Many patients visit our Gaithersburg, MD dentist office looking to learn more about how they can better their dental health. Your dental health is directly tied to your overall health, as your mouth is the main entryway into your body for food and also bacteria. It’s important to keep your dental structures healthy and strong to ensure that you do not suffer the consequences of poor dental health later on in life. Here are our three best tips for maintaining your best smile outside of our Gaithersburg, MD dentist office.
Brush & Floss
While this may seem like an obvious tip, it is perhaps the most important. Brushing and flossing your teeth is essential to maintaining lifelong oral health and wellness. You should brush and floss twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. This will prevent any bacteria or food residue from hardening to your dental structures. Additionally, if you eat a meal that you know to be notoriously tough on your smile, make sure to follow it up with a thorough brushing and flossing session. Patients who use electronic toothbrushes should remember to let the brush do the work on its own. As long as you hold it in the correct position over your teeth, and move it along your smile, the electronic toothbrush will scrub your dental surfaces for you.
Diet Matters
Your diet has a huge impact on your dental health. Because your mouth comes into contact first with the foods and beverages you consume, it’s important to be mindful of how what you consume will impact your teeth. Sticky candies or crunchy potato chips are more likely to cause issues within your smile than more smile-friendly snacks like fruit smoothies, soft cheeses, or pita bread and hummus. This is because candies and chips break down into simple sugars which easily stick to your teeth or wedge between the gaps within your smile and cause plaque. Patients should ensure they are eating foods high in calcium and vitamin C, as both are essential to the development and maintenance of your smile.
Schedule Routine Dentist Appointments
Patients should schedule routine preventative care appointments with their local Gaithersburg, MD dentist office once every six months. This ensures that our doctors can catch minor issues before they develop into major dental concerns. Finding the right dentist for you is also an important step toward bettering your dental health. If you are looking for a family-friendly dentist office that offers modern dentistry solutions, consider visiting TotallySmiles. We are a family-focused dentist office that works with you to create the best version of your own smile. Schedule an appointment online today. We look forward to seeing you soon.