Good oral hygiene is essential for preventing cavities and gum disease. Practicing good oral hygiene can help to prevent plaque, tartar, and bacteria buildup. Practicing good oral hygiene can help you maintain a beautiful, healthy confident smile.

What is oral hygiene?

Good oral hygiene is the cornerstone of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, as well as preventing or managing many common dental problems, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Daily brushing and flossing of your teeth, along with regular check-ups and cleanings at your dental office, are the best ways to keep your smile healthy and bright.

Preventive care is the best defense when it comes to your oral health. During your cleanings and checkups, your dentist will screen you for any problems affecting your smile. If problems are caught early, they can be treated more easily and with less expense than if they are allowed to get worse. Plus, routine visits will allow your dentist to monitor the health of your whole mouth to catch any problems at their earliest stages, before they have a chance to become more serious and costly to fix.

Additionally, daily dental care at home is a critical part of maintaining a healthy smile. By brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once, you can prevent plaque from building up on your teeth. Plaque that is not removed can harden into tartar, which can only be removed by your dentist during a professional cleaning. In addition to removing the bacteria that attract plaque, professional teeth cleanings also remove stains caused by food particles and tobacco.

Regular oral care at home and preventive treatments at your office will keep your teeth and mouth feeling great for years to come!

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**This blog topic was created in sponsored partnership with KoR Whitening Deep BleachingTM. The statements in this article are all my own.

Benefits of good oral hygiene

Good oral hygiene is as much about keeping a smile healthy as it is about preventing serious medical conditions down the road, like heart disease or diabetes. That’s because bacteria in the mouth can lead to these serious conditions if it isn’t kept under control through proper brushing and flossing and regular trips to the dentist’s office for checkups and cleanings. Even the act of eating can take a toll on the teeth and gums, so it’s important to make sure you’re practicing the best oral hygiene habits possible to keep teeth strong and healthy.

Proper brushing technique is important. Brushing removes plaque from the teeth and along the gum line, but how you brush is also important. Vigorously scrub the teeth and gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to clean all tooth surfaces gently and effectively. To clean the inside of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes. Use an antibacterial fluoride toothpaste to add an extra layer of protection against bacteria and plaque buildup. When you finish brushing, rinse the mouth with water to remove excess toothpaste and debris from the mouth.

Flossing is another important step in oral hygiene. It thoroughly cleans between the teeth and along the gum line where food particles get trapped and cause tooth decay. You can use either traditional floss or another tool like a water flosser to get into those hard-to-clean areas more effectively.

People with diabetes need to take extra care of their oral health to avoid gum disease and other complications. The condition makes it more difficult for the body to fight infection and disease, which means people with diabetes may notice gum inflammation more often than those who don’t have it. Diabetes can also make it difficult to heal from a periodontal infection, which is why it’s imperative to practice the best oral hygiene possible when you have this condition.

How to prevent cavities

Brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Use a soft-bristled brush and ADA-approved toothpaste. Your dentist can recommend specific products based on your dental health needs. Floss daily to remove plaque from between teeth. Plaque that is not removed turns into tartar, which is difficult to remove at home. Tartar cannot be removed by brushing or flossing and requires professional cleaning. Regularly visit your dentist for check-ups and cleanings. Professional cleanings help keep your teeth and gums healthy by removing buildup that cannot be removed at home.

Check out a few of our blog posts for more information on oral hygiene:

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How often should you brush and floss?

Brushing should be done at least twice a day for two to three minutes and flossing at least once a night is key. Your dentist can recommend the best toothbrush for you, but you should always choose a soft or medium bristled toothbrush with a small head. Electric toothbrushes are great for those with mobility issues and those with special needs. Flossing removes plaque and food particles that your toothbrush can’t reach. Waxed floss works best for most people as it is thin enough to go in between teeth without snapping. If you’re having trouble fitting the floss between your teeth, try using an alternative like an oral irrigator or water pick. These too will remove food and other debris from between teeth.

In addition to brushing and flossing, make sure you visit your dentist for a cleaning and checkup every six months. This can help prevent gum disease and improve your oral health. Your dentist can also discuss your diet and recommend foods that may help improve your oral and overall health. They can also offer tips to make flossing easier and give you some pointers for taking care of your teeth and gums at home.

Author Bio: Dr. Jennifer Robb is a general and cosmetic dentist offering comprehensive care to help patients maintain oral health in Mission Viejo. She also helps patients improve the appearance of their smiles with cosmetic dental treatments. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking with her family. You can schedule an appointment with her by calling (949) 363-5588.

If you’ve noticed bleeding when you brush your teeth or your gums are redder than usual, you may be experiencing gingivitis. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that can cause redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gums. You may also notice an unpleasant odor coming from your mouth. It is important to seek immediate treatment if the symptoms appear suddenly without a history of