5 Tips for Better Dental Health

There are so many reasons to maintain your dental health – not the least of which is the condition of your smile. Good dental health ensures you can chew and enjoy food thoroughly, avoid the discomfort of toothaches and decrease the likelihood of gum disease (which can lead to other conditions, like heart disease). We all want healthy teeth and gums however sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Simply follow these five tips and you’ll be well on your way to dental health.

1. Start Kids Early – Despite great strides in decay prevention, one in four young children develop early signs of tooth decay before starting school. To ensure your child does not become one of these statistics, you should start dental care from the appearance of their first tooth (at six months). To start with, teeth can be wiped with a damp cloth or very soft brush. At age two, you can allow children to start brushing their own teeth (with supervision).
2. Seal off Trouble – At age six, permanent molars begin to appear. As the molars appear, back teeth become particularly vulnerable to dental caries. However, there is a preventative step you can take. Applied to the chewing surface of the back teeth, a dental sealant is a thin, protective coating which prevents the formation of decay and fissures in young mouths. To get your child off to the best start possible, talk to the friendly team at the Townsville Dentist about dental sealants.
3. Use Enough (but not too much) Fluoride – The single biggest advancement in oral health is fluoride – this substance strengthens enamel, making it less likely to decay. The majority of toothpastes and mouthwashes on the market contain fluoride, so if you brush and rinse daily, you’ll have adequate protection.
4. Brush Twice a Day and Floss Daily – Tooth decay and gum disease are the most prevalent oral health conditions, regardless of your age. By brushing your teeth in the morning and evening and flossing daily, you will help maintain optimum oral health throughout your life.
5. Rinse or Chew Gum After Meals – In addition to brushing and flossing, rinsing your mouth with an antibacterial rinse can prevent decay and gum disease. Also, chewing sugar-free gum after meals can increase the flow of saliva, which naturally washes away bacteria and neutralises acid.