What You Need to Keep on Your Dental Health Checklist

Have you ever thought about creating a dental health checklist?  It just might be the missing piece to your oral health puzzle.  Human teeth should last a lifetime yet such a feat is becoming increasingly rare thanks to the increased consumption of processed foods.

Foods rife with sugar, starch, acid and other substances that damage the teeth have become commonplace in stores. Tooth enamel is certainly hard yet it will eventually wear away unless you take good care of your teeth. It will help to have a dental health checklist to consult each day and night.

Dental health checklist items

Brushing the Right way Should be at the Top of Your Dental Health Checklist

The best dental health checklists start out with a thorough brushing.  In the context of oral health, there is nothing more important than brushing your teeth in a comprehensive manner at least two times each day.  Each brushing session should last about two minutes.

However, brushing right after eating is a mistake as your enamel is especially vulnerable following the consumption of food or beverages. If you brush after eating certain foods that soften the teeth, you might damage your tooth enamel.

Flossing is Fundamental to Dental Health

A surprising number of people do not floss.  Dentists across the land will testify flossing is just as important as brushing.  Flossing should occur at least one time each day to remove bacteria and plaque.

If flossing does not occur, plaque and bacteria will accumulate between the teeth in those tight spaces the toothbrush can't reach.  This will hasten tooth decay, cavities, gum disease and possible tooth loss.

Your Dental Health Checklist Should Include a Review of Your Toothbrush

Toothbrushes do not last as long as most assume.  Most toothbrushes lose their ability to clean teeth in an effective manner after a couple months.  If your toothbrush bristles are worn, replace your brush right away.  Get a new brush with soft bristles every 100 days or so.  

Avoid Sugary Foods

Add checking food and beverage labels for sugar and high fructose corn syrup to your dental health checklist.  Take a look at the ingredients of the foods you commonly eat and you will likely find many contain sugar.  Plenty of the beverages you enjoy might also contain an abundance of sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Identify these unhealthy treats and reduce your intake of them to preserve the integrity of your teeth.  It will also help to avoid foods and drinks that have a high level of starch and acid as both are direct threats to the integrity of your teeth.

Rinsing and Tongue Cleaning

No dental care routine is complete without a cleaning of the tongue and a rinsing with mouthwash.  Be sure to clean your tongue from front to back with a toothbrush or tongue scraper every night.

This cleaning will freshen your breath and remove bacteria and food particles.  Rinse with a mouthwash containing fluoride once per day to address all those hard-to-reach spaces the toothbrush and floss might not be able to clean.

Call (561) 225-2057 to schedule an appointment with Palm Beach Dentistry in our Delray Beach dental office.