Celebrate Dental Hygiene Month

Awareness months are popular ways to educate and inform people about important topics. That’s why every October is Dental Hygiene Month! Dental hygiene consists of the habits that you establish to keep your teeth, mouth, and gums healthy. Having great dental hygiene is an essential element in keeping your smile healthy, as well as in maintaining your overall physical health. A healthy mouth is also strongly associated with improved self-confidence. As a part of Dental Hygiene Month, we are providing you with this helpful guide on how to establish good dental hygiene.

Start your celebration of Dental Hygiene Month in Collingswood by booking an appointment for a checkup and cleaning with one of our dentists today!

 Dental Hygienists in Collingswood

Your dental hygienist is an important part of keeping your smile healthy! A dental hygienist is a dental professional who has undergone specialized training and education on how to prevent and treat common diseases in the teeth, gums, and mouth. They perform many important tasks. Dental hygienists work hands-on with patients while also serving as educators, researchers, and administrators for their offices.

Patients spend a great deal of time with their dental hygienists. Your dental hygienist is the person who will take down your medical history so that your dentist can take it into account when developing your treatment plan. He or she will read any x-rays that are taken, conduct dental cleanings and give you preventative treatment recommendations. You can talk to your dental hygienist about what you can do at home to properly take care of your oral health. He or she can also give you nutritional advice so that you can eat a dental health friendly diet.

There are more than 200,000 dental hygienists who work in the United States alone. They are an important part of your dentist’s team. Dental hygienists bridge the gap between patients and dentists, while also working to ensure that each and every patient feels comfortable during his or her visit.

 The Importance of Dental Hygiene

To stay healthy, you need to take good care of your dental health! It not only keeps your smile healthy, but it also boosts your self-confidence and prevents serious health conditions from setting in. A dental hygiene routine will help prevent tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. Leaving these conditions untreated can cause serious problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

 Celebrate Dental Hygiene Month by Establishing Good Oral Health Habits

To celebrate Dental Hygiene Month in Collingswood, practice the four daily routines for healthy smiles:

 Brush, Floss, Rinse, and Chew!

 Brush

Brushing your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes each time is one of the simplest and best things that you can do for your dental hygiene. Using proper brushing technique ensures that you’re removing food particles and plaque build-up from the surface of your teeth. This prevents tooth decay, cavities and gum disease from setting in. If you want to know about the best way to brush your teeth, following these five steps:

 The 5 Steps for Effective Brushing

1. Position your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle toward the gums

2. Move the toothbrush in short strokes gently back and forth

3. Brush the other and top surfaces of your teeth

4. Adjust your toothbrush to a vertical position and brush the inner surfaces

5. Finish up by brushing your tongue to get rid of bacteria

When you brush, be sure that you are doing so using consistent and even strokes. Brushing with intensity isn’t necessarily the most effective way to clean your teeth. In addition to this, you need to replace your toothbrush every three months, or whenever you’ve had some kind of illness.

 Floss

In addition to brushing twice a day, you should also be flossing for a minimum of once a day. This allows you to get rid of food particles and plaque that are stuck in between your teeth. This also helps to reduce your chances of tooth decay and gum disease.

 Rinse

To further boost your dental hygiene, consider adding an antibacterial mouthwash to your dental care routine. When used after brushing and flossing, a mouthwash can help get rid of bacteria and any food particles that remain in the mouth. This is a useful tool in preventing gum disease. It also leaves your breath feeling fresher. However, mouthwash needs to be used in addition to brushing and flossing. It can’t replace the first two steps of your routine.

 Chew

Sugar-free gum is another useful dental hygiene tool. This is because the sugars left behind when you eat or drink something combine with built-up plaque on the teeth to create an acid attack on the enamel of your teeth. While enamel is an incredibly strong substance, continued exposure to this acid will wear the enamel down and cause small holes or cavities to form. Chewing sugar-free gum after eating increases the amount of saliva produced in your mouth, which helps to replace minerals that the enamel needs to prevent cavities from forming.

Start Your Celebration of Dental Hygiene Month in Collingswood by Booking an Appointment for a Checkup and Cleaning with One of Our Dentists Today!

It’s important that we take care of our dental hygiene year-round. If you want to keep your dental health intact, you should see your dentist in Collingswood for a cleaning and checkup on a consistent basis. This will allow your dentist and dental hygienist to work together to keep your smile as healthy as it can be. Remember, great dental hygiene is the key to ensuring that your physical and dental health remain at their best. This means establishing a good relationship with dental healthcare professionals and maintaining a great routine at home.

Start your celebration of Dental Hygiene Month in Collingswood by booking an appointment for a checkup and cleaning with one of our dentists today!