Oral hygiene refers to the practices you perform in order to keep your mouth clean. This should include professional dental attention, like teeth cleaning appointments at your dentist’s office. But you must also practice at-home dental care every day in order to keep your smile fresh, clean, and healthy.
You can achieve the best results with this at-home attention when you use the best tools during your oral hygiene regimen. Find tips from your dental expert that can help you select oral hygiene tools that will maximize preventative dentistry.
Choose a Soft-Bristled Toothbrush
You will need to brush your teeth twice each day: mornings and evenings. This activity will scrub away plaque, food particles, and other residues that otherwise cling to your teeth. If left on your smile, these residues will eat away at your dental structure, putting your oral health in danger.
Brushing your teeth involves applying toothpaste to a toothbrush that you use to scrub your teeth, tongue, and the rest of your mouth. The type of toothbrush you employ for this task can affect the results of your oral hygiene regimen.
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush rather than one with hard bristles. This type of brush will do a good job of cleaning your smile without the potential for irritating your gums or tooth enamel. A hard-bristled toothbrush might hurt your smile even as it cleans it.
Look for Toothpaste with Fluoride
Toothpaste is an important part of the teeth-brushing process. This gel-like substance contains abrasive ingredients that improve your toothbrush’s ability to scrub harmful residues from your teeth.
You can enhance the oral health benefits of toothpaste when you choose a brand that contains fluoride too. Fluoride is a natural mineral that will absorb into your tooth enamel. It is a major component of the tooth enamel, so it adds strength to your smile.
This will make your teeth more fortified against surface stains, tooth decay, and other threats. Learn more about preventive dental care that you can perform at home when you give your dentist a call.
Consider Alternative Flossing Tools
Flossing once a day is crucial in order to clean between the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. Traditional string floss does a thorough job of accomplishing this goal. But some people have dental issues or fixtures in their mouth that can make using string floss difficult.
You may want to explore other flossing tools in order to maximize the benefits of this action. You can try floss picks, which use string attached to a plastic handle. Or you can consider a water flosser, a device that generates a stream of water that you can aim to clean between your teeth.
Try Antibacterial Mouthwash
Many people include mouthwash in their oral hygiene routine for a boost to their mouth’s cleanliness. You rinse with this product to remove excess residues or clean your smile between teeth-brushing regimens.
You can benefit from mouthwash that contains fluoride, but you may want to try an antibacterial mouthwash too. This product can balance oral bacteria to reduce your risk of infections like gum disease. This way, you can better preserve your oral health from the comfort of your home.