Keeping your teeth clean can be surprisingly difficult, as most of us have found out at one time or another. We simply eat and drink so many things day-to-day that it is easy to allow our mouths to become dirty without even meaning to. In fact, many people who think that they are practicing good dental care habits are even susceptible to difficulties with keeping their teeth clean. This is because dental health starts with understanding, and many people do not completely understand different aspects of dental care. For some information on the subject, you can visit a site like topdentists.com, but in the meantime, here are a few things to keep in mind.
To begin with, it is important to remember that dental health is not synonymous with tooth whiteness. Of course, healthy, well-maintained teeth will generally be white and clean – however, white and clean teeth are not necessarily healthy. If your focus is only on the teeth in front, and on keeping them white, then you, like many others, may be neglecting properly caring the rest of your teeth. If your teeth are dirty looking or experiencing some rotting or decay, you don’t need to focus on making them whiter – you need to focus on thorough brushing and flossing.
With regard to flossing, far too many people still fail to understand its significance. Let’s be honest – many of us leave the dentist’s office having been scolded for not flossing enough, and then we tend to ignore the floss the dentists give us! However, most dental experts will actually tell you that flossing is the most important and effective way to fight against plaque buildup, as it really helps you to get between your teeth to the places where dangerous buildup is most likely to occur. Flossing is not an extra thing that you can ignore if you choose to – if you want healthy teeth, flossing is a must.
Finally, try to schedule your brushing and flossing around your meals, rather than around what time of day it is. Many people wake up in the morning and brush before breakfast, then go all day before brushing at bedtime. While this is still a generally healthy habit – 2 brushes per day – it is still not necessarily ideal. If you think about it logically, brushing and flossing are meant to remove the buildup in your teeth that comes largely from what we consume during a given day – so, it follows that it’s a good idea to clean your teeth immediately following meals. Brush after breakfast instead of before it, and if at all possible try to brush after lunch too – you can never clean your teeth too much, and cleaning after meals can really help to keep your mouth healthy.
