Keeping Your Smile Great

One of the first things anyone sees is your smile.  Most of us want to keep that smile and our teeth as white as possible.  There are many ways to improve the chances of having white, gleaming teeth.  It all starts with good and proper oral hygiene.  Minimally these practices will minimize cavities, periodontal disease and even far more serious dental conditions.  As long as you take some of these measures on a regular basis you can keep your teeth in excellent health and condition.  You can even consult with a dentist for cosmetic dentistry Tampa so you can achieve and maintain the desired results.

Regular Dentist Visits:

This can be a tough one right now since we are dealing with COVID and many dentists are still closed but outside of this pandemic anomaly, you should never skip dentist appointments.  I know how easy that can be – things come up like work, kids, no time for a million other reasons.  But these appointments are critical to oral hygiene.  If you don’t feel comfortable with your current dentist, find another one.  Dentists can detect issues before you have symptoms or concerns.  It is much better to find issues early on when they can be resolved quickly, easily and less expensively.

Also as you have changes in your life such as meds, medical conditions etc… your dentist can provide tips and advice on how to care for your teeth through these changes by helping to identify risk factors and provide prevention and treatment options.

Your Toothbrush:

I haven’t used a manual toothbrush in years.  I am totally hooked on the electric toothbrushes and you don’t need to spend alot of money.  I always get the Spinbrush.  Simple, easy and not too pricey.  You can choose to replace the heads but I tend to just replace the toothbrushes.  Using an electric toothbrush makes flossing your teeth so much easier and it does all the hard work for you.  When I travel I bring a manual toothbrush with me and I totally hate it.  In fact some electric toothbrushes are less expensive than manual toothbrushes.  And if you have braces or other dental appliances these are a must for sure.

Floss Daily:

Flossing is just as important as brushing.  As a kid I would always fib to the dentist and say yes I did floss regularly.  Well I am sure he knows I was lying.  As I hit my teens it became clear that keeping my teeth in tip top shape is definitely a priority.  Plus when you floss regularly, your dental cleanings are much quicker and alot less scraping of tartar build up.  Not to mention anything stuck between your teeth can lead to cavities which means fillings etc… It can even lead to more serious issues.  If you are nervous about going to the dentist the best way to alleviate concerns is to brush and floss regularly.

Smoking:

Smoking is a huge concern with dental hygiene.  It can discolor and stain your teeth but it can also lead to serious health problems as well as that are much more severe such as gum disease, cavities and even cancer.

Health:

There are many medical conditions that can impact your dental health.  You may not be aware but your dentist definitely knows what medical conditions need to require additional care for your teeth.  Not only are medical conditions important but also the medications you are taking.  For example – some people have medical conditions that may require antibiotics to be prescribed prior to any dental work.  Between your dentist and your doctor they can determine the best next steps to take.

Urgent Situations:

If you have any type of pain you should seek dental attention.  Sometimes it may even require an emergency dental visit.  I have five kids and let me tell you I have had my share of emergency dental visits.  In fact my son needed emergency care as soon as the COVID shutdown started and wasn’t able to get it for three months!  That was brutal – poor guy.  Don’t delay.

Food and Drinks:

Many food and drinks can cause teeth to stain.  A major culprit is coffee and tea but also red wine.  Fortunately I drink none of those but I have to say a huge majority of the population do.  Not only can they cause superficial staining but eventually that staining can make its way into the enamel.  Drinking through a straw helps prevent staining and rinsing with water afterwards.