What’s Your Dental Hygiene Routine?

Are you the type of person who flosses just once a week? Do you sometimes head to bed without brushing your teeth since you’ll be brushing them again in the morning? Do you swish with mouthwash? Having a good dental hygiene routine is the best way to ensure that your trips to the dentist don’t consist of anything more than a casual checkup. Brushing your teeth is, of course, the best way to keep your teeth clean during the day and overnight. However, many people brush too hard, use a brush with bristles too hard for their gums, or don’t change their toothbrush regularly. A good rule of thumb is to change your toothbrush every three months or so, to ensure that the bristles are in good enough shape to do their job. Brushing softly twice a day over each surface of your teeth and tongue will keep your gums healthy and keep plaque buildup down.

Flossing is one of the most skipped activities in a good dental hygiene routine, but it is very important. Flossing gets those hard-to-reach areas between teeth, where a toothbrush may or may not clean. Adding flossing to your daily routine will strengthen your gums and help prevent cavities. Finally, after brushing and flossing, swishing with mouthwash each day for 30-45 seconds is the best way to round out your routine. It may seem silly to reiterate these tips that everyone knows, but you’d be surprised at how quickly these activities fall out of dental hygiene routines after a visit to the dentist! Keeping up with a regular schedule is the best way to avoid cavities, yellowing teeth, or more serious issues. If it’s been a while, give us a call at 207-781-5900 to schedule an appointment today.

How Frequently Do You Need Dental X-Rays?

When we think of dental tools, the first things that come to mind are molds, drills, and scrapers. But the often-overlooked dental X-ray is one of the most important tools in the dentist’s arsenal for maintaining oral health. Since dental X-rays are used to diagnose problems, they are often the first line of defense for dentists to assess what ailments a new patient may have. But dental X-rays are not just for new patients.

Adults with healthy teeth should be getting X-rays of their teeth every 2 to 3 years. Children, however, should have X-rays taken every year since their teeth are constantly growing, which causes rapid changes. As with most everything else, the sooner a problem is detected the easier, and cheaper, it will be to correct and dental X-rays play a huge part in fixing oral health problems. When is the last time you had X-rays of your teeth taken? Call our office today at 207-781-5900 to make your appointment.

dental x-rays