By caring for your smile at home and in our office, we can help boost your oral hygiene and improve your oral health. These actions can prevent issues like tooth decay and gum disease, and help you avoid long-term problems like tooth loss. In today’s blog, Dreem Dentistry talks about helping smiles in Leawood, KS, with better oral hygiene habits!

Checkups and Cleanings

A major way to safeguard your oral health and ensure good hygiene is with a routine checkup and cleaning visit with our team. We want to see you and your entire family every six months. With a checkup, we will look closely at your teeth, gums, roots, and jawbone with intraoral cameras and digital x-rays, so we can make a precise diagnosis with accuracy and comfort. We then create a treatment plan to address the issues we uncover, and restore your smile. For kids, these visits help instill good oral hygiene habits and lower the risk of dental anxiety later in life.

All ages also benefit from a dental cleaning, which happens in the same visit. With a dental cleaning, our team will use an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool to gently and thoroughly remove all plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. The process only takes a few minutes to completely, but can lower the risk of cavities and gum disease, and also fight bad breath and even limit the severity of teeth stains. The process is completed with a polishing, which not only brightens your smile a little, but makes it more difficult for harmful plaque and tartar buildup to accumulate before you see us again.

Brushing and Flossing at Home

You also need to take steps from home to better protect your smile, which is why good oral hygiene depends on daily brushing and flossing. For example, you should start your day by brushing your teeth first thing in the morning with a soft-bristled toothbrush. With soft bristles, you lower the risk of enamel damage or gum irritation. You can choose electric or manual, whichever you prefer, both are effective if used daily and properly. The type of toothpaste you choose matters too. We suggest one with fluoride, which helps strengthen the outer enamel to prevent tooth decay. You also need to brush before you go to bed at night.

Flossing is even more critical, as this not only prevents tooth decay, but gum disease too. You should floss every evening before you go to bed, and prior to brushing that second time. With floss tape, strong, or a pick, or even a water loss, you should clean up and down each side of every tooth. With tape or string, be sure you dip beneath the gums in order to remove trapped food and drink particles. You then brush again to help clear away what you have dislodged. You can help your younger kids, or monitor your older ones, ensure everyone is cleaning their teeth, even during summer break!

Watching Your Diet

What we eat and drink is also vital for protecting your oral health. We urge people to cut back on the amount of sugar and starch in your diet, as these particles can feed harmful bacteria to increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, as well as bad breath and teeth stains. Drink more water, and follow sugary drinks with water too, so you rinse away harmful particles. Cut back on candies, chips, and other starch and sugar-rich items. Instead, consume fresh fruits and veggies, hummus or peanut butter can make these an enjoyable snack! Try to enjoy sugar-free candies and gum, low-fat yogurts, cheeses, whole grain bread and crackers, and other healthier alternatives to traditional snacks.

What we eat and drink can help lower the risks of cavities, and also protect us from other serious complications, such as diabetes. If you have any questions about how we boost your oral hygiene with routine care at home and in our office, or if you are ready to schedule a checkup and cleaning with our team, then reach out today to learn more and get started. Let’s make this the summer you improve the health, function, and beauty of your smile.

Our Team Wants to Boost Your Oral Hygiene

We want to help boost the health, beauty, and function of your smile, so see us soon for your next checkup and cleaning. Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at (913) 681-5500 to schedule your visit with our friendly team.