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Preventative Care Recommendations from Parkcrest Dental Group
Good preventative dental care keeps your smiles lasting longer, helps reduce the likelihood of sore teeth, and improves your overall health. The Parkcrest Dental Group recommends using a soft bristle toothbrush to clean all teeth. Along with brushing your teeth, you should also scrub your tongue and use mouthwash regularly. Mouthwash cleans your teeth in way bristles can’t and keeps your breath tasting fresh.
Parkcrest Dental Group also recommends flossing. We know, we know. Every dentist tells you to floss, but that’s because flossing is so important! No matter how great you are at brushing or how fantastic your toothbrush, bristles cannot reach certain areas of your gum and teeth. Only floss can keep these tricky spots clean.
Choosing & Replacing Your Toothbrush
When it comes to toothbrushes, smaller and softer equals better. Softer bristles remove plaque easier than firm bristles, and smaller heads reach difficult spots. The combination of a smaller brush and softer bristles gives you the ability to make the most of your brushing. Parkcrest Dental Group suggests you replace your toothbrush once every 3-4 months. If your bristles begin to fray, you need to replace your brush sooner. Brushing regularly with a proper brush reduces the likelihood you will need cosmetic dentistry procedures, crowns, or dental implants in the future.
Flossing
We know you can’t take a trip to Parkcrest Dental Group without hearing your general dentist go on and on about how great flossing is. Flossing reaches those spots between your teeth that bristles could never manage on their own. Your Parkcrest Dental Group dentist may have already told you this, but flossing also reduces the risk of gum disease and bone decay. Disease moves through your teeth and gums into your jaw. Without proper flossing, you risk decay in your jaw bones as well as your teeth.
Brushing Instructions
Brushing: Step 1
Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gum.
Brushing: Step 2
Brush gently in a circular motion.
Brushing: Step 3
Brush the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of each tooth.
Brushing: Step 4
Use the tip of your brush for the inner surface of your front teeth.
Flossing Instructions
Flossing: Step 1
Wind about 18 inches of floss around your fingers as shown. Most of it should be wrapped around one finger, and the other finger takes it up as the floss is used.
Flossing: Step 2
Use your thumbs and forefingers to guide about one inch of floss between your teeth.
Flossing: Step 3
Holding the floss tightly, gently saw it between your teeth. Then curve the floss into a C-shape against one tooth and gently slide it beneath your gums.
Flossing: Step 4
Slide the floss up and down, repeating for each tooth.
More Parkcrest Dental Group Tips
- Eat a balanced diet, and try to avoid extra-sugary treats. Nutritious foods such as raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese, or fruit can help keep your smile healthy
- Remember to schedule regular checkups with your dentist every six months for a professional teeth cleaning
- Ask your dentist about dental sealants, protective plastic coatings that can be applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay often starts
- If you play sports, be sure to ask your dentist about special mouth guards designed to protect your smile.
If it’s been six months since your last dental checkup, then it’s time to contact the Parkcrest Dental Group and schedule your next appointment.