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With good oral hygiene, your teeth should last your lifetime. That means taking care of them on a daily basis. If your mind immediately goes to your toothbrush, you’re on the right track.
Brushing plays a critical role in maintaining your oral health. When you brush morning and night, you remove plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that builds up on your teeth. Removing that bacteria limits their opportunity to eat into your teeth, helping you avoid decay and tooth loss.
Your toothbrush is probably the most important tool in your oral hygiene arsenal, but it’s not the only one. To keep your mouth healthy, you need to do a couple more things: Floss daily, and visit your dentist regularly for teeth cleanings.
Dr. Sujay Trivedi and Dr. Michael Westcott offer the latter here at Family Dental Care in West Palm Beach, Florida. This way, we can join you on your goal of preserving your teeth through your lifetime. Let’s look at both important oral hygiene steps beyond brushing — flossing and professional teeth cleaning — in more detail.
Your toothbrush does a good job of getting plaque off the outer surfaces of your teeth. It can also remove that bacteria from your tongue and gums, too. It can’t, however, slip into the small spaces in between each of your teeth.
The bacteria in plaque is tiny and can absolutely access those crevices. Fortunately, floss allows you to reach into those spaces and clear plaque out. As a result, you should floss on a daily basis.
Flossing doesn’t just protect your teeth against decay, either. By flossing, you remove plaque from your gum line. This helps you fight against gum disease, a common condition that can lead to tooth loss.
That piece of floss might look flimsy, but it’s actually a powerful tool for protecting your long-term oral health. If you dislike using traditional floss, you can try a water flosser instead.
Brushing and flossing go a long way toward preventing tooth decay and keeping your mouth healthy. They aren’t enough on their own, though. That’s because your teeth can develop something called dental calculus.
This isn’t hard math — it’s hardened plaque. Plaque can turn to calculus in a little over a day. And once it does, your toothbrush and floss aren’t strong enough to remove it.
That’s why coming in for biannual teeth cleanings is so important. During your cleaning, our team uses specialized tools to remove any calculus that has built up since your last cleaning.
At your appointment, our team also checks your mouth for anything you need to keep it healthy. If we notice tooth decay starting to form, for example, a small filling can prevent the issue from growing to the point of needing a root canal or even a tooth extraction.
All told, brushing is a good start for your oral care routine, but by itself, it’s just not enough. With daily flossing and biannual professional teeth cleanings, you significantly heighten the likelihood that your teeth will last your lifetime.
To schedule your next teeth cleaning, call Family Dental Care at 561-556-1698 today, or book an appointment online at your convenience.
