In Woodbridge, VA, your dentist, Dr. Charles Sours, Jr., recommends several daily practices that improve and maintain the condition of your smile. Read on to learn how you can have healthy, beautiful teeth and gums for a lifetime.
Just the basics
They form the foundation of at-home oral care. While your dentist is one of the first in the Woodbridge area to use advanced techniques, such as laser dentistry, he'll also tell you that you cannot replace proper flossing, diet, and brushing at home. They are every patient's responsibility.
Why is at-home care important? Frankly, without it, your mouth over-runs with harmful bacteria that live and multiply in plaque and tartar. Strep microbes cause both cavities and gum disease, the major causes of tooth loss in the United States.
The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry says one in four American adults have active tooth decay. This incredibly unfortunate, especially because just a bit of daily care can prevent most of that damage.
What are the basics?
1. Brush twice a day, every day, with fluoride toothpaste. Use a gentle, circular motion, and don't miss any dental surfaces.
2. Floss at least once daily. Floss snags the plaque that your brush leaves behind. Try to do this before you go to bed, for at night time, oral bacteria is at its most active and destructive.
3. Eat well by limiting sugar and increasing fiber consumption. Trade soda and sports drinks for plain water. Simply put, if something is bad for your waistline, it's bad for your oral health as well.
4. Stop all tobacco products—smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, cigars. They make your breath smell, stain your teeth, compromise your gum tissue/tooth enamel and attack almost every organ in your body. From a medical and dental standpoint, there's nothing good about tobacco.
5. See Dr. Sours for a six-month cleaning and check-up. He will show you the ways that you can improve your unique oral hygiene routine. After all, we all have different needs and goals, and the team here at Dr. Sours' office will tailor your at-home care to maximize results.
6. Keep Dr. Sours informed on any smile changes that you perceive, including increased dental sensitivity, changing gum color, and a difference in the fit of a denture. They may indicate a problem that requires professional attention. You know your body, including your teeth and gums, better than anyone. If you have a concern, tell your dentist.
How can we help you?
Let Dr. Charles Sour, Jr. and his capable staff give you and your smile the support and care you deserve. For more information about at-home prevention, contact your dentist at his Woodbridge office by dialing (703) 491-2131.