Taking care of the teeth and gums is essential to overall health. However, dental treatment is not exactly cheap. If you are like most people, you are looking for ways to lower your dental costs while maintaining a healthy mouth.
Brush with a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Try to brush within an hour or two after eating a meal. Fluoride is also in tap water, fluoride treatment trays available at the dentist's office and fluoride pills. Fluoride is necessary to keep the teeth strong and prevent expensive oral health procedures.
Get into the habit of brushing at least two times per day and flossing a minimum of once each day. This is the bare minimum of oral health care necessary to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Such good oral hygiene will prevent the vast majority of dental diseases.
If the patient does not feel any sort of pain or is not unhappy with the look of his or her smile, it is awfully tempting to skip a scheduled visit to the dentist's office. However, failing to have the teeth thoroughly cleaned, examined and treated will inevitably spur the need for dental work. Dental treatments and procedures will only prove that much more expensive if the patient continues to skip those 6-month dental appointments.
When visiting the dentist, speak up. Patients can find out more information about oral health care and ask about what they can do to improve the form and function of their teeth. Patients need to request advice about oral health care solutions that have the potential to help treat the unique dental challenges. By seeking out such information, patients will have the necessary knowledge to keep their teeth in tip-top shape and avoid costly dental work.
Snacking can sabotage one's oral health, especially if the individual brushes and/or flosses after meals. Snacking seems innocent yet even those foods that do not taste sweet almost always contain sugar. Regular snacking will expose the teeth to this sugar as well as harmful acid. If an individual must snack, then it is beneficial to choose foods that will not damage the teeth to a considerable extent. Examples of such foods include plain yogurt, fresh vegetables, seeds and nuts. When in doubt, fill up on water rather than munching on foods that have the potential to damage the teeth and spur the need for costly dental treatment.
Rinsing your mouth with mouthwash will significantly reduce the chances of dental decay. Even rinsing out the mouth with water following a snack or meal will help eliminate those extra bits of food remaining in the mouth. Rinsing following eating will also help maintain a normal pH level. Rinsing stops sugar and starch from attacking the teeth to boot. This reduction in food particles means there are less food for bacteria and subsequently, fewer cavities.
Our mothers have all taught us consuming sweets causes cavities but that preventive dentistry can help counteract the effects. The first thing to know is that this is not exactly correct. The bacteria in plaque feasts on residual sugar left on teeth. This creates lactic acid build up which lowers the pH surrounding the teeth,…
Everyone wants to keep their smile white and healthy for as long as possible, and a complete dental exam every six months is the best way to achieve this goal. You want to find a dentist you are comfortable with, establish a good relationship, and keep up with your oral health. Many patients suffer from dental…
A dental cleaning is a procedure that helps with the routine maintenance of teeth. Patients who practice good oral habits see their dentists every six months. During these routine appointments, a dentist adds teeth cleaning to their to-do list.Not all dental cleanings are the same. Some patients may have oral health issues that require a…
We can perform an oral cleaning to keep your teeth and gums in excellent health. We have found that many adults get so busy that they forget to schedule regular dental appointments. It is easier to remember to schedule annual well-visits and dental exams for children. However, when it comes to taking care of ourselves,…