Making sure to take good care of your teeth is important for two essential reasons. The first reason is to improve your own health. Those who have bad teeth may suffer from painful and serious dental infections. In fact, people with gum disease have a greater chance of suffering from a heart attack. The second reason to take the best care of your teeth possible is to make sure they look healthy and white. Although brushing helps, there are some other things you may want to start doing as well.
1. Pick Your Food and Beverages Wisely
Some food and beverages can quickly contribute to decay and should be avoided as much as possible. Those items include candy, doughnuts, soda and even dried fruit. You may think you are doing something good by eating dried fruit, but it can cause damage to your teeth because it is so sticky. You may also want to drink less coffee because it can cause discoloration to occur.
While some food and beverages should be avoided, there are others that should be consumed regularly to help keep your teeth healthy. Fresh vegetables, such as carrots and celery, are a great choice. If you do not like eating them plain, you can always dip them in a small amount of peanut butter to add some extra flavor. Yogurt, strawberries, and whole wheat crackers are other great options to consider adding to your daily food list.
2. Visit the General Dentist Regularly
One thing you may often do is avoid scheduling visits to see the dentist. You may always feel a bit nervous about sitting in that dental chair and having your teeth checked. However, seeing a dentist at least twice a year is a great way to keep your teeth in great condition and possibly prevent a number of problems because the dentist would notice those issues earlier on. For example, a dentist would usually be able to see when a small cavity is developing. Because it is not too big, the dentist might be able to fix it that same day with a filling. If you never go to the dentist, the cavity will continue to get bigger until it can no longer be fixed with a simple filling. You would end up needing more dental work done in the future.
Dental cleanings are performed with professional tools. The dentist could take out any plaque and leave your teeth feeling much cleaner than they did before. You can even talk to your general dentist about different types of treatments designed to improve the way your teeth look. The dentist may offer whitening trays or in-office whitening treatments that you might be interested in, especially if you have noticed some discoloration.
If you want to have healthy teeth, it is important to do more than just brushing. Choosing the right food and beverages along with seeing a dentist regularly are two of the other important things you can start doing to keep your teeth in great condition over the years. For more information, consider contacting a dentist like those at Brookside Dental Associate.