If you’re like most people then you probably spend most of your time away from the dentist office and out enjoying life. In fact, you most likely don’t spend much time thinking about your teeth at all, maybe a total of five minutes a day while you are getting ready for the day in the morning or at night when you’re getting ready for bed. At the end of every dentist visit however, you get the same old message of “see you next visit!” accompanied with a dental goodie bag full of toothy tools. Knowing what to do with those tools though is another matter and six months in between visits is a long time to not know how to care for your smile.

In light of this often skipped over information, we’ve compiled some tips on taking care of your smile in between dental visits.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR TEETH HEALTHY IN BETWEEN DENTAL VISITS

Use Your Toothbrush

It’s no coincidence that dentists give you a free toothbrush after every visit. We want you to keep your smile shining and to do that you need to have the right equipment, the basics of which is a good toothbrush. When you brush your teeth, the recommend two times a day, you remove bacteria and plaque that has built up throughout the day or night.

Using the free toothbrush we give you or the one you buy at the market is the first step in keeping your smile healthy after you leave the dentist. The American Dental Associationrecommends you change your toothbrush every three to four months to maintain its effectiveness and prevent bacteria from growing. Using and changing your toothbrush regularly is essential in maintaining your smile’s health in between dental visits.

Eat Healthy

Eating vegetables, drinking milk, and avoiding food with high sugar content is important in keeping your mouth healthy in between dental visits. Fibrous vegetables act as a scrubbing agent on your teeth and help to remove plaque. Eating those healthy foods and drinking water can also help stimulate saliva production, which flushes away bacteria and food particles hanging around in your mouth.

Dairy products have calcium and other vitamins that can help strengthen your teeth. Incorporating dairy products into your diet help maintain your teeth and prevent tooth decay. Another important aspect of preventing tooth decay is staying away from sugary foods. Sugar acts as a food source for the bacteria in your mouth, which causes tooth decay. Keeping away from the sugar will help prevent the bacteria from forming and your teeth from decaying.

Floss and Rinse Your Teeth

After a long day of eating, drinking, and snacking your mouth builds up bacteria in every nook and cranny. Brushing your teeth removes a lot of it from your mouth but there are still some places even your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing every day removes the plaque and food particles that your toothbrush can’t reach and help prevent tooth decay. Following your flossing routine with a mouthwash rinse also helps remove bacteria from your mouth and flushes out every recess of your mouth.

Utilize Fluoride

Fluoride has many benefits for your teeth and plays a big role in keeping them healthy in between dentist visits. Using fluorinated toothpaste and mouthwash helps protect your teeth by hardening the enamel that is worn down by the acidic foods and drinks we consume daily. Fluoride also acts as a restorative mineral for our teeth and can repair small amounts of damage. If you want to keep your teeth in top shape in between your dentist visits then utilizing fluorinated toothpaste and mouthwash will be a major part of your dental routine.

The six long months in between dental visits doesn’t have to be a time of worry and confusion. You can sufficiently take care of your teeth with this bit of knowledge and some time, effort, and care so you arrive at your next dentist appointment with healthy and strong teeth. Your dentist will provide any extra care your teeth need at your appointment.