The Top 3 Mistakes in Oral Care
The main area of oral care people focus on is their smile; it’s one of the first things people notice about you. Oral hygiene is important for more than just your smile though. Poor oral hygiene can lead to a whole host of problems including tooth decay and gingivitis. Most people make the same mistakes when it comes to oral care, but all of them have simple fixes. We are not talking just white smiles and cosmetic dentistry – but maintaining great health!
1. Avoiding dentist visits
If you ask people what their least favorite thing to do is, you are almost guaranteed to hear that it’s going to the dentist. Most people don’t fully see the need to go to the dentist regularly, thinking they can do about as good a job by regular upkeep of dental hygiene at home. While it’s true that at the very least, going to the dentist is good because they can confirm that everything is fine, they have more tools at their disposal to make up for what you can’t do at home. For example, they can remove staining from your teeth, remove plaque buildup, and provide you with enamel-strengthening fluoride treatments. Be aware of the Canadian Dental Association’s advice on your child’s first dental visit, too!
How often you should go to the dentist is determined in part by your personal oral care routine and also by talking to your dentist. The typical recommendation is six months between non-emergency visits, just for a check up. Your dentist might recommend more or less frequent visits based on his or her assessment of your specific situation, including risk factors for gum disease and other oral health risks. For those without dental coverage, the cost of not visiting the dentist nearly always outstrips the cost of preventative dental care.
2. Forgetting flossing in oral care routine
Most people have no problem with brushing their teeth, but flossing is a different story. Most people will readily admit that they hate flossing, even though flossing is an essential part of the oral care routine. Flossing gets to the places between the teeth better than a toothbrush. In these places out of reach of the brush lies bacteria, food, and plaque that can cause issues such as bad breath and gingivitis.
One of the biggest benefits of flossing regularly is the prevention of plaque build up. Within a day and a half, plaque can build up and harden into tartar, which can only be removed by a professional cleaning at your dentist’s office. Flossing even once a day can prevent this build up and make future dental visits run smoothly. You may have hear much press lately about the true benefits of flossing (effectiveness), yet the Canadian Dental Association shares some key advice on this, too, in a related article they’ve published.
3. Problems with brushing
Brushing your teeth is one of the most basic parts of an oral hygiene routine, but it is still possible to make mistakes. One of the easiest errors to make is brushing too hard. It’s good to be thorough when taking care of your teeth, and brushing hard seems a natural solution to making sure that you are cleaning as much of your teeth’s surface as possible. However, using too much force can have some negative consequences, including causing the gum line to visibly recede. Brushing too hard also wears away at your toothbrush bristles, so you will have to replace your brush more often.
Another common mistake people make with brushing is in regards to how often they should brush. Most people only brush in the morning or at night, but it is actually recommended that you brush after every meal. The reasoning for this is to prevent plaque from having time to attack your teeth, which it does mere minutes after eating.
Bonus Tip for Great Oral Care
This tip has nothing to do with how you take care of your teeth or following the key points for great oral care provided above. This tip is for parents and getting their children off to a great start. That means establishing brushing routines early and starting dentist visits at an early age. Brushing with children until they’re doing it on their own is setting them up for a life of great hygiene and healthy smiles!
Practicing your best oral care now
Now that you’ve got a somewhat better idea about oral care, you can get started to having a better looking, healthier smile. Even if you have completely neglected your oral care up to this point, it’s not too late to have some impact on the appearance and health of your mouth. Take care of yourself and show the world your winning smile and it may start simply by talking to your dentist and taking action!
For even more tips from our blog on achieving great oral health, read the Reflections Dental Oakville blog!
