You’re going to be going to the dentist for the first time in a while. It may have been because of a global pandemic that kept many people away. You may have moved to another city. When you took a new job, you might have had to wait a bit for those benefits to kick in. But now, the time has come for you to head in for your appointment soon and you want to be prepared.
There is still some time to fully assess everything that you do to make it sure that you will likely have a good return to the world of routine dental visits. The process will involve your looking at the things in your bathroom to how you use those things that you find there.
Here are several ways to prepare to go to the dentist.
Carefully Examine Your Equipment
You can only get the best results with the best equipment. Take a look at the toothbrush that you have. Are you using a manual one or an electric one? Yes, people have used manual ones for decades and the designs have gotten more efficient over that time, but you really don’t have to plunk down more than $20 for some really good electric toothbrushes.
Why should you use an electric toothbrush? The spinning bristles can do a much more efficient job as you move it around each quadrant of your mouth. How is the condition of the bristles? Soft? That’s what they should be, since hard bristles can irritate your gums and also wear away your enamel. Are they frayed at all? That’s when you should get a new toothbrush.
Check To See If You Are Brushing The Right Way
Take a moment to reflect on how you are brushing. Are you doing it too hard? This tends to happen with people who are closing in on their dental appointment. No, it won’t get the excess plaque off your teeth. What it will do is cause your gums to get irritated and you may even wind up damaging the enamel of your teeth. Dentists and hygienists will spot this right away and (gently) chide you.
If you’re using a manual toothbrush, be sure to brush with gentle circular strokes. Pay attention to each tooth. Do the front and back. If you’re using an electric one, then make certain that you’re hitting each spot of each quadrant and are not just gliding over everything. Doing that keeps the bristles from doing what they are supposed to be doing. Also, brush your tongue – it can wind up being a prime breeding ground for bacteria that makes your breath bad.
Take Your Time
It happens to a lot of us. We don’t budget enough time to brush our teeth into our routines. While it may feel like you’re doing something in the minute that you spend brushing, it leads to missed areas… and bacteria can linger there and break down the defenses of your enamel. That will then create cavities… and your needing fillings. This is all so avoidable.
All you have to do is tack on another minute each time. Two minutes of diligent brushing will help aid your oral health immensely. Be conscientious while doing your routine. Two minutes is not a long time to have to focus. You can go back to thinking about whatever news that you read about after brushing. Otherwise you run the risk of having it all for naught. If you keep up your focus, then you will likely see good results in about a week.
Don’t Skip Flossing
This is an important part of your oral hygiene regimen. If you avoid doing this, then food particles can still linger, even with the use of an electric toothbrush – the bristles won’t be able to get to every nook and cranny of your mouth. Get whatever kind of floss that you like – waxed, unwaxed, mint… whatever works for you and gets the results that you like.
When it comes to the actual flossing motion, you don’t do it roughly with a see-saw motion. You’re not a logger – and if you are, you still don’t do this when it comes to using dental floss. Use an easy motion and you will be getting rid of those food particles. Yes, there may be some blood if you haven’t flossed in a while. That will stop if you keep doing it regularly.
Doing all of this is not hard. You’re basically looking at five minutes twice a day. It’s easy to fit that into your schedule. Remember, when you take care of your teeth, you’re doing a lot for your overall health – since bacteria can get into your bloodstream if you have poor oral health. It will also make for a more comfortable dental visit.
Dr. Shaista Najmi and the staff at Ivory Dental Jacksonville are experts at how to maintain a proper oral health routine. Give them a call at 904-998-1555 to make an appointment.
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Ivory Dental
11362 San Jose Blvd Suite #7,
Jacksonville, FL 32223
Phone: (904) 998-1555
Website: https://ivorydentaljacksonville.com/