O’Fallon Dentist Works With Patients To Help Them Prevent Cavities
Cavities can devastate the appearance the underlying strength and stability of your smile. Our O’Fallon dentists help patients minimize their risks of cavity development, but providing high-quality professional treatments, and helping patients create strong at-home oral hygiene routines.
Today we are going to talk about some of the things that you can do at home in order to keep plaque in check.
The first thing that we recommend, obviously, is that you follow all of the recommendations of your dentist regarding how to care for your smile at home. The American Dental Association recommends that, as a strong oral hygiene base, patients brush their teeth twice a day and floss once a day. Your dentist may recommend additional mouth rinses or other tools to suit your needs.
Keep in mind that water is your smile’s best friend during the day! Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, so that your body is able to produce adequate saliva during the day. Saliva neutralizes oral bacteria, and helps to discourage bacteria from becoming entrenched in your smile. You can also rinse your mouth with water after eating and drinking (things other than water) in order to keep dental debris from sitting on your smile.
When you are eating and drinking during the day, try to make decisions that will help your smile. Try not to consume very many things that are rich in sugars and/or refined carbohydrates, as these foods and drinks feed harmful oral bacteria. When you do indulge in these things, do so in a limited period of time.
Our O’Fallon dentists are here to help you take excellent care of your smile for the short and the long term. Call our dental team if you have specific questions, or if you want to come in for a consultation with our dentist.