Top 4 Oral Care Tips for a Better Smile

In case you weren’t aware of this, there are currently millions (if not billions) of bacteria currently in your mouth. Without a strong oral care routine, these bacteria can wreak havoc on the overall health of your mouth (and even affect other parts of your body too). This is why it’s essential to know exactly how to take care of your mouth (i.e. which specific techniques to do, which to avoid, how often to visit the dentist, etc.).

Below we list some of the very best ways to take care of your mouth (and improve your smile at the same time). While some of these may seem obvious, we can all use a refresher on proper dental care techniques. After the list, we also detail some of the ways that a dentist can help get your teeth back to a picture-perfect smile.

1. Brush Your Teeth Regularly

Believe it or not, but countless people simply aren’t brushing enough. Hopefully you’re not one of them, but if you are, just keep in mind that how often you brush has a direct correlation to the overall health of your mouth.

Not only is how often you brush important, but so is exactly how you brush as well. If you’re just lazily moving the brush around your teeth, you’re probably not doing much to improve the health of your teeth.

One of the best ways to maximize your time spent brushing is to use good form. Try to angle the brush towards where the teeth meet your gums. Use a circular motion when brushing, and don’t brush too hard, either. If you brush too hard (or use an extra hard brush), you can actually damage your gums (so be careful when brushing).

2. Remember to Floss

If you’re not flossing on a daily basis, you’re simply not cleaning all of the bacteria out of your mouth (in fact, you’re not even coming close). Floss is able to reach deep between your teeth to clean areas that a toothbrush cannot reach. As recommended by a top dentist in Coral Gables (Gables Sedation & Family Dentistry).

Keep the following tips in mind when flossing:

* Don’t use a small amount of floss. Make sure the piece of floss that you use is at least over 15 inches.
* Don’t force it! Flossing should be a gentle activity. If you find yourself having to use some serious effort when flossing, you’re being too hard on your teeth.
* Don’t rush over certain areas. The ideal way to floss is by going over each tooth (one by one).
* Don’t give up after a short period of time. Establishing flossing as a regular habit takes patience and effort (but it is absolutely worth it).

3. Preventing Tooth Decay

Preventing tooth decay is a combination of making changes to your diet and making oral care a priority in your health routine. If all you eat are sugary foods (or carbohydrates, or anything processed for that matter), you’re at a much greater risk for tooth decay.

This goes for liquids as well. Soft drinks, or anything with ample amount of sugar can increase your chance of developing abnormal tooth decay. This is why tooth decay is rarely seen in aboriginal cultures (that follow a traditional diet). This is because their diet isn’t rich in processed foods and sugars (like most Western diets currently are).

Besides making some changes to your diet, you also need to focus on taking the time to carefully clean your teeth/mouth every day (at least twice per day). Remember to use a soft toothbrush, and to also use the brushing (and flossing) techniques listed above.

The following list of tips is a good overview of how to prevent tooth decay (and keep your mouth healthy in general):

* Don’t eat or drink too much sugar/processed foods.
* Many dentists recommend ingesting flouride (via tap water for example).
* If you do drink sugary drinks, try to use a straw to lessen the chance of the liquid touching your teeth.
* Make some basic changes to your diet, with a focus on clean, healthy foods.

4. Knowing When You Should Go to the Dentist

Knowing when to go to the dentist is important for the health of your mouth/teeth. Remember that visiting your dental provider on a normal schedule can be an immense help in the battle against tooth decay and gum disease. If you notice any major changes to your oral health, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.