We know we know, there’s hardly been a summer this year… Yet. We can remain ever hopeful though!
In anticipation of a fantastic and glorious summer, we thought we’d give you some top tips to keeping your teeth fresh and healthy whilst you are on holiday.
Dental health plan
Staying in perfect dental health is a team effort between yourself, your dentist and your hygienist. Always ensure that you have regular hygiene appointments to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy.
Consider an electric toothbrush.
Modern quality electric toothbrushes have the ability to tell if you are pressing too hard on your gums, they also have a convenient timer. These features ensure you brush your teeth well enough, without damaging the delicate gum margins.
Clean well.
The spaces between your teeth are delicate areas, which need gentle care and attention. Ensure you follow the hygienist’s instructions with regards to cleaning these areas, if floss, tape or inter dental brushes have been suggested, please ensure you use them in the way described.
Quit smoking.
Smoking damages not only your health, but your gums and teeth. It can stain your teeth, attack the gums and give you bad breath. It has been shown that people who smoke typically have poorer oral health and are more prone to gum disease, this results in a higher incidence of tooth loss in later life.
Remember fluoride.
A good quality toothpaste and mouthwash will ensure that fluoride levels are optimal to protect your teeth. Remember, children should always use a child specific toothpaste as this has an appropriate amount of fluoride for their age.
Consider teeth whitening.
Brighter and whiter teeth look fantastic with a summer tan (fat chance in this country this year!), Teeth whitening is one of the simplest and quickest ways to achieve a confident smile. If you have a couple of weeks until you go on holiday, it’s not too late to give us a call to find out more about whitening your teeth before you go.
It’s all about the H2O.
We all know that staying hydrated is important, and drinking water with and after your meal is a great way to neutralise any acidity that remains from the food.
Chew gum.
Chewing sugarfree gum after a meal helps to stimulate the production of saliva, this is your body is natural defence against the bacteria which form cavities. Chewing sugarfree gum can help protect your teeth.
Quit those fizzy drinks.
Many fizzy drinks are highly acidic, as you know this can attack your teeth. If you really want to drink fizzy drinks a good trick is to drink them through a straw, this then tends to keep the acidic drink away from your teeth slightly more. Although our preference is to not drink these fizzy drinks at all!
Clean your teeth after meals.
After a meal we recommend you clean your teeth, HOWEVER, we recommend that you wait 20 min. Otherwise you may be damaging the enamel of your teeth which could possibly have been softened by the acid in the food.
We hope you found these tips useful for a healthy and confident smile in the summer. For more information please call our dental practice in the centre of Watford, Hertfordshire on 01923 233600.
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