As the new year begins, we at Park Dental Care would like the take the opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy 2014. If you are among the millions of people that make resolutions each new year (or even if you’re not), we’d like to suggest that one resolution you make this year – and stick with – is to commit to taking care of your oral health in order to better ensure that your teeth and gums remain healthy, problem-free and looking their best.
What can you do to take better care of your teeth and gums this year?
For starters, it’s important to stick to a regular routine dental hygiene regimen that includes daily brushing and flossing. It’s not enough to simply brush your teeth to avoid getting cavities that require dental fillings, or worse, a root canal. In addition to brushing your teeth at least twice a day, you should also be flossing your teeth daily. If you neglect flossing, like many people do, you actually neglect 35% of your tooth’s surface during your routine cleaning routine. That’s right – over 1/3 of your tooth’s surface can’t be cleaned well enough simply by brushing alone!
In addition to morning brushing and evening brushing and flossing, you should also try to brush your teeth after meals. If this isn’t possible, you should at least rinse your mouth with water after eating in order to remove some of the sugars and bacteria from your teeth’s surface. Popping a stick of sugarless gum in your mouth can also be beneficial because it increases saliva production which can deal with some of the bacteria and sugars left behind after you eat. You should also carry some dental floss around with you so you can floss between teeth if you feel like you have food stuck between them. Leaving it there until evening will only provide bacteria with the time it needs to have a detrimental effect on your teeth.
Another important aspect of proper dental care is to visit your dentist for routine preventative appointments regularly. It is typically recommended that people have preventative appointments every six months, but if you have any issues, like periodontal disease, or are very prone to cavities, your dentist may recommend that you make your appointments every 3 – 4 months instead.
If you find yourself in need of restorative dental care, get it done as soon as you can. It’s better to take care of issues like dental fillings, an extraction or even oral surgery sooner rather than later, because when it comes to your teeth and gums, small problems can quickly turn into big problems if left untreated. Some people may be tempted to put off these procedures because they are fearful of the pain or discomfort they may feel, but today’s modern dental techniques are virtually pain-free and it is much more painful to have to deal with a more serious problem down the road than it is to take care of it when it’s a minor issue now. An existing dental problem will never go away on its own, no matter how much you may wish it away. If financial worries are keeping you from getting the procedures you need performed on your teeth, you should ask your dentist about dental financing arrangements.
This year, in addition to any other resolutions you may make, consider resolving to keeping your teeth and gums as healthy as possible. This is a resolution that will surely give you something to smile about!
For more information about proper dental hygiene, routine preventative dentistry or restorative procedures designed to keep your teeth and gums healthy, contact Park Dental Care in Queens at 718-274-1515.
