Top 5 Oral Health Tips

Dr. Tom Trinkner is a Columbia, SC dentist that helps patients combat a variety of dental concerns to maintain their smiles. Ensuring your continuing oral health is more than just brushing and flossing, although cleaning your teeth and gums is important. Learn about the top tips for good oral health below. You can also call 803-400-8729 or request an appointment with Dr. Trinkner online.

Oral Health Columbia, SC dentist

Brush and Floss Daily

You’ve been hearing this advice since you started seeing a dentist as a child: brush your teeth twice a day. Brushing removes leftover food particles that feed the bacteria that, when allowed to continue unchecked, can cause cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease. And don’t forget to brush your tongue to combat halitosis or bad breath. Flossing is important because it removes plaque from hard-to-reach places that a toothbrush alone can’t reach such as between teeth. If plaque remains in these spots, you could find yourself dealing with tooth decay or even gum disease.

Use a Fluoride Toothpaste

Fluoride is an important ingredient in toothpaste because it helps attract calcium to strengthen our tooth enamel. Using a toothpaste with fluoride can reverse early signs of tooth decay such as weakened spots in the enamel or exposed roots that could eventually become infected.

Limit Your Sugar Intake

Sugar is a huge contributor to tooth decay because it feeds the bacteria that live in our mouths. These bacteria, which are mostly harmless, feed off of the leftover food particles on the teeth, and if the food contains a high sugar content, bacteria can multiply even faster. Limiting the amount of sugar in your diet will help keep oral bacteria at bay.

Schedule Biannual Dental Visits

Regular dental exams are essential to preserving your oral health. Your dentist can spot early signs of tooth decay or gum disease before they become more serious, helping you avoid complex dental procedures. They will also perform x-rays to ensure your jawbone is healthy and any as-yet non-emerged teeth will grow in properly.

Stay Hydrated and Eat Well

In addition to good nutrition provided by healthy foods, many fruits and vegetables are crunchy and chewy, which promotes saliva production. Saliva is important for dental health as it washes away food particles, plaque, and bacteria. Staying hydrated also helps your mouth produce saliva.