To have the best possible health, you must consider your oral health too. The mouth significantly impacts your general health. At Dental Express in San Diego, CA, we teach our patients optimal oral hygiene tips that allow them to keep their teeth healthy from home. While regular dental exams and routine dental cleanings are important, maintaining oral health from home helps ensure that no dental issues arise in-between visits. With dental offices closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for dental emergencies, it’s increasingly important to keep your teeth healthy from home. Our professional team can offer important preventive dentistry tips that assist you to maintain oral health from your home.
What is preventive dentistry?
Preventive dentistry helps our patients in San Diego, CA minimize their risk of tooth decay or gum disease. An effective at-home oral hygiene routine of regular brushing and flossing can achieve that outcome. Our experienced team approaches dental care by creating a healthy mouth that provides overall health. Regular dental exams and routine dental cleanings assist our patients with keeping their teeth and gums healthy. Our staff can also provide useful tips on how to keep your teeth healthy between office visits.
How oral health influences overall health
Maintaining oral health will decrease your risk of developing many health problems. To make sure that you have the best possible health, you will want to visit our professional team at Dental Express in San Diego, CA who will collaborate with your physicians when any issues occur that can affect your overall health. Without efficient oral hygiene, many health problems can arise, including:
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Heart disease
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High blood pressure
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Type II Diabetes
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Stroke
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Dementia
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Premature birth
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Some cancers
Uncontrolled tooth decay or gum disease can lead to tooth loss, which can impact your health too.
How to correctly brush your teeth
For a healthy mouth and smile, the American Dental Associates suggests that you brush your teeth twice a day. Replace your toothbrush every few months or as soon as the bristles become frayed. Use ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. To brush correctly, place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle at the gums. Gently move the brush back and forth. Brush all surfaces of the teeth for 30 seconds for each of the four quadrants of the mouth.
Why is flossing important?
Unhealthy gums can increase your risk of tooth loss or the need for a tooth root canal. While brushing at least twice a day is important, brushing alone can’t protect you from developing gum disease. When left untreated, gum disease can lead to receding gums or tooth loss. Bacteria left in your mouth can even end up in your bloodstream.
This makes a good at-home oral hygiene routine that includes flossing important. To floss the most efficiently, we suggest holding the floss with most of the floss around both of your middle fingers. Leave just an inch or two for the teeth you’re working on. Hold the floss tightly with the thumbs or index fingers. Place the dental floss or your floss pick between two teeth and gently glide it up and down, rubbing the sides of each tooth. Curve the floss at the base of the tooth to form a C shape, which allows you to enter between the gums and the tooth. Repeat these steps for your entire mouth.
Learn how good oral hygiene and flossing keep you healthy
At Dental Express in San Diego, CA, our professional team can teach our patients how to best care for their teeth at home. Oral care tips help us keep your teeth and gums healthy at home and not just during routine dental cleanings and regular dental exams. Flossing removes bacteria, plaque, and food particles stuck between the teeth. It reduces your chance of developing tooth decay or gum disease too. To schedule a dental examination to learn more about oral hygiene, contact our office today. We pride ourselves on helping our patients to achieve healthy teeth at all times.