Not sure how to keep your mouth healthy at home? In this blog from Harrisburg Smiles, we’ll discuss a few techniques and tips you can use to improve your at-home oral care routine.
Proper Brushing And Flossing Techniques For At-Home Care
First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure you’re following proper brushing and flossing techniques at home. When you brush, you should:
- Brush for at least two minutes twice per day. Brushing before bed and when you wake up in the morning is ideal
- Move your toothbrush in short, tooth-wide strokes to clean each tooth
- Start with the outer surfaces, then brush the chewing surfaces and inner surfaces of your teeth
- Brush down to the gumline to dislodge food debris and plaque
You should also floss at least once per day. Here’s a quick guide to proper flossing technique.
- Unwind about 18-14 inches of floss, and wrap most of it around one of your index or middle fingers
- Wind the rest of the floss around the opposite finger. Grasp about 1 inch of floss between your fingers to clean your teeth
- Move the floss between your teeth in a gentle rocking motion until it reaches the gum line. Next, curve into the shape of a “C” and rub it up and down to dislodge plaque and food debris
- Remove the floss from between your teeth, unwind a small amount of fresh floss from your fingers, and repeat until all of your teeth have been cleaned.
This video outlining the basics of flossing may be helpful if you have never flossed regularly before.
Nutrition Guidance For A Healthy Mouth
As a rule of thumb, foods that are good for your body are also good for your mouth. You can keep your mouth healthy by eating a diet made up of unprocessed foods like whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, and lean meats.
In contrast, foods that are not that good for your body can contribute to the buildup of oral bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease. These foods include things like potato chips, candy, cookies, soda, and alcohol. Oral bacteria love sugar and starch, so very sugary, starchy foods should be avoided, or their consumption should be kept at a minimum.
Keeping Your Smile Healthy When You Can’t See The Dentist
Wondering how you can make sure you keep your smile healthy when you’re not able to see the dentist? Beyond proper home oral care, there are a few precautions you can take to avoid common dental emergencies like cracked teeth and pulled-out dental work.
- Chew hard foods with your molars – Extremely hard foods like almonds and ice can damage your front teeth or dislodge dental work like veneers or dental bonding, so make sure you chew them with your rear teeth.
- Don’t use your teeth as tools – Don’t use your teeth to tear tape, open packages, or for anything other than eating. Otherwise, you could accidentally break or damage a tooth.
- Avoid chewing non-food objects – Avoid chewing pencils and pens, your fingernails, and any other non-food objects, as this can damage your teeth and wear them down.
- Don’t eat gummy foods if you have dental work – If you have multiple fillings or crowns, try to avoid eating very sticky and gummy foods like taffy, caramel, toffee, gummy worms or bears, and other such foods.
Follow These Tips For A Healthier Smile
A healthy home oral care routine is the best way to keep your teeth healthy. So follow these tips for better oral health. In addition, if you’re overdue for a routine dental appointment in Harrisburg, make sure you contact the team at Harrisburg Smiles for a six-month teeth cleaning and oral exam from Dr. Naveen Cherukuri or Dr. Sanath . To get started, just contact us online, or give us a call at (980) 258-0866.
