The New Year is all about setting goals, fresh starts and healthy living. While we tend to focus on the gym and cleaning up our diet, an important wellness goal should include improving your dental health. Our mouths host hundreds of bacteria and are the gateway to many things affecting our health. Bentonville Smiles has created a simple checklist for patients to stay on the up and up with their oral health!
Home Care Dental Checklist
- Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush for two minutes each time.
- Floss at least once a day – if you don’t floss you miss cleaning 35% of the tooth surface.
- Don’t forget to clean your tongue!
- Stay hydrated – drinking fluids helps wash away bacteria and helps prevent dry mouth.
- Limit sugary and sticky substances that stick to your teeth – these are hard to remove and bacteria love to feed on these sugars.
- Already have an appliance for bruxism (teeth grinding)? Be sure to wear your dental appliance so you can avoid costly repair issues and headaches!
- Put down the cigarettes. This isn’t just for your oral health!
Dental Office Checklist
- Visit your Bentonville AR dentist twice a year for cleanings and exam
- Talk to your dentist about all issues you may be having – bad breath, gap in teeth, missing teeth, crowded teeth, headaches, sore gums, etc. Be as open as possible. Your dentist wants to have an open dialogue and some issues need to be brought to their attention in order for them to help.
- Consult with your dentist about your dental aesthetic goals – are you unhappy with your smile in any way? Do you want whiter, brighter teeth? Do you want to straighten your teeth or maybe just fix a small blemish? Once again, you want to be open and honest about what you’d like to see changed. Your dentist can then layout treatment options and go over costs.
- Grind your teeth? Schedule an appointment with your dentist to discuss treatment options. Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can have costly repairs and cause major headaches in patients.
Preventative Dental Care
Being proactive with your dental care is extremely important to both your oral health and overall health. If for some reason dental anxiety or fear has kept you from keeping up with your semi-annual visits, call our Bentonville AR dental office and talk to our dentist about your options. Oral health is too important to skip out on. Cheers to an incredible 2018, fresh breath and a bright smile!