How to be Your Own Best Dentist

By now, you know that a visit to your family dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning is perhaps the best dental insurance you can give yourself.  An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of toothaches and gum issues when you let regular visits go.

But what can you do to be your own best dentist in-between visits?

There are several tried and true good dental hygiene tips to keep your smile at a maximum dazzle and your mouth and gums as healthy as can be for years to come.

1. Brush, but make sure you do it the right way. Dentists recommend brushing at least twice a day to prevent acid build-up that takes place from bacteria released when you eat food.  Make sure you brush both up and down and side to side with your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle, covering both your gum line and your teeth, and make sure to do this on both the inside and the outside surfaces.  Use a soft bristle brush to avoid bleeding.  Also, brush the surface of your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove bacteria that can cause bad breath.
2. It’s a pain, but it removes food particles that brushing cannot.  Do so at least once a day.
3. Use mouthwash. Find a brand that has chlorine dioxide which will help kill even more bacteria in your mouth.
4. Limit alcohol, sodas and coffee. Stay away from tobacco.   These beverages can deplete the body’s calcium.  Drinks that contain corn syrup or food dye can discolor your teeth.  Milk and water are much better choices.  Tobacco causes oral cancer and damages your teeth.  And if you use breath mints or candies containing sugar to mask the smell after a cigarette, that makes things even worse.

Cochran Family Dental is located in Leesburg and proudly serves the cities of Ashburn, Purcellville and other nearby communities in northern Virginia and southern Maryland.