. Get in the habit of scheduling your next appointment before you leave the dentist’s office, and do so for all your family members.

Dental Tips Young Patients

3 Dental Tips For A Younger, Healthy Smile

When asked what people typically notice first when meeting someone new for the first time, one of the more common answers is their teeth and smile. So how can we keep our smile healthy for decades to come? By following three pretty simply dental tips. We explore those tips in today’s blog. If you’re looking to have a radiant white smile for years and have the appearance of a younger, more youthful smile, you’ll want to keep these three tips in mind.

Brush

Brushing is the easiest way to whiten your smile and protect it against bacteria and other developments that can harm your mouth. The American Dental Association recommends that your brush your teeth 2-3 times a day for best oral health. Most people brush their teeth in the morning and before bed, but if you can squeeze in one more brush after lunch, you’ll be taking an extra step towards a healthy smile. Not only does brushing help to remove food particles and sugar from tooth surfaces, but it also helps prevent against periodontal disease, which is important for a healthy gumline. Regular brushing is the single best thing you can do for your smile on a daily basis.

Floss

The second tip, and the one that people do with far less regularity, is floss. Flossing helps to remove food particles that brushing can’t reach, and flossing goes a long way in preventing enamel breakdown and tooth decay. When plaque develops between our teeth, it can remain there for a long time since the bristles from a brush can’t easily clean between your teeth. And while this plaque may not be big enough to feel between your teeth, rest assured that bacteria is damaging your teeth. Don’t just floss when you feel a popcorn kernel stuck between your teeth, make a daily habit of flossing before bed to ensure your teeth are as clean as possible before you go to sleep.

Regular Dental Visits

The final tip to keep in mind if you want to have a healthy and youthful smile for years to come is to visit the dentist on a regular basis. Even if you don’t suspect that you have a cavity, you should visit your dentist every six months. Besides a more in-depth cleaning, these dental exams can catch problems before they turn into bigger issues. They can also apply sealants to help strengthen enamel that can wear down over time, which is very important to the whiteness of your smile. Insurance oftentimes covers most or all of these routine cleanings, so it’s well worth it to schedule regular dental visits for you and your whole family.

We’re confident that if you abide by the three tips, you’ll have a healthy and bright smile for years to come. If you have any questions about other ways you can protect and strengthen your teeth, or if you want to set up an appointment with Dr. Brooks, reach out to our office today!