You’ve heard the same thing over and over about good oral hygiene habits. Brush twice a day, floss once per day, limit sugary foods, etc. We make sure to take care of our teeth as best as we can everyday, but it can be easy to eventually fall out of routine. In fact, it may be easy to fall into a routine that you may not realize is actually harming your smile instead of helping it. Take a look at these bad oral hygiene habits and see if you’ve found yourself making the same mistakes:
1. Not flossing. It can be so easy to just give your teeth a quick brush and go right to bed and think, “I’ll floss tomorrow”. Eventually, you find yourself saying, “tomorrow”, everyday. We can all be lazy, but the health of your teeth is not something to mess with. Flossing reaches plaque in places that your toothbrush can’t reach. Keep up with good flossing habits so that you can avoid cavities between your teeth.
2. Brushing right after eating. We know this sounds contradictory to what you’ve been told in the past. While brushing after a meal is important, you don’t want to brush too soon. Some foods with high acidity can actually cause more damage because you haven’t given your mouth the time to naturally clean itself. Be sure to drink plenty of water after a meal and rinse your mouth out. Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing.
3. Not replacing your toothbrush. When was the last time you bought a new toothbrush? Do you even remember? That old toothbrush you’ve been using for the past six months is probably a host to harmful bacteria by now. Get a new toothbrush every three to four months, or after you’ve been sick.
4. Hard-bristled toothbrushes. When you go to replace your toothbrush, make sure you find a soft or medium-bristled toothbrush. Hard bristles can actually cause a lot of damage to your gums.
5. Over-whitening. While teeth whitening is a great way to improve the appearance of your smile, you don’t want to over-do it. Too much bleaching can make your teeth more sensitive. For best results, talk to your dentist.
Are you guilty of any of these bad oral hygiene habits? If so, don’t worry. Just take our advice and be sure to start a new routine. If you would like more advice on oral hygiene, or think its time for a visit to the dentist, call Olney Dental! You can reach us at (301) 250-1057 or, you can schedule an appointment online.
Source
http://www.knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/?abc=5&iid=184&aid=11069