How To Keep Your Smile Healthy When You Can’t See The Dentist: 5 Quick Tips

1. Brush At Least Twice A Day For Two Minutes

First and foremost, make sure that you’re brushing for at least 2 minutes a day, twice per day. Brushing once after breakfast and once before bed is the best schedule to follow for maximum effectiveness.

Got a little more time on your hands? You can brush three times per day to remove even more bacteria, and make sure that you keep your mouth healthy even when you can’t see the dentist.

2. Floss Once Per Day & Consider Using Mouthwash

Flossing once a day is essential for cleaning tooth surfaces that your toothbrush can’t reach, so make sure you floss every day. You can floss before or after brushing, or whenever you want throughout the day.

A great way to make sure that your flossing routine reaches maximum effectiveness is to rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash after you floss. This helps remove debris that’s been loosened from your teeth and gums during the flossing process.

3. Eat A “Tooth-Healthy” Diet

For the most part, foods and drinks that are healthy for your body are also healthy for your teeth. You should eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products like milk and yogurt, lean meats, whole grain bread, and similar minimally-processed foods.

You should also limit your consumption of sugary beverages like soda and juice, and avoid foods like candy, cookies, potato and tortilla chips, and other foods that are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates.

4. Drink Plenty Of Water

Proper hydration helps keep your mouth healthy and strong. If you’re dehydrated, your saliva flow will decrease and your saliva will thicken. This means it won’t be able to rinse away bacteria and food particles as easily. So make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to keep your mouth healthy. 

5. Avoid Risky Behaviors That Could Damage Teeth & Dental Work 

Because you may not be able to see a dentist, it’s important to avoid damaging your teeth and dental work. You should avoid risky behaviors like:

• Eating hard foods (ice, almonds) with your front teeth
  
• Eating gummy and sticky foods (caramel, toffee, etc.) if you have multiple crowns & fillings
  
• Chewing non-food objects (fingernails, pens, pencils)
  
• Using your teeth as tools to tear open bags and packages or to rip tape
  

Follow These Tips To Keep Your Smile Strong & Healthy 

For now, it may not be possible to get dental care in Tomball. But if you follow these tips from Willow Creek Smiles, you’ll be able to keep your smile healthy until you can see Dr. Tom Nguyen for your regular teeth cleaning and oral exam. Wondering when we’ll be accepting patients again? Contact us at (281) 516-8575 to get the latest updates.