Step in front of the mirror and smile wide. What do you see? Do your teeth appear healthy and vibrant — or dark, damaged, and worn? Taking care of your teeth should be a seemingly simple part of your health routine, but for so many people, it’s not. In fact, many people are making big oral health mistakes that are causing, sometime un-repairable damage.
Are you making any of these 4 mistakes?
1. Multi-tasking while brushing your teeth.
Are you one of those people who check their emails while brushing or scrolls through their Facebook feed while brushing? If so, you are really neglecting your teeth.
If you are distracted while brushing then you are more likely to miss many of the surfaces that you need to hit while brushing. Skipping flossing means that you miss up to 40% of the surface of your teeth, and pair that with distracted brushing and you may miss most of the surfaces you need to get while brushing.
2. Avoiding x-rays.
If every time you go to the dentist you manage to finagle your way out of x-rays, then you are doing a disservice to your teeth. Some people are skipping x-rays because they fear that the radiation could cause cancer. The American Cancer Society has noted that dental x-rays do not cause tumors. In fact, dental x-rays are needed for comprehensive oral health exam. They can detect man things that are undetectable on a visual exam.
3. Storing your wet toothbrush.
If you travel a lot then you might be guilty of this. Storing your wet toothbrush in a travel case allows more bacteria to grow. Make sure that your toothbrush dries before storing it for travel.
4. Reaching for the wrong mouth rinse.
Make sure that your mouthwash is doing all it can for your mouth. Pick up a rinse that does more than freshen your breath. Choose a rinse that contains fluoride, helps reduce gingivitis, cavities, and plaque for better oral health.
Do you have questions about your oral health routine? Talk to us about them at your next dental visit.