Oral Care Starts at Home
As dentists, we firmly believe that oral care starts at home. We really encourage the message that prevention is key! Of course, it’s important to have regular check-ups and bi-annual cleaning with your hygienist but taking preventive measures with your daily oral care routine will result in fewer visits to the dentist chair and better overall oral health.
Usually, a visit to your dentist is to identify any active issues like decay and gum disease and to treat these issues, but to avoid this, it all comes down to what you do at home. We can always tell when a patient has been practicing good overall oral health at home and it comes down to daily essentials such as brushing technique, daily flossing and addressing any inflammation or signs of decay.
Using the correct oral care products at home, that contain active ingredients specially designed to target these issues, will help prevent issues such as inflammation, bleeding and decay.
Nailing your Technique
As dentists, our aim is to help you focus on prevention. We will work with you to identify any issues that you may be at risk of and advise on what measures you can take to prevent them becoming troublesome for you down the line.
Gum disease is a typical example of this - most cases of gum disease come as a result of not keeping your teeth clean enough. You may be brushing twice a day as required but be sure you’ve nailed your technique, brushing your gums as well as your teeth will help prevent plaque build-up. Investing in a good sonic brush can drastically improve plaque control and reduce gum disease. Gum disease is managed every day, not just twice a year at your visit to your hygienist!
Your oral health is as important as every other aspect of your physical and mental health. Your oral health is achieved daily, by your habits and routine, not just by visiting your dentist.
Here are our key tips to prevent frequent trips to the dentist chair and ensure better overall oral health.
1. Use products that are clinically proven
Be mindful of what you’re putting in your body, look at the science behind the product, and choose products that have clinically proven active ingredients that will work to improve your overall oral health.
2. Try not to snack too often
There are a lot of messages telling people to eat very regularly and while that may be good (or bad!) for your metabolism it certainly affects your teeth.
People often snack on fruit juices and vegetable juices which people eat/drink as a "healthy" alternative! This can often lead to more sugar exposure which, in turn, leads to a higher risk of decay.
Did you know that eating too often is actually what causes decay? It is essentially the frequency of eating rather than what you eat that causes decay which is why we advise patients not to snack too often!
3. Floss Daily
Flossing daily should be part of your morning/evening ritual and a step you should never skip!
Flossing daily helps to dislodge debris between teeth and helps alleviate bleeding and inflamed gums.
4. Switch to a sonic toothbrush
Switching from a manual to a Sonic Toothbrush means all the work is essentially done for you! Our Spotlight Oral Care Sonic Toothbrush uses professionally designed sonic technology which allows the gentle feel of a manual toothbrush with an actual deep clean effect.