While dental hygiene can seem like something you don’t have to think about, doing it recklessly may make the whole process a lot less effective. After years of doing it, brushing and flossing your teeth can become so routine that you do it reflexively. However, that doesn’t mean you should let instinct guide you, or you may miss a lot more than you realize. Today, we take a look at a few ways in which you can improve your dental hygiene routine at home, and help reduce your risks of developing a potentially serious oral health concern.
Be more attentive to your teeth
Paying more attention when you brush and floss your teeth is one of the most important and impactful ways to improve your hygiene routine. The point of it all is to remove the plaque that has built up on the surfaces of your teeth throughout the day or night. This plaque, which is a product of the oral bacteria that inhabit your mouth, constantly develops, and can pose a significant threat if it’s allowed to remain long enough. With a little more diligence, you can make sure that you remove all traces of plaque from your teeth every time you brush and floss them, and reduce your risks of leaving any traces of it behind to calcify into tartar.
Be more consistent with your hygiene
In addition to being more attentive, it’s just as important to be more consistent with brushing and flossing your teeth each day. After a while, it can be tempting to rush through or skip brushing and flossing once, or a few times. It may even become a habit. Even if it doesn’t, however, skipping cleaning your teeth just once might be enough to give dental plaque the chance to turn into tartar. Once it does, your toothpaste and water won’t be enough to remove it, and the bacteria that hide within it can multiply and become a threat.
Be more careful when you aren’t brushing
Given the importance of brushing and flossing your teeth carefully and consistently, it might be easy to forget the importance of how you treat your teeth throughout the rest of the day. For example, if you constantly expose them to sugar and acids, or grind them consistently at several times throughout the day, then keeping them clean might not be enough to fully protect them. Be conscious of how you treat your teeth, and what you expose them to, to avoid creating further risks to them and your oral health.
Learn how to make your dental hygiene better
The care you put into your smile at home can determine its health for years to come, and it may involve more than just brushing and flossing your teeth each day. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500.
