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Your dental health plays an integral part of your overall health and can help reduce your chances of developing conditions such as heart disease and certain respiratory issues. If you’re looking to improve your health this year, consider trying these 10 ways to improve the health of your smile.

How to Improve Dental Health

1. Brush Your Teeth 2-3 Times a Day

Brushing your teeth after each meal, or at least 2-3 times per day, is the best way to keep your teeth clean and prevent gum disease. In addition to keeping your teeth clean of food debris, your smile will stay bright.

Brushing properly is key to proper dental hygiene, so be sure to brush for 2-3 minutes per each time; spending at least 30 seconds in each area of your mouth.

2. Floss Regularly

Your dentist doesn’t tell you to floss for their health — they tell you for yours. Flossing is an extremely vital part of your dental routine. This seemingly small step can have a big effect on reducing plaque and keeping your teeth healthy. Floss after each meal to remove food stuck between your teeth. You’ll also help keep your gums healthy and prevent gingivitis.

Many patients avoid flossing because their gums bleed when they do so, but the more you floss, the less bleeding will occur. The more in-depth your dental routine is, the cleaner your mouth will be.

3. Watch Your Tongue

Your tongue, just like your gums and teeth, plays host to a variety of bacteria if left uncleaned. However, many patients don’t realize how important cleaning their tongue can be to their dental health. Kick bacteria to the curb and improve bad breath by using a tongue scraper or a toothbrush with a scraper on the back.

4. Use The Right Toothbrush, and Replace it Often

There are many toothbrushes available on the market, but the best options for your teeth are soft-bristled and electronic brushes. Both of these will keep your smile bright and clean by allowing for the gentle cleansing on your teeth. No harsh scrubbing means your chances of long-term damage, such as receding gums and enamel, is lowered.

5. Quit Smoking

Smoking brings serious health concerns, such as mouth and lung cancer, but it can also cause tooth discoloration and bad breath. Additionally, smokers are more prone to having infected gums, weakened teeth, and a lower success rate of dental implant procedures.

6. Reduce Your Coffee Intake

Many of us rely on coffee to get through the day, but this dark-colored drink can become embedded in the cracks of your enamel, leading to yellowish stains. Coffee also contains acid, which can weaken your enamel and lead to tooth decay. If you absolutely can’t kick the coffee habit, try switching up how you drink it by using a straw to limit the exposure of dark liquids to your teeth.

7. Eat a Healthy Diet

Your pediatrician may have once told you that an apple a day can keep the doctor away — but it can also keep the dentist away, too. Eating apples and other crunchy fruits and vegetables helps to keep your gums stimulated, acts as a natural floss, and fights cavities.

You should try to include fruits, vegetables, grains, chicken, and fish to your diet to aid not just your dental health but your overall health.

8. Limit Your Sugar Intake

Let’s face it — we all love a sweet treat once in a while. However, sugary items like soda, cookies, candy, and many juices and alcoholic beverages can put you at risk for developing cavities. When you eat a high-sugar diet, your mouth’s harmful bacteria feed off of it, creating cavities and weakening your enamel. Choose low-sugar foods to keep your teeth cavity-free.

9. Use An Antibacterial Mouthwash

Mouthwashes with the ADA Seal of Acceptance are products that are deemed safe and effective for your dental health. Using one of these mouthwashes helps get into the crevices in your mouth that you may not reach with a toothbrush.

Add an antibacterial mouthwash into your daily dental health regiment to ward off the bacteria living in your mouth.

10. Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Many patients avoid going to the dentist out of fear and usually come wait until their pain is unbearable, resulting in the need for advanced treatment.

Schedule With Our Dentists

Curious about how to improve your dental health? Call our Iowa City dentists to explain everything you need to know about improving your oral hygiene.

Whether it’s time for your semi-annual dental visit or a dental problem has been bothering you for days, don’t avoid getting a cleaning or seeking dental help. Trust Willow Creek Family Dentistry to provide you with the most comprehensive dental care and to ease your fears. We are here to steer you in the right direction of a lifetime of good oral health.