It’s National Dental Hygiene Month: Find Out How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy
Whether you believe “Well begun is half done” was said by film character Mary Poppins or by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, it’s a useful adage. Even if you didn’t get a great start with dental hygiene as a child, it’s not too late to improve your oral health. Make positive changes, and you will see more positive dental outcomes.
October is National Dental Hygiene Month, which celebrates the hard work that dental hygienists do and promotes the value of good oral self-care. In that spirit, the Phoenix Endodontics Group offers a few tips for building strong natural teeth. Proper dental hygiene and daily self-care can build (or re-build) your teeth, protect them from decay, and improve their resilience to events like impact injuries.
Dental Hygiene Tips for Healthy, Strong Teeth
Establish or re-commit to a daily oral health routine. Brushing twice daily and flossing are essential to removing bacterial plaque, which can build up on teeth and cause tooth decay. Augment these two pillars of dental hygiene with daily use of a fluoride-based mouthwash.
Eat and drink tooth-friendly foods and beverages. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources of calcium. Fibrous veggies and fruits, including berries or carrots, provide Vitamin C to protect your gums and stimulate saliva, which protects against dry mouth. Other foods – such as meat, poultry and eggs or leafy greens like kale or spinach – contain the helpful nutrients phosphorus and Vitamin A, which work with calcium to protect your tooth enamel.
Stop tobacco use and limit alcohol consumption. Chronic tobacco and alcohol usage can damage your teeth and gums. The less you indulge in these, the better.
Visit your dentist regularly. Office visits to your general dentist provide the best chance to track and assess any emerging oral health issues. Prophylactic teeth cleaning removes bacterial plaque hardened into tartar. If needed, your provider may use fluoride treatments or dental sealants to further protect your teeth.
Address possible threats to your teeth. Your dentist can advise how best to treat conditions such as bruxism (teeth grinding) or dry mouth, which can weaken tooth structure if left untreated. An endodontist can provide emergency care if you’ve damaged your teeth in a car accident or while playing a sport, like basketball or hockey.
Improve Your Dental Hygiene Today
Dental professionals, including general dentists and specialists such as endodontists, work together with patients to preserve and protect natural teeth. Take your next steps today toward better dental hygiene by scheduling an appointment with your dentist for an office visit.
Call the Phoenix Endodontic Group to resolve dental conditions requiring a root canal, or for emergency repair of injured teeth. For more information, call our office at 602-242-4745 to schedule a consultation.