Improving Your Oral Health: A Gentle Reminder

We hope you’re seeing your regular dentist twice a year for routine dental maintenance. If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, you’re probably also seeing one of our fabulous periodontal hygienists as an important part of your overall oral health care.

With this in mind, we thought it was a good idea to remind you of the basic at-home maintenance that will also help keep your teeth and gums healthy, reduce your need for professional intervention and even perhaps lower your risk for other health concerns.

Flossing

Using good ol’ traditional dental floss once a day works wonders to remove the food particles from between your teeth where your regular toothbrush, despite your best efforts, simply may not reach. Have any questions about proper techniques? We’re happy to demonstrate and offer suggestions as to the kind of floss you might use.

Brushing Your Teeth At least Twice a Day

Most of us automatically brush our teeth when we wake up in the morning. But sometimes, exhausted from our busy days, we just want to crawl into bed at night without additional dental maintenance. Brushing before bedtime is very important since daytime saliva that helps neutralize acid from your mouth decreases at night. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and target all surfaces. Look for the ADA Seal of Approval which shows that the product has been carefully tested, approved and recommended.

Brushing Your Tongue

Nasty bacteria love to hang out on our tongues. Daily tongue brushing with soft, circular motions will help remove this potentially harmful bacteria. Want to get fancy? You can purchase special tongue scraper tools at any pharmacy.

Dietary Tips

Crunchy foods like celery, carrots and apples help remove bacteria from your teeth. Limiting sugar consumption by drinking water (which helps wash away acid or sticky substances) instead of soda or juice is another good idea. Antioxidants like berries and dark leaved greens are good for our bodies AND our teeth.

Avoid Smoking

Smoking isn’t just bad for the rest of your body; it increases your risk for gum disease and makes it harder for your mouth to heal due to decreased blood flow. If you smoke and want to quit but don’t know how, check out the CDC’s tobacco cessation tips for valuable resources.

Employ Mouthwashes

A swish around the mouth helps freshen your breath. It can also help clean around the gums and reduce acid in the mouth. Those mouthwashes that contain fluoride may also help re-mineralize your teeth.

Your periodontal team at the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics will help you prevent, diagnose and treat gum disease. We can replace failing or missing teeth with dental implants designed to last a lifetime.

Good daily home maintenance is up to you! Have any questions? Contact us at one of our two convenient locations in NE Philadelphia (267-933-4281) or Ambler, PA (215-720-1868) to arrange a consultation. No referrals are necessary.