Ensuring the health of your gums is crucial regardless of your age. Visiting a dental office like Lowry Dental in Boise can be a start, but you also need to do other things like using mouthwash, flossing, brushing properly, and rinsing appropriately. Here is how.
1. Visiting Your Dentist Regularly
According to experts, you should see a dentist every half a year for a checkup. During the visit, your mouth will be professionally cleaned. Tartar in teeth can only be eradicated through professional cleaning. Additionally, the cleaning will also assist in eliminating plaque that you might have missed during the brushing of your teeth. Regular visits can assist a dentist like those from Lowry Dental in Boise in detecting early signs of gingivitis and gum disease. Gingivitis is a disease whereby the gums get inflamed. Early detection can assist in preventing more severe issues from taking place.
2. Using Mouthwash
American Dental Association (ADA) states that there are two kinds of mouthwash including cosmetic and therapeutic. Both types can be found over the counter. A therapeutic mouthwash can assist in preventing gum disease, minimize the rate of tartar build up, decrease food particles from the mouth, and minimize the plaque on the teeth. But you must not use mouthwash as a replacement for flossing and brushing. However, always look for the ADA seal on your mouthwash. It shows that the manufacturer has proved sufficiently that the product is effective and safe. The organization states that children of below six years must not use mouthwash.
3. Brushing Your Teeth Properly
Proper brushing of teeth is essential to having gums that have optimal health. According to the American Dental Association, there is a proper guideline for brushing teeth. You should brush them using fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristle toothbrush at least two times per day. You also require replacing the toothbrush every quarter of a year, or earlier if the bristles start fraying. Moreover, you need to brush our teeth at an angle of 45 degrees to the gums and move the brush in short strokes. Remember to press the brush gently and turn it vertically while making many short strokes along the front teeth.
4. Rinsing and Flossing
Many individuals rinse their mouth out after brushing the teeth. But practices of oral hygiene must complement the efficiency of fluoride products like toothpaste. When you rinse your mouth with water just after brushing the teeth with fluoride toothpaste, you clean away the fluoride. On the contrary, when you rinse your mouth after a meal, you rinse away bacteria and food that can result in tartar and plaque. Numerous people ignore daily flossing. However, the ADA states that this practice is essential to oral health. Flossing helps to eradicate plaque and food from gums and between teeth. If the plaque and food remain, they can result in tartar, which is a heavy buildup of bacteria that can only be eradicated by a professional. It can lead to gum disease.