Oral Hygiene
Follow these simple instructions to maintain your oral hygiene
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Oral Hygiene in Los Gatos, CA
Oral hygiene plays a significant role in maintaining one’s overall health. As the saying goes, ‘The mouth is the gateway to the body,’ how well we manage our oral hygiene directly influences our overall health. Hence, dentists always give a lot of importance to their patients’ oral hygiene and ensure they take the necessary steps to keep it at an optimal standard.
Oral Hygiene Basics and Best Practices
There are several different best practices that you can incorporate into your routine to maintain great oral hygiene. Keep in mind, though, that good oral hygiene is a balance between the basics you do at home and the professional cleanings and checkups you receive at your dentist’s office.
Regular brushing and flossing can help remove plaque from your teeth, which in turn helps prevent cavities and gum disease. While brushing and flossing at home are essential to keeping your teeth healthy, it’s important to schedule regular professional cleanings as well to really get in the grooves and clean areas of your teeth that you might have missed.
In addition, staying proactive with your care — such as by incorporating fluoride treatments and x-rays — helps keep your teeth strong and healthy and lets your dentist spot potential issues early on.
Importance Of Brushing And Flossing
Oral care always starts at home with brushing and flossing the teeth regularly. Brushing the teeth gets rid of the majority of the microbes from the oral cavity, making it highly essential to be carried out every day. Dentists recommend you brush your teeth at least twice a day to ensure the microbes are removed, and their growth is halted at the right time. This also does the job of getting rid of the accumulated food debris from the mouth.
Flossing isn’t given as much importance as brushing the teeth, but it is just as important as brushing the teeth to remove the food particles and other debris lodged in between the teeth. If not, the microbes in the mouth get something to feed on, which indirectly supports their growth. Over time, it leads to tartar accumulation and eventually leads to decaying the teeth.
Maintain Dental Hygiene At Home
Do you brush your teeth at least twice every day? If yes, great! But, do you do it the right way? Choosing the correct type of toothbrush, toothpaste, and following the proper brushing techniques is essential in removing the microbes from the mouth. Use a soft-medium bristled toothbrush so that it doesn’t harm your soft gums. A toothpaste rich in fluoride is recommended as it helps to fight cavities and strengthens the teeth. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle and brush the teeth using circular strokes for maximum removal of microbes. Flossing has to be done carefully to avoid cutting the gums. Hold the floss firmly between the index and middle fingers of both the hands and ensure to scrub both the sides of individual teeth.
Professional Dental Care
In addition to maintaining optimum oral hygiene at home, periodic visits to the dentist’s office would be required to remove the plaque and tartar deposits. No matter how well you brush, certain hard-to-reach spots in the mouth get ignored. Over time, tartar build-up progresses in such places, which can lead to cavities.
Hence, visiting the dentist for periodic oral cleaning sessions once every six months is necessary to remove these tartar deposits. We use an ultrasonic scaling device for this purpose. The tip of the scaling device vibrates at ultrasonic frequencies and helps to dislodge the tartar deposits. Further, removing tartar from the root surfaces is also essential to prevent gum diseases. This is done using a process called root planing.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is supplied to the body through drinking water and the toothpaste we use. But, when this isn’t sufficient, the teeth tend to become weaker and more susceptible to cavities. Fluoride treatment is used to increase the amount of Fluoride in the teeth. This makes them stronger and increases their immunity to microbes.
Long Term Oral Hygiene
Taking care of your teeth at home and scheduling regular checkups with your dentist helps prevent a wide range of dental problems. Brushing, flossing, fluoride treatments and professional cleanings can prevent issues ranging from cavities to tooth infections and gum disease. Left untreated, these dental problems can lead to root canal infection or the loss of your teeth. Infections can also spread to other areas of your body, having a negative effect on your overall health.
When you visit your dentist regularly, they will be able to catch potential issues early on, saving you from more costly and invasive procedures down the line. No matter your age, keeping up with your oral hygiene can keep your natural teeth looking and functioning at their best.
Schedule an Oral Hygiene Check in Los Gatos
At Dr. Mahsa Esfandiari Dental Group, our team of specialists is here to help you maintain good oral hygiene. With full-service dentistry for the entire family, we’ll make sure you and your loved ones maintain a healthy, happy smile year-round.
When you stop by our private dental practice, our team will work hard to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. Because we believe you deserve transparency and to have your specific needs taken care of, we’ll always provide you with an honest diagnosis and treatment plan.
To make oral hygiene more affordable, we provide in-house discount plans for patients without dental insurance. We also offer financing options with zero down payment to help you focus on receiving the care you need.
Please schedule an appointment online or call us at (408) 371-1070 to have a consultation with any of our Los Gatos Dental Group dentists, and we will be happy to help!
