The best way to keep your smile beautiful and healthy is through good oral hygiene. The first step is in this process is brushing your teeth. To ensure the health of your smile, it is important to properly care for your toothbrush. You probably have your daily routine of brushing your teeth in the morning and before bed, but have you ever really considered how to care for your toothbrush?
How to Care for Your Toothbrush
While it is quite easy to care for your toothbrush, there are some rules to follow. After brushing your teeth, it is important to rid your toothbrush of toothpaste and any debris by rinsing it with tap water. Once you have rinsed your toothbrush, store it upright and let it air-dry. When more than one toothbrush is being stored in a holder, it is important that the toothbrushes do not touch. Storing your toothbrush in a closed container or using a cover on your toothbrush may promote bacterial growth. It is not necessary to disinfect your toothbrush. Using a dishwasher, microwave, or even ultraviolet devices to disinfect your toothbrush may result in damage.
Ensuring Dental Health
Some small and easy dental habits that can help ensure good dental health are:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush
- Replace your toothbrush when it is worn or every three to four months (wear of the toothbrush results in a loss of effectiveness)
- Floss your teeth once a day to remove plaque that cannot be removed by brushing alone
- Eat a healthy diet that is low in sugar
- Routine dental check-ups and professional dental cleanings every six months (or as recommended)
- Not using any tobacco products
Choosing a Toothbrush
There is an abundance of choices when choosing a toothbrush today. Because of this, it can be difficult to know which toothbrush is best. For most of our Livingston cosmetic dentistry patients, we recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes because hard bristles may cause damage to the gums and teeth. For patients with sensitive teeth and for children, extra soft-bristled toothbrushes are available. To better reach all areas of the mouth, especially the back teeth, we recommend a small-headed toothbrush. You should pick the handle style, shape of toothbrush head, and style of bristles that you like best and find most comfortable. You may also choose between manual or electric. It does not matter which you choose as long as the toothbrush fits your mouth and reaches all of the teeth.
Dental Care
The Silverstrom Group provides patients in Livingston dental care that includes cosmetic, restorative, and general dentistry options. While good oral hygiene is essential to maintaining dental health, there are many dental issues and imperfections that require professional dental care, including periodontitis, tooth erosion, orthodontic issues, and the loss of one or more teeth. Dr. David Silverstrom and Dr. Gary Silverstrom offer a wide range of services without ever compromising quality, including dental implants. If you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, you may be an ideal candidate for dental implants. For our patients in Livingston, dental implants can replicate the look, feel, and stability of natural teeth.
Contact The Silverstrom Group Today
To learn more about the wide range of services we offer and to schedule a consultation, please contact The Silverstrom Group today.
Recent Comments