During these times of unrest, the majority of us will be self-isolating, and with the new governmental ordered restrictions to our daily lives, it might be some time before you’re able to head out for your next dental appointment. The staff at Lister House Dental Centre in Essex want to help you make sure you’re doing all you can to keep on top of your oral health at home – after all, your oral hygiene has a great influence on your overall health!
Getting into the habit
By creating and following a daily routine, you’ll be developing good dental hygiene habits to keep your teeth and gums healthy between dental appointments. We recommend brushing twice daily. This will reduce the amount of inflammatory acids that adhere to the tooth enamel, weakening its structure and making you more susceptible to gum disease!
Why not get the kids involved in your brushing routine? After all, it’s reported that 64% of parents say it’s a real challenge to get their children into the habit of brushing their teeth twice a day. Now is a good a time as ever to start your own Big Family Brush Up Challenge!
Using the best tools for your smile
To ensure that you are minimising the build-up of plaque and the risk of dental caries, it’s important that you are equipped with the proper tools.
We strongly recommend using a fluoride-containing toothpaste which will slow the breakdown of enamel and bolster the tooth’s remineralisation process to prevent cavities from forming. Toothpastes containing fluoride are safe for both adults and children, though children under the age of 6 will only require a ‘pea-sized’ amount of toothpaste on their brush.
If at all possible, purchasing an electric toothbrush will benefit your oral health in the long-term as they do have an advantage over manual brushes. This is mainly due to the vibration and oscillating micro-movements of the electric brush helping to remove plaque from the teeth. However, electric toothbrushes can be expensive and, whilst manual toothbrushes might not come with all the ‘bells and whistles’ found in their electric counterpart, they are still very effective at maintaining gum health when used properly.
Floss. Floss. Floss!
And, whatever you do don’t forget to floss! By not flossing regularly, you miss out on cleaning 35% of the tooth’s surface. Floss before you brush to make sure the fluoride in your toothpaste can reach all areas between your teeth and gums. There are lots of flossing tools at your disposal, including interdental brushes, dental floss, water flossers… we don’t mind which you use, as long as you remember to do it daily!
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