How To Take Better Care of Your Teeth And Gums

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An apple away keeps the dentist away…or does it? There are many reasons for you to take care of your teeth. Your smith is an important feature, and if you don’t look after your teeth, then you may not have the confidence that you need to show your smile off.

Neglecting your teeth could mean you end up with cavities or gum disease. You may need fillings or teeth completely removed. Problems with your teeth such as an impacted tooth or issues with wisdom teeth could become a cause of bad breath. This can make you feel self-conscious, and again, may affect your overall confidence.

One of the biggest problems facing your teeth comes in the form of dental plaque. This bacteria forms on your teeth and can go on to cause tooth decay if it is not dealt with. This means that you should ensure that you maintain a high level of dental hygiene.

Staying on top of your dental health will mean that you need to pay attention to your teeth every day and do as much work as you can to maintain their health. This means visiting the dentist regularly. For those who need a recommendation, you can contact this Cosmetic dentist in Shrewsbury for cosmetic dental solutions.

While a checkup with your dentist is still very important when it comes to taking care of your teeth and gums, you will want to do your best to avoid the need for any treatments when you have to visit.

Here are some tips for taking better care of your teeth and gums.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Nobody enjoys visiting their dentist, no matter how lovely your dentist is, at best a trip to see them might well be somewhat of a chore, or it could be one of your worst fears. Having a genuine phobia of visiting your dental surgery is really a lot more common than you may expect, and is generally the result of a bad experience at some point in your life.

But with your dental care affecting so many different areas of your life such as your smile, the freshness of breath, and if you don’t look after your teeth you could end up with tartar building up and this could cause your teeth to form cavities and to rot. Problems like this may end up with you needing fillings, root canals, or extractions.

To avoid these problems, a regular checkup with your dentist will help identify the early warning signs of any problems. The best caste scenario for any visit to the dentist is that you don’t need any work doing to your teeth, so be sure and listen closely and take their advice when they give it to you.

One service that you may need from your dentist is a scale and polish. This removes any plaque bacteria that has built up all over your teeth. While it can leave your mouth feeling a little numb or odd after having it done, your teeth will feel considerably cleaner and smoother and it will help to reduce the risk of any problems later on down the line.

Think About Your Diet

Sugary foods such as sweets, cakes, desserts, and soft drinks can leave a lot of sugar on your teeth after you have eaten them. Too much sugar in your diet can also cause a lot of acid in your stomach, which could also affect your teeth should it rise. All of this will cause damage to the overall health of your teeth.

Reducing the amount of sugar that you have in your diet will benefit your teeth greatly. You should also think about brushing your teeth as soon after eating anything particularly sugary as possible.

Brush Twice A Day

The most important thing that you need to do is to make sure that you brush your teeth twice each day. Brush once in the morning, using fluoride toothpaste, and again in the evening before you go to bed.

You should brush for at least two minutes each time, ensuring you spend an equal amount of time on each part of your teeth. Work methodically around your mouth and make sure you get the fronts, backs, and the tops of your teeth.

If possible, use an electric toothbrush. This will provide a greater degree of power and provide a much better clean, removing more plaque than a conventional brush.

You should aim to change your toothbrush every three months or so because the bristles will get worn down and become much less effective over time.

Floss Or Use Interdental Brushes

Food can get stuck between your teeth when you are eating. This is perfectly normal. If left, this can not only be a cause of bad breath as the food starts to rot, but it can also cause your teeth to rot with it.

Often, these particles of food are quite noticeable and you may be inclined to dig it out with a toothpick. But there will always be a lot more than you cannot see.

Using dental floss or interdental brushes will help you to remove anything that builds up in between your teeth and this will prevent problems forming along their edges.

Wear a Mouth Guard

Taking care of your dental health doesn’t stop at the end of the day. In fact, dental care should continue throughout the night too. If you suffer from stress or anxiety, you may be at risk of grinding your teeth as you sleep. Over time, teeth grinding can lead to worn teeth, exposed nerves, painful headaches, a sore jaw and even an altered face shape.

Luckily, you can use a mouth guard for sleeping to protect your teeth and alleviate discomfort. Made especially to fit your teeth, a mouth guard is simply placed over the top of your teeth to create a physical barrier, preventing you from scraping your teeth against each other as you sleep.
 

Smoking And Drinking

Smoking can cause a lot of problems with your teeth and gums. Not only can tobacco smoke stain your teeth, but it can also cause your teeth to decay. While many smokers choose to use special whitening toothpaste, the damage that tobacco smoke will cause is so great it should be avoided altogether if possible.

Drinking can also have an effect on your health, and you should ensure that you only do this in moderation.

Conclusion

Your dental care is in your own hands. If you have not had a great history in this area, it is never too late to start taking better care of your own teeth. Biting the bullet and making a trip to see your dentist will be a great place to start in making sure that you take better care of your teeth and gums in the future.