Celebrate Dental Hygiene Month with Better Dental Hygiene!

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teeth being brushedBesides the candy-fest that is Halloween, October is also host to National Dental Hygiene Month—the National Dental Hygienists’ Association’s effort to help raise awareness about the importance of maintaining good dental health. To help you celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month, we offer a few tips for keeping your smile healthy and beautiful through better dental hygiene.

Better Dental Hygiene Practices

  • Brush softly—You don’t need elbow grease to clean your teeth. In fact, if you scrub too hard, you might damage the protective outer layer of your teeth. Brush softly using a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid compromising your tooth enamel.
  • Floss thoroughly (but carefully)—Be sure to floss thoroughly between ALL of your teeth, but take care not to floss too vigorously or you may irritate your gum tissues.
  • Wait to rinse—Many of the ingredients in most toothpaste brands, like fluoride, are designed to help strengthen teeth, freshen breath, and fight oral bacteria. For maximum benefit, wait a few minutes after brushing to rinse your mouth with water. The extra few moments will grant your toothpaste more time to clean and protect your teeth.
  • Use mouthwash—Water is one of your dental health’s best friends, and is highly effective at neutralizing oral bacteria and their harmful byproducts. Mouthwash, however, often contains ingredients specifically designed to boost your dental hygiene by targeting dental disease-causing bacteria. If you can’t brush your teeth after a meal, try rinsing your mouth with mouthwash to flush out lingering food debris and plaque.
  • Make dental visits a staple of your hygiene—Some things shouldn’t be postponed, and though many people do it anyway, your dental checkup and cleaning appointments are among them. During your visit, we’ll thoroughly clean your teeth of bacterial plaque and tartar (calcified plaque, or calculus), and check for signs of developing issues, like tooth decay and gum disease.

ABOUT YOUR NORTH RICHLAND HILLS DENTIST:

With over 25 years of professional experience, Dr. Steven M. Huffstutler and his caring team proudly provide exceptional preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dental treatment to patients and their families across Dallas/Ft. Worth, including North Richland Hills, Denton, the Mid-cities, Southlake, and all surrounding communities. We also have extensive experience helping patients find relief from painful TMJ disorders (various forms of jaw dysfunction). To schedule an appointment with Dr. Huffstutler, contact our office today by calling 817-918-3038.