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Many people often overlook the importance of properly caring for their oral health. This can lead to many negative issues, such as cavities, gum disease, and decay that causes your teeth to fall out or to need to be removed.
Luckily, there are many simple steps you can take each day to ensure you are properly caring for your teeth and gums, which can help to prevent many of these issues.
The following information will provide a closer look at four helpful ways to prevent cavities before your next dentist appointment, which is one of the most common effects of avoiding proper dental services:
Brush Your Teeth Regularly
Brushing your teeth regularly is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cavities. Typically, it is recommended that you brush twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed.
This will help to prevent plaque from building up on your teeth and cavities forming. It is also important to be aware of the best brushing practices.
For example, it is typically recommended that you use a soft bristle brush because they are better able to bend to reach under the gums. Not to mention, harder bristles can wear down the enamel on your teeth over time.
Lastly, you’ll need to ensure you are brushing for at least 2 minutes, which will help to ensure you’ve removed as much plaque as possible.
Floss Daily
Flossing daily is also important, and many people neglect to do this. Brushing your teeth is excellent at removing plaque and food particles.
However, flossing helps to remove build up between your teeth that are difficult to reach with brushing alone. Also, it is important to use fresh pieces of floss as you go. This will help to ensure that you aren’t distributing plaque and build up from one tooth to the next.
Cut Back on Acidic Foods and Drinks
Acidic foods and drinks, such as wine, coffee, citrus, and some fruit juices can damage your teeth over time. Therefore, you might want to cut back on these items if you consume them in excess. It can also be helpful to rinse your mouth with water after consuming these foods and drinks and waiting 30 minutes after consumption to brush. This is important because the acid can weaken your enamel, and brushing immediately can damage it while it is in a weakened state.
Avoid Sugary Foods and Drinks
Sugary foods and drinks are incredibly bad for your dental health and can cause cavities over time. Therefore, it is important to avoid things, such as candy, sodas, sweet tea, and cakes. Instead, you should try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, which will be beneficial for your teeth as well as your body as a whole.
For example, when you are craving sweets, you might want to instead make a fruit smoothie, which will still be sweet but won’t be filled with large amounts refined and processed sugar, which is worse for you.
Overall, taking care of your teeth is incredibly important. Your smile is also very important and allows you to convey your emotions. Therefore, you will want to do your best to preserve the state of your teeth and prevent cavities from forming.
The aforementioned tips make excellent starting points, and you should speak with your dentist in order to learn more regarding proper oral care. As long as you stay diligent and practice good oral health techniques, you should be able to avoid cavities and decay, which can often be painful and can cost a lot of money to repair.
