October brings many things like pumpkins and fall treats, but it also marks the beginning of National Dental Hygiene Month. This is an effort to bring awareness to the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene throughout the year. Do you and your family know the proper way to brush and floss? Learn about keeping a proper oral health routine, and some other tips on how to make sure you and your loved ones have good oral hygiene year-round from your dentist in Putnam.
Brush
It’s important that you and your family brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes each session to clean plaque and bacteria from your smile. The best time to brush is in the morning and at night, but you can also bring travel-sized items to work during the day for quick teeth cleaning after meals.
There is also a correct brushing technique that you and your loved ones should be doing:
- Place your brush at a 45-degree angle on your gums to clean out bacteria on your gumline.
- Brush all of your teeth’s surfaces, gently moving your brush back and forth.
- Brush your tongue at the end of your session to wash away bacteria and keep your breath fresh.
Everyone’s toothbrush should be specific to their mouth, so if you have little ones at home, they should be using a smaller toothbrush than you are to better reach all their teeth. Additionally, everyone in your family should use soft-bristled toothbrushes to make sure you aren’t being too abrasive on your teeth.
Floss
Once you’ve brushed using the above tips, you should floss once a day. You can choose the best time of day for you to floss, but a good idea is to floss at night after you’ve eaten. This way, you can clean any food that has gotten stuck, or plaque that has formed through out the day in between your teeth.
If you struggle with flossing or get in bed before remembering to clean in between your teeth, you can keep pre-strung floss picks nearby. These are little bits of floss that are really easy to use, especially if you have arthritis or mobility problems.
Chew Gum and Drink Water
Saliva is your friend because it naturally fights cavities and decay. Chewing sugar-free gum stimulates saliva flow, which washes away acids and bacteria that cause cavities.
Drinking water with fluoride in it also increases saliva, washes away bacteria, and the fluoride gives your teeth’s enamel some extra protection. Most tap water already contains fluoride, so if you like bottled water, look at the ingredients to pick a bottle that contains this natural protector.
Besides maintaining oral hygiene on your own, be sure to see your local dentist for regular checkups. Even if it means Google searching, ‘dentist near me,’ it’s important you get in to see someone. Now that you know some tips on good oral healthcare, you can celebrate National Hygiene Month with healthy clean smiles for your family!
About the Practice
Drs. Carolyn and Walter McGinn are committed to providing quality care to the Putnam community. They want to keep their patient’s smiles as healthy as possible, which is why they encourage scheduling your dental exams and checkups twice a year. They currently run their own practice, and they can be contacted through their website or by phone at (860) 928-3723 for any questions.