It’s a question our Toledo area dental patients routinely ask us at Dr. Poz — “I’m doing everything you suggested I do to take care of my teeth, so why did I still get a cavity.”
In this first of a multi-part series we will discuss important information and useful tips to improve your daily oral care.
Useful Tips to Improve Brushing
While there are many factors that play a part in your susceptibility to cavities — what you eat, your oral care, even your genetics — the answer may not be in the what you are doing to take care of your teeth, but rather in the how you are doing it. And while most of us learned early in life the basic care advice for healthy teeth — brush twice daily and don’t eat too much sugar — the truth is, there’s a little more to preventing tooth decay than these basic guidelines suggest. Here are three tips to improve your oral care starting today.
- Brush up on your brushing
How and when you brush makes a big difference. The mechanical act of brushing removes sticky dental plaque which forms naturally on teeth immediately after you’ve eaten. While it doesn’t start to cause damage for at least 12 hours, don’t put off brushing till this “deadline”.
Plaque is difficult to see because it is whitish in color, like your teeth. To see it more clearly consider using disclosing tablets — available in most supermarkets and drugstores — which turn plaque red. Theses tablets highlight plaque to more clearly show areas you may be missing when brushing.
- Brush more often
Brushing frequently stops the bacteria developing to a stage where the plaque which causes the most damage becomes established. Plan your daily routine to brush at night and one other time during the day.
- Brush the correct length of time
Taking two minutes to brush your teeth is a good target for removing plaque. Two minutes is longer than most of us think. Use your smart phone to time yourself. There also are apps that will play music for two minutes to keep you or your kids entertained for the suggested brushing time.
Keeping these 3 things in mind can help decrease the number of cavities you get and improve your overall oral health.
But the main thing is to get brushing!
If you have other questions about this blog or proper brushing and oral care, please contact us at Dr. Poz’s office or speak to one of the hygienists during your next visit.
