Oral Hygiene
The foundation of oral health
If you’ve ever been to the dentist (we hope you have), you’ve heard it time and time again, “Have you been flossing regularly?” While it may seem like we’re beating a dead horse, we only stress flossing and oral hygiene so much because it really is the foundation for a healthy smile. A little effort today can prevent a whole host of painful and costly dental problems down the road.
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Your Job
When we only see you in the office at Whalen Dental twice yearly for regular cleanings and exams, it’s essential that you establish and maintain an ideal oral homecare routine. If you want to keep your smile bright, white, and sparkling, and fend off decay and disease, we recommend following these hygiene tips and tricks:
- Brush – Brush for at least two minutes, at least twice every day, ideally after eating and drinking. Use an electric toothbrush for the best results – we recommend Sonicare®. Don’t forget to brush all sides to the very back, and the tongue to minimize bad breath.
- Floss – Floss every day, before you nightly brushing to remove particles between teeth and keep your gums healthy.
- Rinse – Rinsing with mouthwash kills 99% of germs and bacteria in your mouth that brushing and flossing alone cannot, and helps keep breath fresh.
- Water – When brushing and flossing is not an option, rinsing with water after eating or drinking will help reduce plaque and bacteria.
Our Job
We hope that you’ve taken our advice and implemented some good habits into your daily routine. Now it’s time for your regular cleaning and exam appointment. Luckily, Dr. Whalen has assembled the best hygiene team in Cornelius. They are incredibly gentle yet impressively thorough for a good deep clean that will leave you with that “fresh from the dentist” clean feeling. We will also perform a thorough examination of your mouth to look for signs of disease and decay.
Benefits of Adult Fluoride
Many adults have questions about the usage and efficacy of fluoride, so we’d like to take a moment to discuss this mineral and the benefits it provides. Fluoride occurs naturally in all water sources, but its first introduction to a drinking water supply took place in 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After 11 years, the National Institute for Dental Research saw a 60% decrease in the rates of tooth decay, which led to roughly half of America’s water supply becoming fluoridated.
How does it work?
- Fluoride helps repair your enamel by replenishing calcium and phosphorus, which keep your teeth hard – this keeps your jaw nice and strong, and lets you chew your favorite foods without issue.
- Fluoride keeps plaque-based bacteria from producing the acid that causes decay.
Fluoride treatments can be especially helpful for patients with dry mouth or sensitive teeth. If you have a decrease in saliva, often as a side effect of medication, you’re at an elevated risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Coupled with fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated drinking water, we can provide treatments that keep your smile healthy.
Give us a call!
If you’re looking for the best dental cleaning in Cornelius, or just some quality advice straight from the professionals, you’ve come to the right place! If you have any questions about oral hygiene, or would like to schedule a cleaning with your Cornelius dentist – Dr. Ryan S. Whalen at Whalen Dentistry – give us a call today.