It’s Time to make your Oral Health a Priority

January is here and with it we often think of new beginnings.  What a great time to add a new habit into your oral health routine.  There are many things  you could consider adding to your routine that can not only improve your oral health by decreasing your risk of decay, gum disease and halitosis but it can also reduce the amount of inflammation in your body.  When your gums bleed it is usually due to gingivitis or periodontitis an inflammatory response to the toxins being produced from plaque not being fully removed.                                                                             

​Low grade inflammation in our bodies is being linked to many diseases.  A great video to watch sometime on YOU TUBE is one by Dr. OZ on Inflammation where he explains what happens in our bodies when it has chronic low grade inflammation.    Click here to view

​What new habit will you add to your routine this month?

​Brushing

1. If you currently are not brushing every day I suggest you start with adding night time brushing into your routine.  Night time brushing is the most important time to brush your teeth as when you are sleeping you have less saliva in your mouth to wash away the bacteria on your teeth that cause decay, gum disease and halitosis.
2. Already brushing every night, consider brushing in the morning also.
3. Still using a manual toothbrush you may consider using a power toothbrush.  Power brushes give you many more strokes per minute therefore increasing the efficiency of plaque removal.

Cleaning Between Your Teeth

1. If you currently are not using something to clean between your teeth consider finding a tool you can incorporate into your daily routine.
2. Ask your hygienist to give some suggestions of what will work well for you.  There are more options than floss if you finding flossing difficult make sure your hygienist knows so they can recommend other useful options for you.

Oral Rinses
If you have already incorporated all the above you may want to add a therapeutic rinse.             If you tend to be decay prone look for a rinse with either fluoride or xylitol.       
If you have gingivitis or periodontal disease consider Listerine Zero with no alcohol        .                                   

Tongue Cleaning
This is a great addition to decrease the amount of bacteria in your mouth and freshen your breath.
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Regular Dental Hygiene Visits
If you currently are not being seen by a dental hygienist I highly recommend booking yourself in for a new client exam and cleaning.  Regular cleanings are different for everyone, some need to ideally be seen every 6 months to a year and others need to be seen as much as every 3 months to prevent disease.