What Is The Ideal Brushing Routine?
We recommend that you brush your twice once in the morning and once in the evening. When you brush, make sure to brush at least 2 minutes each time and brush each tooth.
At least once a day, you should clean between your teeth by using dental floss because it helps to remove plaque and food particles that can get stuck in between your teeth.
If you don’t brush twice a day, or floss once a day or if you don’t clean your teeth at all, then you are leaving bacteria in your mouth, teeth and gum line and you could end up with cavities or something even worse…
To avoid any issues with your Dental health, all you have to do is follow this simple daily routine:
When you wake up, brush your teeth for two minutes
After your last meal, brush your teeth for two minutes and floss in between your teeth
Wake up the next day and repeat
If you do this, you will have a great chance of having excellent Dental health for years to come and you can come in to our office every 6 months to take care of any plaque you may have missed.
What is your daily routine for Dental hygiene? Does it differ from the one we recommended above?
How To Floss Properly
Flossing it a very important part of good dental hygiene. It is essential for removing food that gets stuck in between your teeth and can be very difficult for a tooth brush to reach. If the food are not removed, it can build bacteria and plaque inside the mouth.
If you haven’t been flossing regularly, then it would be a good idea to start as soon as possible.
Whether you are ready to floss now or you are a regular flosser and would like to make sure you are doing it correctly, here are some quick tips for proper floss technique:
Take about 18 to 24 inches of dental floss, wrap up the ends around your index fingers on both hands and leave about 1-2 inches of floss in between (you will use this to floss between your teeth)
Make sure the floss is taut before flossing
Begin inserting the floss in (gently) between two teeth and gently slide it up and down with the purpose of removing food that is stuck between the teeth
When the floss reaches your gums, slide the floss gently between the tooth and your gums as there may be food stuck there as well
Repeat this process until you have flossed between every tooth, but use a new clean section of floss by unwinding the floss on your index fingers
If done properly, regular flossing can lead to a very pleasant experience when coming in to visit our office.
What do you think? Do you have any variations when it comes to flossing technique? Let us know!
Benefits of Brushing Your Tongue
When brushing your Teeth, you shouldn’t skip brushing your tongue! So the next time you brush your teeth, sticking out your tongue as far as you can, start from the back and then use your toothbrush to brush all the way to the front and then back again. It might be strange at first, but if you add this to your brushing routine, which should include using mouthwash and using floss, you’ll be making sure to have excellent oral health by the time you see us.
So what are the benefits of brushing your tongue?
It contributes to a much fresher feeling in your mouth
Reduces plaque
Reduces sulfur that can cause bad breath
Can reduce the bacteria that is on your tongue
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us! We may even give you some more additional tips the next time you come into the office :)
What do you think? Will you be adding this to your brushing routine?
How long and how much should I brush?
There are several recommendations for how long and much you should brush.
Well, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), they recommend that you brush twice per day for two minutes. That being said, we can’t really disagree.
It’s important to brush for at least two minutes just to make sure you can remove as much plaque as possible from your teeth. It might seem like a long time, which means you’re probably not brushing long enough and you’re not alone! It seems that most people brush for about 45 seconds on average.
So here are some tips you could use to make sure you hit the 2-minute mark while brushing:
Look at a clock or set a timer
Hum a song that lasts for 2 minutes
Use a timer and see how much longer you need to spend on each tooth/area to hit the 2-minute mark
If you do this, you could remove up to 26% more plaque than most people.
Do you have any other tips to hit the 2-minute mark?
Foods For A Healthy Smile!
Ok, you’ve seen our blog about foods that are bad for your teeth HERE. Now, check out a few of the following foods that can be good for your teeth so you can have a very nice and healthy smile:
Leafy Greens like Spinach, Lettuce, and Kale because it’s rich in calcium and folic acids that are beneficial to your teeth and gums.
Apples and Pears because it can increase salivation, which neutralizes the citric and malic acids that can reside in your mouth.
Nuts because they are full of important elements like calcium and phosphorus because they help fight bacteria that lead to tooth decay.
Fatty fish (like salmon), and tofu are great because they have phosphorus and can protect your tooth enamel.
While these may not be all the foods that can benefit your teeth, this would be a great start to get you to think about the types of foods you should eat that are healthy for your teeth and your overall well-being!
Make sure you share this with a friend for some helpful tips on dental health!
Sugar is destroying your teeth!
You’ve probably heard that Sugar can be very damaging to your teeth. Every Dentist you have ever met has probably told you about the dangers of consuming too much sugar. A big reason for this is because the Bacteria in your Dental Plaque can change sugars into acids…and you can imagine how acids can be damaging for your teeth.
Of course, we are not saying you should completely cut out Sugar, Candies and Deserts. While it can be enjoyable, for the long term health of your teeth, the best way to enjoy them is in moderation. If you are someone who enjoys sweets everyday, multiple times per day, here are a couple of tips you can use to push yourself to consume less sugar:
Limit yourself to 1 desert per day (or better yet, once per week)
Instead of Soda, switch to sugar free drinks like tea
Check out the labels of the foods you eat and see if you can find alternatives that use less sugar
Switch to extracts Vanilla or Almond
Try non-nutritive sweeteners
Do you have any other tips for limiting your Sugar consumption? How much Sugar do you consume on a regular basis?
Your health and safety is our top priority!
As we have mentioned before, yes we are open and yes we are taking appointments! If you have plans to see us, please contact us as soon as possible because it might be a while before we can schedule you in. We will of course do our best to get you in as soon as possible, so let us know your needs and we will try to accommodate you to the best of our ability.
Your safety is our top priority, which is why there is a limit to how many patients we can welcome at any one time. When you come in, you will be greeted by our friendly staff who will all be wearing protective masks while we give you the best dental care possible.
If you haven’t seen our new video yet, please make sure to watch THIS VIDEO so you can see inside our brand new office and see the staff at work wearing protective masks! So make an appointment with us and know that we take your health and safety very seriously :) See you soon!
Have trouble making it a habit to floss after every meal? Let pain be your guide!
Have trouble making it a habit to floss after every meal? Let pain be your guide!
Some people have trouble making it a habit to floss after every meal. Flossing is obviously important for the healthy of your teeth, gums and makes things a lot easier when you come to us for cleaning. But for some, it may not be a regular habit yet to do so. Here’s a few techniques you can use to create a new habit for flossing:
1.) Let pain be your guide! Whenever you get your teeth cleaned, is the experience painful or even extremely bloody? This is due to your gums being extremely inflamed by the time you come to see us for cleaning. If you want the experience to be less bloody and painful, then you’ll want to learn how to floss every day.
2.) Start slow! Maybe you can make it a goal to at least floss once a week; that’s certainly better than nothing. Try to make it a goal to floss every Monday. If you are able to stick to that day, try adding Tuesday and keep adding days until you are able to do it every day. Pretty soon, you’ll be flossing every day and after every meal in no time!
3.) Try adding it to your routine! If you already brush everyday, you are halfway there! Anytime you brush your teeth, don’t you have a routine of grabbing the toothbrush, adding the toothpaste, etc.? Perhaps add a new action in between. Perhaps in between grabbing your toothbrush and toothpaste, try taking out some floss and flossing your teeth, then brush your teeth after. Once this becomes a part of your routine, you’ll be successful in creating a new habit.
Try out these ideas and see if it helps you with learning how to floss your teeth every day! Do you have any effective techniques that work for you and might be helpful to others? Make sure to share it with us!
Yes, we are open!
It all begins with an idea.
Everyone is getting affected in so many different ways due to Covid-19 and this Pandemic. Everyone, including St. Mary’s, at one point or another, had to temporarily close or shut down in order to keep the infection rates low. Even now, so many business are either closed or operating at a very limited capacity.
That being said, yes we are open and yes we are taking appointments! The only caveat is that it might be a while before we can schedule you to come in, so if you have plans to see us, please contact us as soon as possible. If you plan on seeing us by the end of the year, then now is the time to call! We will of course do our best to get you in as soon as possible, so let us know your needs and we will try to accommodate you to the best of our ability.
In the meanwhile, stay healthy and take care of your teeth! Brush after every meal and use floss! You should be doing that anyway, so that the next time we see you, it will just be some light maintenance work ;) See you in the office soon!
Welcome to our new website!
We are so very excited to announce that we have a new website to help service all our current and future clients!
We are so very excited to announce that we have a new website to help service all our current and future clients! Please feel free to look around and learn more about us, our services and what our clients have to say about us. Also, stay updated on all our blog posts to keep you up to date on what’s new at our office!
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, we have a very helpful “Contact Us” button that you can use to get in touch and schedule a consultation.
Whether it’s a standard teeth cleaning, fillings or an emergency dental situation, our outstanding staff is standing by to offer you the best care possible! At St. Mary’s, we treat you like family and make sure you get the best dental advice towards your oral health!