Seeing your Astoria, NY, dentist for routine preventive care, such as checkups and dental cleanings, is a vital part of keeping smiles strong and healthy. However, you also need to take steps in between these visits to keep smiles strong. In today’s blog, we’re looking at how brushing and flossing daily helps protect your smile and even your overall health.
The Dangers of Plaque Buildup
Plaque buildup, a bacterial byproduct, develops when bacteria in the mouth beak down particles left behind by foods and drinks. In the process of consuming these sugary and starchy particles, levels of oral acidity rise and a sticky buildup coats the teeth. Over time, plaque hardens into tartar and could not only weaken tooth enamel, but also inflame gum tissues, boosting the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque is also connected to bad breath and greater tooth stain visibility.
Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth
Routine care each day helps remove food particles to deprive harmful bacteria of a meal. This process reduces how much buildup can form in between routine dental cleaning visits. You should brush your teeth when you wake up and once more before bed. Each session should take two minutes, and make use of a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen outer enamel. Be sure you use soft bristles, as brushing too rough with medium or hard bristles could inadvertently damage outer enamel. Brushing too hard also irritates gum tissues too!
You also need to floss every night before bed, running the length of tape up and down each side of every tooth. Be sure you dip below the gum line when you do, as this dislodges what a toothbrush alone cannot reach.
The Need for Office Visits
While the actions above control plaque, they don’t remove any buildup that has already formed. For that, you need a dental cleaning, which employs an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool to break up and remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth. The process only takes a few minutes, but improves oral health and also fights bad breath and teeth stains. If you have any questions about treating poor oral health, or about keeping smiles strong from home, then contact our team today. We would love to help you maintain your healthiest possible smile, both at home and from our office!
Do You Have Questions About Homecare Habits?
We want to help people enjoy strong and healthy smiles, and to do that we offer general and preventive dental care. To learn more about caring for your teeth and gums from home, then schedule a consultation by calling Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS, in Astoria, NY, today at 718-728-8320.
