Staying on top of your oral health habits makes a world of difference for your overall health. The good news is it doesn’t even take that much time out of your day to complete. With a few simple habits included in your routine, you won’t ever have to worry about oral discomfort or decay.
When you couple brushing and flossing with a biennial trip to the dentist, you’ve got yourself a trifecta of oral hygiene management that no amount of bacteria can withstand. Learn the steps to achieving the pinnacle oral regimen with your dentist in Venice!
Oral hygiene can be defined as the process of preventive care to avoid dental emergencies and keep your tongue, teeth, and gums healthy. The first step of building this regimen is understanding how and when to take oral health measures into you own hands. This means dedicating yourself to a regimen you know you’ll stick to for as long as you live.
To get you started, try adapting the 2-2-2 rule. This covers the number of visits to the dentist you should make per year (twice), the number of times to brush a day (twice again!) and the amount of time spent brushing all the different areas of the mouth (at least two minutes.) You’ll also need to floss at least once a day; some people prefer to floss in the evening so their mouth is fully clean while sleeping.
However, even the strictest regimen won’t get all bacteria out of your mouth. This is where the dental appointment comes in.
Over time, a hardened form of plaque will appear on your teeth known as calculus. This buildup can form below the gum line as well as all around your teeth and under the gum line. Removing this buildup requires a professional hand as it is impossible to examine on your own.
During this cleaning, your Venice dentist will perform a thorough examination of your mouth for calculus, remove it from the visible surfaces of the teeth, and provide a fluoride rinse or varnish to strengthen your enamel. This is why the American Dental Association believes at least two dental visits a year is necessary for maintaining proper dental hygiene. It also gives dentists the opportunity to perform other examinations.
Dentist are not only responsible for scraping out tartar and removing calculus deposits. They also perform X-rays, identify changes in your bite, investigate the components tied to your bone, and operate any other machines needed for treatment such as nitrous oxide or advanced scanners. Regardless of your age, regular visits are critical to retaining proper health, so let your dentist in Venice provide you a quality of care you deserve.
Practice the tenets of dental hygiene every day. Make sure your next dental appointment is labeled on your calendar!
Dr. Shanaka Weerasooriya, DMD, has accumulated hundreds of hours of post-graduate education and training. He’s achieved his Mastery Level status in Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry from Dr. Frank Spear at the Seattle Institute for Advanced Dental Education and continues to deliver the most advanced techniques that provide the highest quality of care to his patients. To contact him or his practice, visit his website.