The Importance of Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth

Brushing and flossing your teeth are the most basic routine dental care practices. They are equally important to your oral health and well-being. The doctors advise you to perform these two dental care practices daily. 

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), you should brush your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day. It also recommends you floss between your teeth at least once a day. However, you can do flossing whenever you feel food particles are stuck between your teeth. 

The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth 

Brushing your teeth is the most effective dental care practice. When you brush your teeth, it helps remove food particles, yellowness, and plaque (a sticky layer of small food particles containing bacteria) from your mouth. 

Plaque and bacteria in your mouth are the most harmful things to your oral health. When you consume high sugar content, the bacteria in your mouth activate with sugar and produce acids that weaken your tooth enamel. Moreover, it causes many other dental and mouth problems, such as:

Tooth Cavity or Tooth Decay- Tooth cavity refers to the permanent damage to your tooth caused by plaque, bacteria, and germs. This damage later develops into tiny holes that cause tooth decay. 

You may not notice any symptoms of tooth cavity in the initial stage. Later, you may experience toothache, infection, and loose teeth. You must see a McKinney dentist regularly to know if you have a cavity in your teeth.  

When a tooth cavity occurs, it is often painful and may lead to other general health problems. Also, getting a tooth cavity treatment doesn't give a good experience. Therefore, you should prevent tooth cavities from developing in your mouth. Proper brushing your teeth regularly plays a crucial role. 

Tartar- Plaque also causes tartar, a hard calcified deposit that forms on your teeth and gums. It makes it harder to keep your teeth clean as it does not come off quickly. 

Tartar spoils your teeth’ appearance, smile, and facial expressions. It also causes some other dental and mouth problems, such as gum diseases and inflammation. 

Mouth Infection- Mouth infections are another mouth problem that occurs when you let the plaque stay in your mouth for a longer time. Some of the most common symptoms of mouth infections are:

• Bad breath 

• Toothache 

• Fever

• Sore mouth

• Bitter taste 

• Gum inflammation

• Swollen jaw

Apart from these three mouth problems, tooth loss, abscessed tooth, and periodontal diseases can occur due to plaque. So, it is essential to remove plaque from your mouth by brushing your teeth twice a day. 

According to certified dentists, you should use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush your teeth. They are effective to clean and freshen your mouth. 

The Importance of Dental Flossing

The practice of flossing your teeth is also essential for maintaining your good oral health. It helps remove small food particles that are stuck between your teeth. 

Doctors advise you to floss your teeth regularly alongside brushing. But only a few people take their piece of advice seriously. What about you? Do you regularly floss your teeth, or are you among those who do not even consider dental flossing? 

Practicing dental flossing is good oral health. It keeps many dental and mouth problems away. 

Here are some mouth problems you may experience due to food particles that are stuck between your teeth. Check them out here!

Difficulty in Chewing- Will you have ever experienced difficulty chewing due to food particles stuck between your teeth. If yes, you better know how frustrating and irritating it is. It feels like there is some kind of intense pressure between the teeth. 

When you experience this kind of problem in your mouth, you cannot distract your mind from that point, even willingly. Although it is not a severe dental problem, it can worsen if left untreated. 

Discomfort and Disturbance- The stuck food particles between your teeth are no less than a toothache. You will experience discomfort and disturbance unless you use dental floss to remove the food particles between your teeth. 

Toothache- If the stuck food particles are bigger, they may cause toothache. However, the toothache caused by such problems is bearable, but you cannot leave it untreated. 

Bleeding Gums- Bleeding gums is another severe mouth problem that may occur due to stuck food particles between your teeth. However, in most cases, people do not experience this problem. It mainly happens when you try hard to remove those food particles between your teeth using inappropriate techniques. 

You can avoid all these mouth problems by flossing your teeth daily, especially after having your daily meal.

How to Floss Your Teeth? 

Here are some instructions to floss your teeth correctly. Check them out below!

• Break off some part of your dental floss. It should be 18-24 inches long. 

• Then, wind most of the dental floss around your thumb and index finger, leaving 1-2 inches-long floss to make it pass through between your teeth. 

• Next, hold the floss firmly and place it between the teeth to remove stuck food particles. Gently move the floss up and down, rubbing the sides of both teeth. Keep the floss away from gums as it can scratch or bruise them. 

• Repeat the steps to make the floss pass through every tooth. 

You can also use a dental floss tool to floss your teeth. 

Apart from this, an oral irrigator or water flosser is also effective in removing food particles stuck in your teeth. It is an at-home flossing device, also used for removing plaque formed around the gum line. 

Preventive and Precautionary Measures for Maintaining Your Dental Health

Dental health is an essential part of our health, but we do not often pay much attention to it. Consequently, many dental diseases, such as paled and stained teeth, tooth decay, gum infection, and others occur in our mouth. 

Even though these dental diseases are not life-threatening, they leave a huge impact on our overall physical and mental health. They can also make significant changes in our lifestyle that can disturb our mental stability. Therefore, everyone should take care of their dental health. 

In this piece of information, we have compiled top preventive and precautionary measures that are essential for maintaining your dental health. Check them out below!

Brushing Teeth 

Brushing teeth is the most basic practice for maintaining good dental health. It is effective for removing the build-ups of small food particles, paleness, and bacteria from the mouth. 

The dentists usually suggest people brush their teeth at least twice a day. However, most people do not take this advice seriously, and so they develop different types of dental diseases.

If you want to avoid dental diseases and maintain the shine of your teeth, brush your teeth properly at least twice a day. Generally, people prefer to brush their teeth after waking up from bed in the morning and before going to bed at night. However, you can choose the timings as per your choices and preferences. 

For better cleaning and freshness, use fluoride-based toothpaste and a soft on gum and hard on plaque toothbrush. It would be the perfect combination for maintaining good dental health. 

Daily brushing helps in avoiding the most dental diseases.  

Flossing 

Flossing is the practice of removing small food particles that are stuck between the teeth. Like daily brushing teeth, it is also an essential dental care practice. 

The dentists advise people to floss their teeth after every meal, but very few people follow their instructions. Most people consider that brushing is enough for removing all small food particles from the mouth, but it is not true. Brushing cannot completely remove the tiny particles of food that are stuck between the teeth. Flossing is the only way to deal with them appropriately. 

To floss between your teeth, you need flossing equipment (dental floss) that contains a thin wire. You need to put the wire into space between your teeth and pass through it to remove the tiny particles of food. You should practice this act every time you feel some particles are stuck between your teeth. 

Flossing helps prevent tooth worms, tooth decay, and gum infections, so you should regularly practice it.  

Tongue Cleaning 

If you have a bad breath, it is probably due to the deposits of food particles on your tongue. If you want to avoid it, you should regularly clean your tongue using a tongue cleaner. You can also use your toothbrush for cleaning your tongue; it would also be effective. 

Regular tongue cleaning helps in removing the deposits of bacteria and build-ups of food particles from your tongue. And in this way, it protects your mouth from infections, and bad breath problems. 

You should clean your tongue regularly right after brushing your teeth. 

Using Mouth Fresheners

Mouth fresheners are perfect for keeping your mouth fresh and free of germs and odor throughout the day. You can use them in short intervals. 

Typically, people prefer to use them after having a heavy meal to eliminate the food odor or before having a talk with someone. 

Mouth fresheners allow you to be confident and fluent while speaking to someone without caring about the bad breath and food odor. So, using mouth fresheners is one of the best ways to take care of and maintain your dental health. 

There are many mouth fresheners in the market, and so it can be a bit difficult to choose the most suitable one. We suggest you consult a McKinney dentist regarding this. 

Eating a Balanced Diet 

Your diet leaves a huge impact on your dental health. If you eat sugar-containing eatables and junk foods too much, it may cause tooth decay, tooth worms, and other dental problems. So, you should try to avoid eating extra-sugary eatables and junk foods. 

Eat a balanced diet that should contain plain yogurt, vegetables, fruits, and cheese. These edibles help you maintain your dental health and avoid most dental problems. 

Meet a dentist to balance your diet for the purpose of maintaining good dental health. He/she would definitely help you with this. 

Avoiding Tobacco and Alcohol-Containing Products 

Consuming tobacco and alcohol-consuming products is one of the biggest reasons for paled & stained teeth. If you consume these products, and at the same time, you expect to have a whiter and brighter smile, it is not possible. You have to stop consuming tobacco and alcohol-based products to get the prettiness of your smile back. 

Using Mouthguards While Playing

If you are an athlete or often play outdoor games, wearing a mouthguard during the play is essential. A mouthguard is a specifically designed aligner that protects your mouth from dental injuries while playing outdoor sports, such as soccer and boxing. It also protects your teeth from grinding or clenching while you sleep. And so, wearing a mouthguard while playing a sport is a great way to take care of your dental health. 

Regular Dental Checkups 

Last but the most important thing is to meet your dentist in short intervals for dental checkups. It is essential for ensuring your good dental health. 

Schedule your appointment with your dentist every month; it will help detect if there is a problem inside your mouth. If the dentists find any dental problem, they will provide you with effective treatment and medication so that the problem can be uprooted.

These are some of the most effective preventive and precautionary measures one should follow to take care of and maintain their teeth. 

For such more qualitative pieces of information related to dental health, stay in touch with us. 

How To Know If You Need Braces: Signs To Look Out For

Are you thinking about getting braces? Do you think getting races would help you make your smile better? Is correcting misaligned teeth and making the smile of a patient better is the only reasons why you should choose orthodontics treatment?  No, it’s not true. Yes, braces help you correct your misaligned teeth and enhancing your overall smile, but they can also help you alleviate jaw pain, facial tenderness, and even bad breath. The benefit of braces is not just limited to cosmetic reasons. There are many more reasons why getting braces may be the right move for you.

Painful Biting or Difficulty In Biting: Sometimes while eating your food, you may find it difficult to chew your food or even painful to bite down. This happens mainly with hard-to-chew foods like sticky candy, non-veg, or apples. Some people find out that they are repeatedly cutting the side of their cheek or tongue when they eat. This is due to misalignment of your teeth which may be causing this type of disordered eating. The only solution is visiting Invisalign specialists in McKinney and taking recommendations from them.

Uneven or Excessive Gaps in Teeth: When there is too much space in-between your tooth, then it simply shows that you definitely need braces. Large gaps in your smile can result in tooth decay, jaw misalignment, and eating complications. Food may easily get stuck in the gaps, causing sensitive gum and on-going pain. Braces can help in reducing these gaps and prevent future problems.

Crooked or Crowded Teeth: When you have crooked or crowded teeth, you would definitely need braces to realign your bite and create more space. You should floss regularly as it will keep you informed that you are at risk for crowding. If you are finding difficulty in flossing between certain teeth, then there is a possibility that there is a space issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible with braces. A malocclusion can turn into an affected tooth if it is left untreated. The tooth may have to be pulled or it may lead to costly surgery.

Overbite: When the upper front teeth unreasonably overlap the lower front teeth, then it may cause overbite. This is easily perceptible and comes with many health and oral problems. Individuals with overbite issue are at high risk or can cause trauma to the front teeth, resulting in the fracturing of the front teeth in the case of an injury. Overbites can cause extreme tooth wear and gum recession.

Underbite: The underbite happens when all of the upper front teeth are behind the lower front teeth. Normally, this occurs when an individual has an inconsistent jaw size. Individuals with underbite may experience difficulty chewing and biting. Underbites can also cause enhanced facial aging and an imbalanced facial appearance.

Crossbite: If you have an upper tooth that marks behind a lower opposite tooth, then you may have a crossbite. This is an abnormal bite and you should get yourself treated. Without proper care, a crossbite can result in asymmetric jaw growth, increased gum recession, and extreme wear of the affected teeth. Crossbites can be treated, but if you wait too long, there are very few chances of restoring fractured or worn teeth.

Pain or Clicking in the Jaw: If you are experiencing creaking, clicking, or jaw pain, then it may be due to misalignment of the tooth. Though it can be easy to write-off occasional jaw pain, it is necessary to see Invisalign specialists in McKinney. Jaw pain can be considerably reduced by extrication of your teeth and correcting your bite. Jaw pain can also be an indicator of a more pressing issue that needs to be taken care of straight away. It is always better to be on the safe side and look for the advice of a dental professional.

Protruding Teeth: If you have protruding teeth, braces are the only solution to put them back into alignment. Protruding teeth are difficult on a person’s self-confidence, as the individual is at high-risk for a dental injury. Such teeth that aren’t protected by the lips can be easily blown away during an accidental fall.

Jaws Shift and Sound Produced: Inappropriate jaw position can result in your jaws to shift and produce a sound. This is a serious problem that is a result of a developmental problem with the jawline and your teeth. If you experience pain in your jaw often, you need to visit a dental service to fix braces.

Stay On Top Of Your Oral Health With Dental Treatment

Now when you have decided or you have been recommended for orthodontic treatment for any of the above problems, we would suggest getting it treated by a professional only. Before any patient can receive orthodontic treatment, professionals will first evaluate check the health of their teeth, gums, and mouth.

An orthodontist will suggest you avoid certain foods during orthodontic treatment such as sticky or sugary candies and food as they can damage orthodontic appliances and result in tooth decay or plaque builds up on teeth. Brushing and flossing will partly reduce the effects of these foods, but not completely. Therefore, you have to maintain healthy eating habits and oral hygiene altogether.

How to Prevent Your Teeth to Turn Yellow?

Pale and stained teeth are the most common dental disease all across the world. It occurs due to many different reasons. Though it is not a very serious dental health problem, it has a very big impact on your life. It can turn your beautiful smile into an ugly laugh, low your self-confidence, and make you feel embarrassed in front of your friends, family, and other people. Sometimes, the embarrassment you face in front of your friends and other people due to your yellow and stained teeth leads you to suffer from stress and depression. And once you are victimized by these mental illnesses, it can affect your whole life. So, it is very important to treat this dental disease as soon as possible with appropriate treatment. 

Many people ignore it considering it a minor dental problem, and so their dental health gets worse over time. Eventually, they have to go to a dentist and do more expenses. So, it is always better to take precautionary steps and get treatments in the initial stage. 

In this guide, we have compiled the best preventive and precautionary measures that can certainly help you prevent your teeth from turning yellow. But before we talk about those preventive and precautionary measures, let’s first explore what are the causes of yellow and stained teeth. 

What Causes Pale and Stained Teeth? 

Unhealthy Diet- As per the teeth whitening doctors in McKinney TX, your daily diet has a big impact on your dental health. If you eat healthily, your dental health keeps healthy for a long time. But if you eat too much unhealthy street food, it can turn your teeth yellow within a few weeks. And if you drink certain acidic, alcoholic, and caffeine-containing beverages, it can also turn your teeth yellow as these substances get into the enamel and create a yellow layer on the surface of the teeth. 

Smoking and Consuming Tobacco- Containing Products- Smoking and consuming tobacco-containing products are not only injurious for your lungs and liver but are also very harmful to your overall oral health. They are one of the biggest reasons behind the discoloration of teeth. 

Poor Oral Care- Of course, poor oral care is another big reason for paled and stained teeth. It includes not brushing the teeth properly, not brushing the teeth twice a day, using low-quality fluoride toothpaste, using an ineffective toothbrush, not rinsing the mouth properly after eating food, not flossing, and eating too many unhealthy foods. 

Taking Too Many Medicines and Supplements- Medicines contain different compounds and chemicals. These compounds and chemicals are very strong and can fade the real color of your teeth. If you are consuming or have consumed too many medicines or supplements, it can be the reason for your paled and stained teeth. 

Genetics- Sometimes, it is not your fault that your teeth are pale and stained as it can occur due to genetics. If one of your parents' or grandparents' teeth are pale and stained, likely, your teeth can also be pale and stained. 

These are some possible causes of pale and stained teeth. Now, let’s talk about how you can prevent your teeth from turning pale and stained. 

Top Preventive and Precautionary Measures to Prevent Your Teeth To Turn Yellow

Have Control Over Your Daily Diet- As we mentioned above, your daily diet has a big impact on your dental health. If you eat unhygienic foods and junk foods that can cause stains and yellowness on your teeth, you have to be careful. You should avoid them and eat healthy homemade foods. 

Avoid Acidic and Alcoholic Drinks- According to the dentists, consuming acidic and alcoholic drinks is the most common reason for paled and stained teeth. So, if you want to have a brighter smile, you must avoid this. 

Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day- Dentists repeatedly suggest that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day. It helps to prevent the deposits of layers on the surface of your teeth which is the main cause of pale and stained teeth. So, brush your teeth after waking up from your bed and before going to your bed at night. You should also brush your teeth after eating non-veg foods like chicken, eggs, and fish. 

Do Flossing- Flossing is the process of removing the food particles that are stuck between your teeth. It is important because food particles can produce bacterias and can cause tooth decay and dental infections. So, whenever particles of food are stuck between your teeth, do flossing. 

Take Care of Your Oral Health Alongside Consuming Medicines- When you consume medicines and supplements on a regular basis, your teeth start turning yellow very fastly. So, you will have to take care of it. Consult your concerned dentist and take some good oral tips to keep your teeth white during your medication course. 

Use Mouthwashes and Mouth Fresheners- Though mouthwashes and mouth fresheners are not very effective and helpful for whitening your teeth, but yet you should use them because they remove the plaques and prevent bacteria production. 

So, these are the top preventive and precautionary measures you should follow to keep your pearly whites shining. Apart from this, you can consult your concerned dentist for learning such more good oral care tips. 

How to Maintain Your Kid’s Oral Hygiene?

As a newly become parent, your kid’s care is the most important thing for you. Yes, it can be very tough for you but that’s what you should take as a challenge. You should take care of the overall health of your kid. You must consult with your concerned pediatrician and learn important tips to take care of your kid. It will help you keep your kid safe and healthy until he/she turns 3 years old or learns to take care of his/her overall health. 

Oral hygiene is an important part of the overall health of your kid. It is quite tough to maintain the oral hygiene of kids as they drink milk, keep spitting out, keep sucking their thumbs and try to chew anything they find. But that’s something you need to learn as soon as possible. 

In this piece of writing, we have compiled some very useful tips to maintain the oral hygiene of your kid. You must follow them. If you do so, you will surely be able to pass the real test of your life. Let’s take a look below at those useful oral hygiene tips for kids. 

Some Useful Oral Hygiene Tips For Kids

Babies are born with all their teeth. You can’t see them because they do not erupt at that time. They are hidden in the gums. Normally, they start erupting between 6 to 12 months. As parents, you should not wait for the eruption of the first tooth in your kid’s mouth, rather you should take care of the oral hygiene of your child from the beginning. If you ignore the oral hygiene of your kid, you will be responsible for the oral health of your kid in the future. Let’s check out the best ways to take care of your kid’s oral hygiene. 

Stop Your Kid Chewing Anything They Find

Kids chew anything they find. Generally, parents ignore this habit of their kids considering it a childish act. Yes, it is a childish act but it can harm the oral health of your kid. It can hurt gums, lips, and can delay the eruption of teeth. So, you should take care that your kid does not try to chew everything.

Following are the tips to stop your kid from chewing everything. Take a look below. 

• Try to find out why your kid tries to chew everything. Is it a normal childish act or your child does it due to a particular reason? You should consult with your concerned pediatrician. He/she will suggest to you the best ways to get rid of your kid’s chewing habit. 

• Keep them busy with other interesting things and always try to grab their attention. It will help you distract your kid’s mind from chewing anything. 

Wipe Your Kid’s Gums With Soft Cotton Pads or Microfibre Wipes

Normally, kids keep spitting out. You can’t have control over this. But yes, you can wipe the spit with soft and wet cotton pads or micro fibre cloth. Also, after feeding your baby, you should wipe your baby’s gums, teeth, lips, chin, and neck. It will help you maintain your baby’s oral hygiene as it keeps the bacteria and germs away that cause tooth decay.

Use Soft-Bristled Toothbrush and Pea-Sized Fluoride to Brush Your Kid’s Teeth 

When your kid’s teeth erupt or he/she turns one year old, start brushing his/her teeth at least one time a day. You should use a soft-bristled toothbrush and pea-sized fluoride to brush your kid’s teeth. It will help you maintain good oral health for your baby. One thing you have to take care of is that the fluoride you use to brush your kid’s teeth is an ideal option for kids. It should not contain any chemical and acidic compound. It can harm your kid’s oral health.

Don’t Let Your Kid Swallow the Fluoride While Brushing His/Her Teeth  

Kids are very likely to swallow fluoride when you brush their teeth. You will have to take care of this. If you think you can’t have control over this, it is better not to use fluoride as it can harm both the oral health and physical health of your baby. You can follow other methods of brushing and cleaning babies’ teeth or you can consult with your concerned pediatric dentist or specialized doctors in McKinney. They will surely help and guide you with this.

When Feed, Keep the Milk Bottle Away From Your Kid

Your kid will never stop sucking the milk bottle until you put it away from him/her. It is a very normal thing with kids. But it is not a good habit as the particles of milk stay in your kid’s mouth. And as long as those particles will stay in your kid’s mouth, they will produce bacterias that can cause tooth decay. So, make sure you keep the milk bottle away from your kid after feeding him/her. 

Meet A Pediatric Dentist When You Notice the First Tooth of Your Kid 

When your baby’s teeth start erupting, meet a certified pediatric dentist, and consult with him/her about caretaking of your kid’s dental health. It will help you give proper oral care to your kid. 

So, these are some useful tips that will help you maintain your kid’s oral hygiene and keep him/her orally healthy.