IT’S THAT TIME of the year when we take stock of what we’re thankful for and say thank you to a dentist and other dental professionals for giving us healthy smiles. Even in a turbulent year, there’s plenty that goes on that list, from our families and friends to new skills we’ve developed, and we hope that hard-working dental professionals are included for a lot of people! Here in our Manasquan Dental Spa, we love to see healthy smiles, especially around the holidays!
Healthy Smiles Come Easier With Modern Dentistry
Before you scoff at the idea of putting dentists on a list of things to be grateful for, hear us out. It’s not just about the treatment we receive at our dental exams; it’s more than that. Dentists have led the charge for good dental habits and giving us an awareness of the harm sugar can do to our teeth and gums. Let’s go over just a few of the things that are widely understood these days thanks to dental professionals.
The Importance of a Daily Dental Routine
All our lives, we’ve heard dentists tell us to brush twice a day for two full minutes and to floss daily. This is because neglecting to brush and floss or not doing a thorough job allows plaque to build up, calcify into tartar, and increase the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. However, it’s also important to be gentle with the floss and not to brush too hard, because over-brushing can be a problem as well. That’s why dental professionals recommend soft-bristled brushes!
How We Keep Our Smiles Bright And Breath Fresh
Dentists also help us out with great tips for how to keep our breath fresh, like making sure to include scraping our tongues in our daily hygiene routines. Lots of bacteria can get trapped in the rough surface of the tongue, so we should be cleaning it off regularly using tongue scrapers! (Simply using a toothbrush for that won’t be very effective.)
Another important way to keep our breath fresh is to cut back on our sugar consumption because that’s smelly oral bacteria’s favorite food! We should also be breathing through our noses whenever possible, because mouth-breathing dries out our mouths, leaving us with less saliva to wash away unpleasant smells.
Regular Dental Check-Up Matter!
The old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is absolutely true when it comes to dental health. Regular dental exams (meaning every six months) are the best way to catch little problems before they can become big (and expensive). Good to know!
It Goes Both Ways: We’re Thankful for Our Patients!
If you’ve had time to say thank you to the dentist who has made a different in your life, you should know that your dental team feels the same way! We’re so grateful that we get to play a role in keeping our patient’s smiles healthy! We hope the remainder of the year is wonderful for all of you and that you have many opportunities to show off your gorgeous smiles.
We look forward to seeing you at our dental office!