Are you afraid of how much a trip to see our Troy, MI, dentists will cost, take time out of your busy schedule, or lead to procedure-wise? Many Americans avoid going to the dentist for a myriad of reasons, but what many people don’t realize is that skipping preventive dental care will cost you more money in the long run.
Here’s why it’s not recommended to put off your dental visits and 5 ways you can keep your smile healthy.
What Happens If You Don’t Go to the Dentist?
By skipping your next appointment, you’re also skipping an opportunity for our dentists to detect the beginning signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health issues. Even if you take excellent care of your teeth at home, our dentists will be able to spot issues you can’t by taking X-rays and performing oral cancer screenings. This is why it’s important to see us every 6 months for your routine teeth cleaning and oral examination.
You Can Prevent Oral Health Problems By:
1. Receiving a Cleaning & Checkup Every 6 Months
There are many people who don't like the dentist and yet, take such little care of their oral health that they end up having to make frequent trips to the dentist anyway to repair damage to their teeth.
To avoid this reality, make sure you visit our Troy, MI, dental office every 6 months for a teeth cleaning and oral exam. By routinely visiting our dentists, you will learn about problems before they are serious and in turn, prevent the need for restorative treatments like porcelain crowns, , and more.
2. Brushing Your Teeth Twice a Day
It’s important you brush your teeth at least twice a day to remove plaque. For the best results, brush for 2 minutes with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a non-abrasive fluoride toothpaste. You don’t have to brush very hard. In fact, doing this can lead tosensitive teethand discomfort when eating hot and cold foods. Instead, use gentle circular motions as you clean around each tooth.
3. Flossing Your Teeth Once a Day
Plaque likes to hide where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. This is why it’s important you floss your teeth at least once a day, ideally before bedtime. That way, you’ll be able to remove plaque and food particles trapped in the tiny spaces between your teeth. Remember that it’s not a race.Much like with brushing, a rush job can cause more harm than good.
Try flossing like this:
- Tear off about 18-24 inches of floss.
- Wrap most of the floss around both of your middle fingers, leaving about 1-2 inches for use on your teeth.
- Use your thumbs and index fingers to tightly hold the floss and place it between two teeth.
- Carefully and gently move the floss up and down to rub it against both sides of each tooth. Try not to glide the floss into your gums as this can cause scratching and bruising.
- Curve the floss into a “C” shape once it reaches your gums so it hugs the base of your tooth. By doing this, you’re allowing the floss to enter the space between your gums and tooth.
- Repeat the above steps until you’ve finished flossing between every tooth (even behind your back molars!) and use a clean section of floss as you go.
4. Drinking Fluoridated Water
Enamel is the white outer layer of your tooth that protects the more sensitive layer of dentin beneath. For this reason, it’s important that you make sure your enamel doesn’t lose minerals over time. Drinking fluoridated water is a great way to strengthen your tooth enamel, increasing its resistance to cavities over time. In fact, communities with fluoridated water supplies tend to have lower rates of tooth decay.
5. Avoiding or Limiting High-Sugar Foods
Do you like eating donuts, chocolate, and other sugary foods? If so, you’re not alone. The dental plaque that lives inside your mouth LOVES sugar. Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth and gums. As plaque consumes sugar, it produces an acid that erodes away your natural tooth structure. While a certain amount of plaque is unavoidable, you can consciously limit sugary foods so you’re not rolling out the welcome mat all the time for bacteria.
If left untreated, leads to tooth decay and gum disease. This is why we recommend seeing our dentists every 6 months for your routine teeth cleanings. Over time, plaque hardens into what we call tartar. While you can remove plaque at home, only a dental professional can remove tartar with special tools.
Call Mosaic Dental Today
Our dentists in Troy, MI, want the best for your smile. That’s why we offer a range of preventive dental services to patients of all ages in addition to at-home advice given. To request an appointment with Mosaic Dental, call (248) 528-2270.
This blog post has been updated. test
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