8 Facts You Should Know About Preventative Dental Hygiene

8 Facts You Should Know About Preventative Dental Hygiene

March 13, 2023

The secret to excellent oral health is in daily practices that happen away from a dental clinic. However, your oral care measures at home may not be enough to protect your mouth from dental problems. You need regular intervention by a dentist in Vancouver, BC, particularly for preventive dental care measures.

What Is Preventive Dental Hygiene?

Oral hygiene is the heart of excellent dental health. Any effort you put forth to keep your mouth clean, counts as oral hygiene. However, preventive oral hygiene revolves around using mouth-cleaning protocols to protect the mouth from oral infections. It combines oral hygiene practices at home with regular dental check-ups and cleanings by a dentist near you. Preventive dental hygiene aims to keep your mouth clean and healthy. It reduces the likelihood of oral health conditions that are often more expensive to treat in the future.

8 Crucial Facts About What Preventive Dental Hygiene Involves

Dentists at Vancouver dentistry prioritize oral hygiene as a cornerstone for excellent dental health. Preventative oral hygiene will look like different dental services, including the following:

  • Dental exams are paramount for good oral hygiene. Unless your dentist has evaluated your mouth, (s)he may not really know how to serve you well. Once you walk into a dental clinic near you, the dentist will examine your mouth to highlight any problems you may have in your mouth.
  • Special tooth brushing elevates oral health – a big part of oral cleaning in a dental clinic entails brushing your teeth with electric-powered brushes. The dentist will focus on portions of your mouth that don’t get well cleaned, like your wisdom teeth.
  • Expert flossing is not like regular flossing at home – a dentist or dental hygienist will floss your teeth more thoroughly than you can at home. Still, it does not mean that you neglect dental flossing at home.
  • Fluoride treatment promotes healthy teeth – entails enriching teeth enamels with fluoride, a natural mineral that builds strong and healthy teeth. The treatment involves applying the fluoride varnish over your teeth, then letting it sit for a while as the teeth absorb it. Fluoride helps boosts your teeth’ resistance to acids and bacteria that cause cavities.
  • Dental sealants can boost oral hygiene – they are dental fillings that protect the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, primarily the molars. They create a barrier over the chewing surfaces that prevents food residue and bacteria from directly contacting teeth. This way, you can properly clean your teeth without worrying that plaque is hiding in the deep fissures and depressions of the molars.
  • How you brush your teeth at home matters – brush your teeth at least twice daily or after every meal. Dentists recommend using high-quality products like fluoride toothpaste or electric toothbrushes. Further, inquire about the right tooth-brushing techniques to properly clean your mouth without a dentist’s supervision.
  • Drinking water builds up good oral hygiene – although water has other uses for your body, it can benefit your oral hygiene. Drinking water flushes down food residues to prevent plaque buildup. Besides, water boosts saliva function by neutralizing the acidity in your mouth that otherwise leads to oral infections like cavities.
  • Maintaining a healthy diet is part of preventive dental hygiene – the foods you consume directly affect your oral health. Eating healthily also makes it easier for you to keep your mouth clean. For example, eating raw carrots or apples can prevent plaque from forming on teeth surfaces. Contrary, candies and sugary foods like caramel and chewing gum can stick to your teeth, heightening the risk of oral infections.

The Essence of Preventive Oral Hygiene at Home

The basic efforts to keep a clean mouth at home contribute to dental hygiene in Vancouver. Once you understand that oral health is your responsibility, you will not wait on your next dental appointment at Enhance Dental Centre to keep your mouth clean. Some practices to keep a clean mouth, like flossing, may look small, but you cannot ignore them. Flossing, for instance, helps target the hard-to-reach parts of teeth, particularly between them. It will also clean the areas right about the gum line to foster good gum health.

Conclusion

Preventive dental hygiene revolves around dental care measures that can fight bacteria and boost oral health. These measures cannot be done by a dentist alone or by yourself at home. Instead, there should be cohesion between you and your dentist to achieve excellent oral hygiene and overall mouth health.