When you go to find a dentist based in Carrum Downs and make an appointment, are you dreading what the dentist will say when they take a look at your teeth? It’s easy to let our teeth fall into bad condition, but believe it or not, it’s easier than you think to turn it around. We can’t be sure what your dentist will say at that first checkup, but here are some things you can do to ensure healthier, stronger teeth in the longer term.
Brush at Least Twice a Day
The most recent data shows that only about half of Australians brush their teeth twice a day. Some people feel that a good brush at the end of the day is enough, but to only brush, once a day is to leave your teeth for hours and hours after your breakfast, lunch, and dinner with food particles, remnants of drinks, as well as the impacts of other habits people have like smoking before you finally brush in the evening. If your one brush is in the morning, then you have an entire night’s sleep on top of that.
Brushing twice a day — possibly even a third time if your work situation allows — is the best way to provide the minimum amount of protection and cleaning that your teeth need between dental appointments.
Floss
Some people balk at the idea of flossing. They find it troublesome, and even worrisome as they start feeling as though they’re about to garotte themselves or split their gums open. The fact is that flossing gets to stubbornly stuck particles and other bits that your toothbrush will miss even when you brush correctly. It’s like a “second wave” of attack to clean up the tricky corners that a typical brush just doesn’t get to, nor it is really designed to.
If brushing will make your breath better, flossing will make it enormously better because it picks out those particles embedded between your teeth that will linger there for longer.
Avoid Drinking and Smoking
No one’s saying you have to go tee-total, but the less alcohol you consume, the better it is for your teeth. Drinks like beer don’t have a dramatic effect, but if you’re a fan of cocktails packed with sugary and acidic ingredients, then these have a greater impact on your teeth. All alcohol when consumed in large amounts induces a condition known as dry mouth, which reduces saliva and contributes to bad teeth in this way. Saliva helps with the cleaning and maintenance process of your teeth.
As for smoking, it increases the chances of a person both getting gum disease and oral cancer. At best, a smoking habit will discolor your teeth and leave you with diabolically bad breath that few could bear to be around, and that includes other smokers.
Eat Right
When it comes to diet, two main food groups are extremely beneficial for your teeth, the first being those that are rich in calcium such as natural yogurt, natural (non-processed) cheeses, and milk. Avoid sugar-enhanced versions of these products, regardless of what they say about their calcium content.
The second teeth-friendly group is leafy greens. Spinach and kale in particular are excellent high-calcium green that helps to build enamel. They also contain folic acid, which is beneficial for both preventing and treating gum disease. It’s ironic that the food most people dread getting stuck between their teeth is also the one that their teeth love most.
Finally, be sure to avoid not just sugar-rich candy and soda drinks, but also starchy snacks like potato chips. These starchy products are actually even worse than fizzy drinks because they linger on your teeth for longer, dissolving into tooth-ruining sugar.
