The Benefits of Preventative Oral Care
If you want a beautiful, healthy smile, preventative oral care is essential. Between daily oral hygiene routines at home and regular checkups with your dentist, proper preventative care can save you time, pain, and
The Benefits of Preventative Oral Care
If you want a beautiful, healthy smile, preventative oral care is essential. Between daily oral hygiene routines at home and regular checkups with your dentist, proper preventative care can save you time, pain, and money.
It cannot be stressed enough: daily brushing and flossing are crucial for maintaining a healthy smile. Brushing and flossing keep particles from gathering between your teeth, keep bacteria at bay, and help prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Making basic oral care a part of your daily routine can prevent the need for costly dental procedures down the road.
Why is Good Oral Hygiene Important
The effects of poor oral hygiene range from tooth decay and cavities to gingivitis, periodontitis, and tooth loss. Fortunately, proper oral hygiene, including cleaning teeth correctly and regularly, can prevent most of these problems.
If you don’t clean your teeth well every day, you’re putting yourself at risk for tooth decay. Early signs of decay include pain when you bite and feelings of sensitivity or pain in your teeth.
When the carbohydrates in the food and drinks that you consume aren’t cleaned from the teeth regularly, they provide fuel for cavity-causing bacteria. These bacteria can start forming plaque on teeth within 20 minutes of eating, so if you’re a frequent snacker, you may want to clean your teeth more often than twice a day. The truth is, bacteria are almost always present in the mouth, and frequent cleaning may help prevent decay.
Don’t skip on your regular dental checkups and cleanings. Cleaning teeth also helps prevent cavity-causing bacteria from progressing to gingivitis, or gum disease. If you develop tooth decay and gum disease as a result of poor oral hygiene, you may be dealing with bills for anything from fillings or crowns to more costly and complicated procedures such as root canals or oral surgery to extract damaged teeth and place dental implants. During your cleaning, your hygienist will attend to any of those spots you may miss during your daily routine and inform you of the areas you need to pay more attention to at home.
How Much Does Dental Cost
Obviously, the cost of basic oral hygiene and preventive teeth cleaning is low. A toothbrush should be replaced every three months or when it appears worn, but that’s just a few dollars. The same goes for dental floss. By comparison, the cost of a root canal will depend on the location of the tooth and how many canals are in the tooth that needs the root canal treatment.
A Recommended Dental Care Routine
Keep your teeth clean and cavity-free by following a regular dental care routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. And visit your dental professional at least once a year for a professional cleaning and assessment to catch any problems before they become serious. Your dentist or dental hygienist might also recommend a particular type of toothbrush, dental floss or oral rinse to help you get the most out of your daily dental care routine.