In this video, I want to talk to you a little bit about how to take care of your teeth properly and preventing dental disease. Of course with dental advancements, we have amazing ways at removing decay and disease in the mouth, but the important step is actually preventing the decay or the disease from happening, basically learning the steps you need on how to take care of your teeth properly. The most important thing in preventing dental disease is to take care of your teeth at home. You’re only in the office a couple times a year, so your at-home care is really, really important. Remember to brush your teeth daily at least twice a day. I like to do three times a day because I feel that’s how to take care of your teeth properly, but twice a day is okay and will do. And also, a tip to know is that I recommend replacing your toothbrush head at least three to four times a year. I like to do mine at the start of every season. If your toothbrush is starting to fray, then you know that it’s time to throw it away.
Also, don’t forget to brush your tongue. A lot of people forget this step, but it’s really important because a lot of bacteria sits on the back of your tongue and there’s actually things called tongue scrapers that you could remove the bacteria with, so that’s a really important step to not forget. Another important step is flossing. You have to floss, even if it’s one time a day. One thing to do to make sure that you’re able to floss is to keep the floss all over. You could leave it in your car, you could leave it on the couch where you sit at night, and make sure you start flossing, because if you’re not, you’re not removing enough of the bacteria between your teeth. If it sits there for long enough, it’s going to calcify and it’s going to harden against your tooth structure, and you won’t be able to remove it. And that’s when a lot of the decay starts happening, so make sure you floss. Flossing is really important in how to take care of your teeth properly.
Don’t forget to see your dentist at least once a year for your exam and your X-rays. X-rays are so important and your dentist can answer all you’re questions on how to take care of your teeth properly. A lot of patients shy away from them because of the radiation exposure, but with the digital X-rays we have today, the radiation exposure is actually very minimal, and it’s so important because without X-rays, we can’t see the health of your bones, we can’t see the health of your roots, and we can’t see the health between your teeth. So, get your X-rays and your exam yearly.
It’s also really important to have a balanced diet. You want to make sure you’re giving your teeth the nutrients they need. Try to limit your intake of sugar and try to drink a lot of water throughout the day. With good dental hygiene, you can also reduce the risk of cavities, periodontitis, and gingivitis. This in turn can reduce your risk of secondary problems caused by poor oral health.
Some secondary health problems that are linked to poor oral health include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, and osteoporosis. So, while we have great ways to take care of dental problems when they occur, the goal is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Thanks for watching, and I hope that you take the right steps to take care of your teeth, because as we know, your teeth can affect your entire body.
