Dental Hygiene is extremely important for not only your oral care, but also your overall health. Poor dental hygiene has been linked to many common illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. In fact, during a recent study, numbers suggest that people with serious gum disease were 40% more likely to also have a chronic health condition. Below are our 10 good dental hygiene tips for boosting your oral health.

Floss Daily. In 2013, 50.5% of Americans say they floss on a daily basis. That means nearly half of the U.S. population is missing 40% of their teeth’s surfaces. Flossing is high on our list of good dental hygiene tips because it is the number one most ignored dental hygiene tool and is just as important as brushing on a daily basis.

Brush Your Teeth Daily.  It is recommended by the ADA to brush your teeth at least twice a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Your toothbrush should fit comfortably in your mouth and be easy to maneuver around, reaching all areas of your teeth and mouth.

Eat Crunchy Veggies. If it is hard to find time to brush your teeth after lunch than our 3rd suggestion in our good dental hygiene tips is just for you. Try eating low acidic fruits or crunchy veggies such as carrots or celery. These foods are natural tooth cleaning aids and can help scrub sticky food residue of the surface of your teeth. Furthermore, celery’s stringing fibers can act as natural floss, helping remove enrooted food between your teeth.

Chew Sugar Free Gum. Much like our third suggestion in our 10 good dental hygiene tips, chewing sugar free gum can help clean your teeth after meals. The stickiness of gum helps remove wedged food between your teeth and can pull plaque from the surfaces. The ADA also says that chewing gum increases the flow of saliva in your mouth, helping to neutralize acids. Saliva also carries calcium and phosphate which helps strengthen tooth enamel.

Quite Smoking. Smoking not only affects your lungs, it affects your teeth and gums as well. Nicotine and tar in cigarettes creates the perfect environment for bacteria and plaque to breed. Smoking dries your mouth by decreasing saliva flow.  Tobacco can also cause mouth sores, making you more at risk for mouth cancer.

Eat Better. Coming in at number 6 on our good dental hygiene tips list is healthy eating. Eating nutritious and balanced meals while limiting snacking can do wonders for your dental hygiene. Foods with high levels of carbohydrate such as candy, breads and chips will stick to teeth and remain on the tooth surface until brushed off. This can increase your risk of cavities.

Keep your Tools Clean. Keep your tooth brush clean by rinsing it with water after each use. Store your toothbrush upright and uncovered so it can air dry. Storing tooth brushes in closed containers encourages bacteria growth which can then be transferred to your mouth.

Replace Toothbrush. In order to have the best dental hygiene, it is recommended to replace your toothbrush every three to four months, or if your bristles become frayed.

Purchase ADA Approved Supplies. There are many dental products out there to choose from but only ones with the ADA approval stamp should be trusted. This is especially true when it comes to mouth wash and even other things like sugar free gum.

Regular Dental Visits. Number 10 on the best dental hygiene tips list is your biannual dentist appointments. The ADA recommends having two dental visits a year.Having two dental visits a year helps keep your dental hygiene in check. Dental visits can also be used as an extra way to check up on your overall wellbeing as the condition of your gums can be a tall tail sign of other health issues.

As of 2013, 80 percent of the U.S. population has some form of periodontal gum disease. Periodontal disease can be easily prevented by taking the dental hygiene steps above. Take the first steps to having a cleaner, healthier mouth by making an appointment at your local dentist office today.

Visit us at www.devotedfamilydental.com today for more information about our 10 best dental hygiene tips. Devoted Family Dental is Marysville Washington’s favorite family dentist!

Why is Dental Hygiene Important?

A surprisingly high percentage of Americans do not practice good dental hygiene habits. In 2013, it was reported that over 75% of the U.S. population has some form of periodontal gum disease. Periodontal disease is a result of prolonged gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums which is caused by a buildup of plaque on the teeth.

It is extremely important to practice good dental hygiene in order to prevent periodontal disease. Periodontal disease causes bone and gums to pull away from the teeth, forming spaces called pockets. These pockets become infected due to bacteria and plaque spreading below the gum line. The combination of bacterial toxins along with the body’s response to infection causes your bone and the connective tissue to break down. If not treated, teeth will become unstable and could eventually become so loose that extraction may be required.

Aside from gingivitis and periodontal disease, poor dental hygiene will lead to cavities and tooth decay. Cavities can be painless at first, but when left untreated, they can lead to infections and exposure of the nerve which can result in significant pain. Furthermore, the internal structure of the tooth is likely to be destroyed and as mentioned above, could result in extraction.

There are many dental hygiene tools and products available on the market to help keep your mouth in tip-top shape. When shopping around for these products, it is a good idea to choose those that are approved by the ADA. These products will display the official ADA Seal of Acceptance. ADA approved products are not only the safest products, but also the most effective and will greatly help improve your dental hygiene.

Dental hygiene is also extremely important when it comes to children. Establishing a consistent dental routine at a young age will instill dental habits that are likely to follow them throughout their life. While baby teeth all eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent adult teeth, dental hygiene is still important. Infected baby teeth can cause damage to the growing teeth below the gums. If this happens, subsequent treatments will be required and can be painful and expensive. Help kids get excited about brushing their teeth with fun, ADA approved products. Some of these could include: fun flavored toothpaste and floss, toothbrushes that sport a favorite cartoon character and a fun toothbrush holder.

The most important part to dental hygiene is meeting the ADA recommendation of two dental cleanings a year. While toothbrushes and floss remove food from most areas in your mouth, there are still spaces that everyday dental tools fail to clean. Dentists know where these areas are and have special instruments that are designed to clean these places. The combination of two yearly cleaning appointments and a proper daily dental hygiene routine will effectively prevent gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Visit us online today for more information about dental hygiene. Devoted Family Dental is Washington’s favorite family dentist!

Bad Food for Dental Hygiene

While many foods can help keep your dental hygiene in check, there are countless others that do just the opposite.  We all know the obvious ones: soda, candy, energy drinks and pretty much everything else that contains a large excess of sugar. While most have known about these sugary, tooth-rotting fares since childhood, there are a handful of healthy foods that can cause havoc to your pearly whites. Check out the follow bad foods for dental hygiene.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are considered a bad food for dental hygiene. Not all fruits have a high acidity level, however a majority of them do. Eating an orange at lunch isn’t enough to cause concern for your dental hygiene but for those who eat a large amount of high-citrus fruits could be at risk of permanent damage. Much like sugar, a large amount of citrus can cause your teeth to soften, eroding your enamel.

Fruits are an essential part to a healthy, complete diet so avoiding them in efforts to protect your teeth isn’t a smart solution.  In fact, vitamin C, most commonly consumed from oranges, is an essential vitamin for maintaining healthy gums. Rather than cutting fruits from your daily diet, drink a big glass of water following consumption of acidic fruits, wait 20 minutes,and then brush your teeth. Remember, citrus softens your teeth so brushing right after can cause a lot of damage and is a bad dental hygiene practice.

High acid containing fruits:

• Lemons (Including lemon water)
• Oranges
• Limes
• Grapefruit (Drinking grapefruit is juice is almost as erosive as a soda.)
• Any kind of concentrated fruit juice

Almonds

Say it ain’t so! Any avid snacker watching their waistline knows almonds are a great healthy alternative to potato chips or other crunchy snacks. Loaded with vitamin E and full of healthy fats, almonds have always been a great source of nutrition. While they may help to improve your body figure, they are unfortunately considered a bad food for dental hygiene and can cause havoc to the structure of your teeth. Almonds are extremely hard and in many cases can cause your teeth to fracture.

In this case, the solution is quite simple. Next time you reach for almonds at the grocery store, choose the chopped or sliced option.

Coffee

Coffee has been a hot topic in the dental industry for years. First it’s bad for dental hygiene, and then a study says it is good, and the next thing you know: I am telling you it is in fact a bad food for dental hygiene again. Much like that last two foods we mentioned above, many foods have both positive and negative qualities. The important thing is to recognize both sides and take the proper actions to prevent lasting damage while still taking advantage of the benefits.

Coffee contains many beneficial antioxidants that are beneficial to the whole body, including other dental hygiene factors such as your mouth! However, coffee has a bad reputation when it comes to stains, and I’m not just talking about that white shirt you spilt on this morning! Coffee is notorious for staining your teeth and a buildup can actually attract plaque.

For a majority of the American population, asking one to stop consumption of coffee would be like asking one to limit their intake of oxygen: An impossible request without deadly consequences. Ok I admit, we’re being a bit extreme here but you know it’s true! In fact, I’m drinking coffee right now as I write this and I am not one to be hypocritical. So instead of enduring endless groggy mornings, opt for iced coffee, skip the sugar, drink through a straw, and consider adding some milk to offset acidity. And remember to brush and floss once you have finished your cup of joe!

Contact (360) 651-2900 today for more information about dental hygiene. Devoted Family Dental is Washington’s favorite family dentist!