When we think of our teeth, we tend to focus on what we can see — how straight they are, how white and what our smile looks like on the outside. The aesthetic appearance of our teeth is important, as it can boost your confidence and make you appear more professional. But a lot of what we associate with good-looking teeth is actually an indication of our overall oral hygiene. When discussing caring for our teeth, improper oral hygiene can have more severe effects than just ruining our pearly white smile.
By improving your oral hygiene, you can not just enhance the look of your teeth but avoid health issues and pain down the road. After all, we only get one set of teeth to last us our whole adult lives, so it’s well worth it to look after them and invest the time and money in keeping them looking and feeling great!
Whether we want to admit it or not, many of us sometimes experience a gum problem, especially if we aren’t visiting the dentist regularly for a professional cleaning. How we respond to the early signs and symptoms of poor oral hygiene will play a big part in how serious the ensuing health problems may be.
If you ignore the early signs like bleeding gums and bad breath, more issues may arise, including:
- Gum inflammation (gingivitis)
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Bacterial build-up
- Gum (periodontal) disease
- Gum recession
- Tooth decay
- Tooth loss
No one wants to face major dental problems, which is why it’s so important to maintain good dental hygiene with the help of About Smiles. With a good oral hygiene routine, you’re much more likely to keep strong, healthy teeth throughout your life so you can eat, talk and smile comfortably. If you need a refresher on oral hygiene basics, here are our top tips.
The good news is that maintaining an oral hygiene routine doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive — it just requires consistency. Brushing your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day, in the morning and at night, is one of the most basic oral hygiene habits to get set in — and making sure that you’re brushing for two minutes, thoroughly reaching every part of your mouth.
When you brush your teeth at night, this should be the last thing you do before bed — no drinking or eating afterwards. Using a dentist-approved toothpaste is also vital to make sure you’re dealing with the buildup of plaque, bacteria and tartar effectively.
Flossing daily is also important to reach those spots between your teeth that your brush cannot reach, which can lead to bad gums and gum disease if left ignored. What we call ‘flossing’ is actually interdental cleaning, and if you find dental floss hard to use or ineffective, you can also use a water pick, flossette or interdental brush to clean these hard-to-reach areas. These other options can be beneficial if you have tiny gaps between your teeth.
Along with all of the things you do on a daily and weekly basis at home, it’s also important to book regular visits with your dentist. You may think you only need to see your dentist in an emergency, but by organising regular checkups, you can catch problems before they worsen.
Some of the benefits of having a regular visit to your dentist at About Smiles include:
- Enjoying strong and healthy gums
- Preventing bad breath
- Reducing chances of having complications from dental disease
- Preventing the need for costly treatment
About Smiles recommends booking in for a professional clean and scale of your teeth twice a year in order to target plaque and tartar buildup you may be missing and make sure that your teeth are in good health, catching more minor issues before they become bigger problems.
Along with all of the things you do on a daily and weekly basis at home, it’s also important to book regular visits with your dentist. You may think you only need to see your dentist in an emergency, but by organising regular checkups, you can catch problems before they worsen.
If you’ve started to notice bad gums or bad breath and think that you may already be suffering from halitosis, gingivitis or periodontal disease, there’s still a lot you can do to reverse the damage already done and seek bad breath or bleeding gums treatment that will help you keep the beauty and integrity of your smile.
At About Smiles, we want to help you regain the best oral hygiene possible and enjoy better dental health without pain or discomfort. We don’t judge the current state of your teeth; we focus on proactive treatments to get your smile back to its best. Our dental hygienists and periodontists can offer a range of bleeding gums and bad breath treatment options designed to help you avoid more serious health problems and keep your teeth for life!
To discuss how we can help you improve your oral hygiene or your family’s oral health, or for more information on any of our cosmetic or restorative dental treatments, contact us today here or call Chatswood (02) 9415 3555, Zetland (02) 9313 6388, Westfield Eastgardens (02) 8488 9994.
