When it comes to your well-being, maintaining good oral health is crucial. Oral health is intricately connected to overall well-being because the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body. Poor oral hygiene can lead to various health issues such as gum disease, tooth decay, and infections that can impact the rest of your body. Gum disease has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease.
Dentists play a key role in educating their patients on how to properly care for their teeth and gums to prevent these problems from occurring. This is why we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips for our patients to help them maintain optimal oral health.
Helpful Tips From our Team for Good Oral Health
Since 2013, our dental office, located in the heart of Hamilton, Ontario, has been helping patients of all ages achieve and maintain optimal oral health. We provide a wide array of dental services and always strive to provide patients with a comfortable, positive, and welcoming environment. But most importantly, we curate treatment plans for each patient by taking into consideration their unique oral health needs, concerns and goals. This personalized approach ensures successful outcomes but also helps patients feel more confident and comfortable with their treatment options. This approach, combined with these helpful preventative care tips, can allow patients to achieve a healthy and happy smile for many years to come.
Book Regular Dental Appointments
Regular dental check-ups (at least every six months) can allow us to catch any potential problems early on and address them before they worsen. This can also help prevent serious and costly dental procedures in the future. By staying on top of your dental health and scheduling routine visits, you can ensure that your smile remains healthy and beautiful through every stage of life.
Brush & Floss Regularly
One of the most important preventative care tips is to brush your teeth at least twice a day – once in the morning and once before bed – and floss once a day. This helps to remove plaque and bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease. We also recommend using mouthwash, cleaning your tongue, and rinsing with water after meals to maintain good oral hygiene.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is a mineral that helps to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. It can also help remineralize your tooth enamel and reverse early signs of tooth decay, therefore, using fluoride toothpaste regularly can help protect teeth against cavities and other issues and reduce the need for costly treatment.
Watch Your Diet
Your diet plays a large role in the state of your oral health. By avoiding sugary and acidic foods and drinks that cause tooth decay, opt for healthier options like fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods that promote good oral health. Obviously, you don’t have to completely avoid sugar or acid, but it’s best to consume it in small quantities, especially for children or those with more sensitive teeth.
Avoid Tobacco
Smoking and other tobacco products can increase your risk of gum disease, oral cancer, tooth decay, and other issues. Plus, chemicals in tobacco can cause staining on your teeth, receding gums, and decrease your ability to taste and smell properly. Smoking and tobacco can also decrease your blood flow, potentially affecting your ability to receive certain cosmetic procedures and other treatments.
Wear a Mouthguard
If you struggle with grinding and clenching your teeth at night, wearing a mouthguard can help protect your teeth against damage while also improving your symptoms such as headaches, sore jaw, etc. If you participate in sports, wearing a sports guard can also help protect your teeth against damage and potentially costly treatments by providing a cushioned barrier.
Ask Questions
Patients should never be scared to ask questions about their oral health or their treatments. It’s important to have a clear understanding of the procedures being performed and the reasons behind them and to have your concerns alleviated. Having your questions answered can also help patients make informed and educated decisions and lead to a collaborative and beneficial patient-dentist relationship.
Let’s Work Together to Achieve Healthier, Happier Smiles
Our team at Century Stone Dental is composed of caring professionals who truly take the time to get to know their patients and their individual needs. We are dedicated to ensuring that every appointment is a success which is done by providing regular cleanings, offering various services to help patients reach their goals, and providing tips that patients can utilize at home to further improve and maintain their oral health. By working together and collaborating on your oral health, we can prevent issues from arising and negatively impacting your overall health and well-being.
No matter your age, dental condition, and if you have a million questions, Dr. Sims can assist you or your young children in a professional manner and loves answering any of your questions or concerns. Dr. Sims grew up in Grimsby playing basketball, so he’s always up for talking about the Raptors! He’s also a football fan - go Buffalo Bills! In his free time, if he’s not watching a basketball game or football game, you’ll likely find him working out, cooking (got any new recipe ideas?), and of course, spending time with his amazing family.
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