Secrets to Maintaining a Healthy Smile

The real secret to maintaining a healthy smile is no secret at all. Care and attention to detail while following a routine for your oral care will help you keep your teeth healthy and your smile beautiful. Brush, floss, and visiting your family dental care clinic in Houston, TX, regularly are the best ways to maintain your oral health.

Use Floss

Tartar takes 24 hours to set up. Once it is, bacteria are protected by it and can work in peace no matter what kind of brushing your do. Floss once a day and you won’t have to worry about tartar while making your brushing more effective. Get between your teeth, get the junk out and then brush. The flossing will also help your gums be healthier.

Brush-Brush-Brush

It used to be recommended to brush after every meal. American eating habits have changed. People are grazing more or skipping meals, so now the recommendation is to brush twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. Use a soft head brush and rotating strokes with a fluoride toothpaste unless your dentist has recommended something else. A soft head helps prevent scoring on the teeth from hard bristles. Changing your brush every 90 days is also a good idea.

No Brush Available

It’s a busy world and a busy life. If for some reason, you don’t have access to a toothbrush and floss, you should at least try to use a mouthwash that kills bacteria. Rinsing doesn’t replace brushing or flossing, but as a stop-gap measure, it’s better than doing nothing. If there is no mouthwash available, a warm water rinse will provide a little protection. Of course, brushing and flossing is the best case scenario, but when life throws a monkey wrench into the works, it’s good to have a backup plan.

Regular Dental Visits

The most important thing you can do aside from daily maintenance is to visit your family dental care clinic in Houston, TX, regularly. While the normal recommendation is every 6 months, you’re better off going in every 90 days. After 3 months of having no professional care, the colonies of bacteria have grown back and work against your teeth until the next cleaning. Many people take care of their hair more often than their teeth, when it should be about the same or more often. Regular visits can also provide you with information about troubled areas and how to take care of your teeth in the best, most up-to-date way. Another bonus is that your dentist can alert you to other health issues because many health problems, like acid reflux, can affect the breath and teeth.