Advice on How to Keep Your Smile Beautiful from Your Albuquerque Dentist

Most people are aware they need to brush and floss daily and visit their dentist every six months. Today, the team at Snow Park Dental wants to delve further into the topic of oral hygiene, and offer you tips on how to maintain your beautiful smile for years to come.

Brushing

While you may know you should brush at least twice daily when you brush is also very important. Many people wait until after breakfast to brush their teeth because they don’t like the way toothpaste changes the flavor of their morning OJ. What you might not know: brushing your teeth after consuming an acidic beverage, like orange juice, can cause erosion of the tooth enamel. Acid erosion leads to tooth sensitivity and the acceleration of decay. Regardless of what you are consuming for breakfast, it is best to brush your teeth as soon as you wake up.

Brushing your teeth right before going to sleep is the most important brushing you will do all day. Removing the decay-causing plaque from the surfaces of your teeth is critical in keeping cavities and gum disease at bay. Also, you produce less saliva during your sleeping hours, and saliva is a natural anti-microbial agent which helps protect your teeth from plaque during the day. Without this additional assistance at night, your mouth needs to be completely clean to prevent plaque from accumulating unchecked.

Flossing

Many people absolutely loathe the prospect of flossing. Some don’t want to waste time with one more thing to do before going to bed, and others just don’t like the sensation of the floss on their gums. Unfortunately, flossing is an essential part of good oral health. Flossing gets in-between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach (and where cavities love to live). Therefore, it is important to find a way to work flossing into your daily oral care regimen, because a little bit of flossing every day might save you from costly and painful dental problems down the road.

Drink More Water

Drinking water keeps your teeth healthier in a number of ways. Gargling with water is a great way to remove food debris after meals if you can’t brush. If you like to drink acidic beverages, following them up with a glass of water can minimize the effects of acid erosion. It also boosts your saliva production by keeping your mouth moist.

Don’t Ignore Warning Signs

Have you been experiencing chronic tooth sensitivity or discomfort? Have you recently developed an unexplained lump or rough patch in the mouth? These are all warning signs of serious dental problems. If you are suffering from any oral problem that doesn’t immediately go away, you should contact Dr. Miller at Snow Park Dental and schedule an exam. Ignoring warning signs can only exacerbate any dental issue that you are experiencing and could possibly put your teeth, or overall health, at risk.

If you’d like to learn more about keeping your smile healthy or to schedule an exam with Dr. Miller, call our Albuquerque dental office at (505) 596-4479. We proudly serve patients from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Los Lunas, Tijeras, Mountain Air, Santa Fe, and Taos.