How to Maintain Healthy Teeth

How To Maintain Healthy Teeth – important steps to follow

As discussed in a previous post, dental health is absolutely crucial to good general overall health. Many serious illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney malfunction and respiratory issues, can arise from poor dental health.

It is strongly recommended for everyone to follow these steps:

1. Eat well balanced meals daily
2. Take multi-vitamins daily
3. Increase calcium intake (either in the form of supplements or low fat dairy products, such as milk and yogurt)
4. Avoid bottled water as much as possible, not only will you save money, you will get essential fluoride from tap water. If you need to buy bottled water for convenience and to drink it while on the go, make sure you get brands that contain added fluoride (such as Danone or Poland Springs)
5. Avoid carbonated beverages as much as possible (i.e. Seltzer water, sparkling water or sodas)
6. Floss your teeth daily at minimum two times per day, definitely before bedtime
7. Brush your teeth daily at minimum three to four times per day, preferably following meals, but definitely before bed time
8. Use a pre-brush mouthwash (such as PLAX) daily before bedtime to help remove more plaque and then brush your teeth afterwards
9. After brushing your teeth in the morning, rinse daily with an alcohol free multi-protection mouthwash (such as Crest Pro-Health)
10. After brushing your teeth before bedtime, rinse daily with an alcohol free fluoride rinse (such as ACT)
11. Always wear a night guard if you are prone to grinding your teeth while asleep. Most people tend to grind while sleeping and your dentist will be able to assess the need for a night guard and custom make one for either the upper or lower set of teeth
12. Remain on a 3 to 6 month check up and cleaning cycle so that your dentist can monitor your oral health