5 Tips to Keep Your Teeth Healthy for Life

While it may seem an obvious, basic oral hygiene is the key to helping you keep your teeth healthy for life. And, while we’ve all been taught the basics since childhood, a gentle reminder can never hurt.

With that in mind...

• Tooth color means little – If you have teeth like an actor, bright, shiny white, you may still have other problems. Like hair and skin color, teeth come in different shades. Pearly white teeth may not be the healthiest you could hope for. Bacteria in your mouth is the culprit for gum disease and cavities, which means shade doesn't equal healthy.
• Two minutes, twice a day – We can all find four minutes in our days to brush. If you want your mouth to be infection free, brushing twice daily is the best way. Brushing twice daily is the best way to ensure you keep your natural teeth.
• Cleaning between the teeth – There is really only one way to clean the surfaces between your teeth and that is flossing. While it may not be much fun, and can feel extremely awkward at first, brushing only cleans the outer surfaces of your teeth. To get between them, using dental floss is the answer until something else comes along.
• Bacteria are the enemy of healthy teeth – even though they are necessary for digestion. Yes, the bacteria in your mouth begin the food digestion process but, when it mixes with the sugars in the foods you eat it can also lead to infection and cavities. Brushing, flossing, and using a mouth rinse are your tools for keeping harmful bacteria in check.
• Keep your dental appointments – Bacteria also love a dark, humid place to help it grow; a place like your mouth – especially under your gums. A visit to your dentist, and dental hygienist for cleaning every six months, is the best way to ensure your own efforts at controlling harmful bacteria are not wasted.

Dr. Kaushal Dhawan and staff at The Colorado Center for Implant and Prosthetic Dentistry are available to help you determine effective solutions to all of your dental problems. If you would like more information from your Littleton area Prosthodontist, please call to make an appointment today.