You don’t need more floss to keep your smile healthy. In fact, your local dentist in Eagan suggests you only floss when you brush your teeth. Oral hygiene can be time-consuming. The toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash add up in cost over the year. What’s more, you’re supposed to visit your dentist in Eagan at least twice a year for a cleaning and exam.
So how do you keep your mouth healthy without breaking the bank in oral hygiene products and dental visits? Well, in this article, Denmark Dental is going to share some time-tested oral hygiene routines you can integrate into your daily life to keep a healthy, beautiful smile.
IMPORTANT ORAL HEALTH PRACTICES
As a human, we put a lot of things in our mouth. We drink our favorite beverages, we eat our favorite foods, and, sometimes, we tear things open with our teeth. It’s important that we practice great oral hygiene habits to maintain an above average standard of oral health. Here are seven super important oral hygiene practices you need to commit to:
#1. Brush Before Bed
A common “hack” is to stack new habits onto old habits. For example, if you watch 30 minutes of YouTube or scroll through Facebook before bed, you can stack brushing your teeth before that activity to ensure it happens. For some, brushing their teeth before bed is an afterthought the next morning — or the next week. It’s important you create a routine to keep up with your oral health.
#2. Floss Your Teeth Before You Brush
A common misconception is that if you brush two or three times a day you will not need to floss your teeth. The average person has a hard time remembering to brush their teeth even once a day. Nonetheless, you want to stack the habit of brushing with flossing, too. If you think flossing two or three times a day is excessive, floss only once — and floss before bed.
#3. Treat Your Tongue, Too
As you finish up brushing your teeth, shift the bristles of your brush to your tongue. Yes, your tongue can harbor bacteria and cause bad breath. What’s more, a clean tongue contributes to clean oral health.
#4. Consider Mouthwash
For some, mouthwash is must-have in their oral routines. For others, mouthwash is something they swish around before a first or second date. Decide how you want to use mouthwash and stack it with your other oral health habits.
#5. Drink A Glass of Water
After you eat a meal, drink at least eight ounces of water. Not only will the water help keep you hydrated, but it will also help wash away the negative effects of acidic or sticky food. Drinking water throughout the day helps your teeth remain healthy, too.