Your Oral Health Spring Clean Checklist

What better time than the spring to take a new look at improving your oral health care?

Spring is just around the corner and is a time of the year when we tend to spring clean our homes. It is a great opportunity to throw out the old and refresh its appearance. We do the same with clothes too so why not extend this to our oral health as well?

Most of us probably think we look after our teeth and gums reasonably well, but there are always ways to improve. Some of these might be obvious, and you may already be aware, subconsciously perhaps, that you have let things slip a little? With this in mind, below we offer information which we hope our Ipswich patients will find useful in helping to improve the health of their teeth and gums.

Quit smoking

Yes, we know that we have mentioned this a number of times, but it is really one of the most significant things that you can do to improve your oral health and avoid potential issues such as gum disease and oral cancer. Some of you may have tried to quit before but not succeeded. What better time than spring to take advantage of the help that is available and give it another go?

Refresh your equipment

Have a look at your toothbrush. Are the bristles looking a bit worn and tired? If they are, then it’s time to throw it away and replace it. Generally speaking, this should be done every three months but however old the brush is, there is no time like the present for starting anew. If you don’t floss, or used to do but forgot to buy a new pack when it ran out, add that to your next shopping list. It’s a great way to clean between the teeth and helps to avoid decay and gum disease.

Practice your cleaning

It’s easy to slip into habits and sometimes become a bit lazy. How long is it since you have consciously timed yourself cleaning your teeth? We bet that if you clean your teeth as normal and time it, you will be surprised at how far short of the recommended two minutes you are. For a week or two, try setting a two minute timer on your phone so that you get used to how long two minutes is when brushing. Also, take a look at how you brush your teeth. We often neglect the gums when we do this so make sure to focus on them too and when you see the hygienist at the Foxhall Dental Practice next, ask them to demonstrate the best way to brush your teeth.

Stay hydrated

Many of us probably don’t drink until we feel thirsty. Often when thirst strikes, we also reach for what feels like the most satisfying drink. This is often something like a fizzy soft drink or a beer, both out of the fridge. Fizzy drinks are often full of sugar and are also acidic, causing damage to the tooth enamel. Alcohol also dehydrates us making us even thirstier and raising the risk of gum disease.

Make sure to get into the habit of drinking water more often. A good time to do this is after a meal. If you swill your mouth with water, you will help to remove some sugars and food particles and then you can either swallow that water or have another glass to drink. Good hydration will make you feel better and help your teeth and gums too.

Get some sugar free gum

Another good way to help rid your mouth of food debris and bacteria is to chew sugar free gum. This is a great and convenient way to do this but do make sure it is sugar free, for obvious reasons. Chewing this also has the advantage of increasing saliva flow while making your mouth feel fresher too. Please make sure to dispose of it sensibly and put it in a bin and not on the pavement, thank you.

Sort your dental appointments out!

Perhaps you are good at arranging and keeping appointments to see the dentist and hygienist at our Ipswich practice. If you are less well organised though, give us a call to make sure that you have appointments booked. Set a reminder on your phone or use a diary or calendar to remind you when it is due as it can be all too easy to forget in these busy times.

Just these few changes can make a big difference to your teeth and gums. Remember that we are always here for help and advice too, as well as providing additional services such as teeth whitening to help you improve your smile.

If you would like to talk to us about any oral care matter, or to check that you have an appointment booked with us, please call the Foxhall Dental Practice today on 01473 258396.