5 Tips For Improving Oral Health

Do you want to obtain a healthier smile? Good dental health not only helps you avoid common oral health problems, but can also aid in keeping your smile beautiful. In most cases, maintaining a healthy smile involves simple, preventive care, most of which you can perform from home. Let’s look at five tips for improving oral health.

Tips for Improving Your Oral Health

1. Choose the right toothbrush: You probably know that you should brush your teeth twice a day. You may also be aware that you should brush for a minimum of two minutes each time. You may not be aware that should you always choose a toothbrush with soft bristles, as hard or medium bristles can potentially damage enamel, especially if you brush too hard. In addition, we also suggest choosing one with the ADA seal of approval on the packaging.
2. Always floss: Even if you brush your teeth as recommended, you may find yourself skipping flossing. In reality, flossing is absolutely vital for your oral health as this removes food stuck between teeth. Otherwise, these food particles can remain trapped and become broken down by bacteria, leading to plaque buildup, an increase in oral acidity, and a higher chance of enamel erosion and gum inflammation.
3. Drink more water: Drinking water not only keeps you hydrated, but helps improve your oral health, especially if your tap water contains fluoride, a remineralizing agent. Soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, and even sports drinks contain sugar and high acidic content, which can weaken tooth enamel and make cavities more likely.
4. Snack healthier: What you eat has a major impact on your oral health. Try cutting back on foods high in sugar and other starches. Instead of sugary snacks, try fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat yogurt. You can also chew sugar-free gum to curb the snacking urge.
5. Don’t forget routine visits: Every six months you should see your dentist for a checkup and a dental cleaning. These preventive visits can allow the dentist to treat problems in the early stages and the cleaning can reduce your risk of developing gingivitis or gum disease.

ABOUT YOUR ELK GROVE VILLAGE DENTIST:

Dr. Brent Engelberg and his highly-skilled team proudly serve patients and their families from Arlington Heights, IL, and all surrounding communities, including; Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, and the Northern and Northwest Chicago Suburbs. To learn more, schedule a consultation online, or call our office today at 847-259-8030.