Spring is just around the corner, which means spring cleaning is too. As the weather gets warmer you’re busy reorganizing your closet, mulching your flower beds, and digging out the steam cleaner to give your carpets some TLC. But what about your mouth?
Your smile deserves just as much attention as your closet during your spring cleaning routine. Use these tips to make sure your mouth remains healthy and revitalized as a new season approaches.
It’s Time to Start Flossing
Research indicates that up to 44% of adults never floss. If you’ve been skipping the floss in your dental routine for months or years, it’s time to change your ways. Flossing isn’t just an inconvenience to shrug off; it’s just as important as brushing to prevent gum disease and keep your smile healthy.
First, identify your excuse. What is stopping you from flossing? Here are the four most popular excuses that adults use to skip flossing:
- “I don’t know how to floss!”
- “I’m too busy, I don’t have time to floss.”
- “Flossing isn’t really that important, I’ll be fine if I skip it.”
- “My gums hurt and bleed when I floss, so I probably shouldn’t do it.”
The truth is that flossing is just as important as brushing! Flossing before you brush is an important way to break up any hidden plaque and tartar stuck between your teeth. After the floss loosens the bacteria, your toothbrush removes them from the mouth entirely. This protects the interior surfaces of your teeth from decay.
As you give your mouth the gift of spring cleaning, make sure you add flossing into your routine. It’s not nearly as difficult or time-consuming as you think. Floss picks make it extremely easy to slide the floss in between each tooth without worrying about wrapping it around your finger or getting the right angle.
Follow these directions for simple flossing success:
- Place tip of pick between the teeth and gum line.
- Use a gentle in and out motion to remove bacteria buildup
- Repeat motion and rinse flosser as needed
Your smile will thank you… and your dentist will be impressed!
Swap to Smile-Friendly Drinks
V6 Peach Mango Energy Juice, Lipton Green Tea with Citrus, Blue Raspberry Kool-Aid, and Gatorade are just a few popular options dotting the beverage aisle. They look delicious, but they’re your smile’s worst enemy. Most beverages are loaded with sugar and acid. Every time you take a sip, you coat your teeth in a recipe that’s practically tailor-made to cause decay, sensitivity, and gum disease.
As part of your spring cleaning efforts, try to swap these sugary drinks with water. Not only does water eliminate the excess sugar and acid on your teeth, but water also improves the quality of your saliva and makes it easier for your mouth to ward off invading bacteria.
Schedule a Date With Your Dentist
Visiting your dentist every six months is an essential element of preventative care. Each appointment gives your Encinitas dentist the opportunity to evaluate your gums, teeth, tongue, and throat. Most importantly, it gives your dentist the chance to take note of any changes since your last appointment. Even subtle changes can indicate a potential problem or concern.
Preventative oral care isn’t just about finding cavities; your dentist needs to assess the condition of your entire oral system. If you skip appointments or only see your dentist every few years, it becomes much harder to identify and treat problems like decay and disease before they cause widespread damage.
What better way to refresh your smile than to schedule a dentist appointment? Only your dentist can achieve the comprehensive deep cleaning your mouth needs for a true spring cleaning.
Refresh Your Smile With Teeth Whitening
If your teeth have become blemished by yellow stains, this is the perfect time to reinvent your smile with professional teeth whitening. Whitening kits at the drugstore may be easy to slip into your shopping cart, but they’re often unpredictable and inefficient. Ask your dentist about the KoR Whitening System instead.
Normal peroxide formulas whiten your teeth by lightening the color of these stains with “bleaching factors”. However, since the formulas used in most conventional whitening products aren’t fully potent, they can’t efficiently diffuse through the entire microstructures of your teeth to target the worst stains. Standard whitening gels applied in trays only stay active for 25-35 minutes before becoming too diluted by saliva. You can’t achieve optimal whitening results in just half an hour!
That’s how KoR makes such a difference. KoR gels are continuously refrigerated from the moment they’re formulated until the second they’re applied to your teeth. Continuous refrigeration ensures that Kor gels are never compromised or degraded by heat or bacteria.
Even better, the high potency formulas are never diluted or weakened by saliva because they’re applied in KoR-Seal trays specifically designed to seal out saliva. This creates 6 to 10 hours of whitening activity compared to just 25-35 minutes with other systems! After just one appointment with your dentist, you’ll have a smile you’re proud to take to the beach this summer.
Get an Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer is an especially severe type of cancer that forms inside the mouth and often develops without any obvious signs or symptoms.
If you smoke, you’re automatically at higher risk for oral cancer than a non-smoker. A few other lifestyle choices and medical conditions may increase your risk for oral cancer as well, including heavy alcohol intake and years of unprotected sun exposure.
Fortunately, oral cancer screenings are quick, simple, and non-invasive. During the screening, your dentist examines your entire oral cavity, including your jaw, tongue, gumline, and throat. Though oral cancer affects nearly 50,000 Americans every year and kills almost 10,000 adults annually, it’s highly treatable with radiation therapy when detected early through an oral cancer screening!
Can you think of a more meaningful way to spend 10 minutes of your spring cleaning?
Dr. Gregory Skeens and his team at Encinitas Family Dentistry are devoted to restoring and enhancing your smile, so call to schedule your appointment today. Dr. Skeens offers the support and compassion you need to give your mouth the ultimate spring cleaning.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT ENCINITAS FAMILY DENTISTRY
At our core, Encinitas Dentistry is a dental practice devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile. How we accomplish that goal is what makes us stand out. We mingle time-tested approaches to oral care with state-of-the-art technology and procedures to deliver beautiful, long-lasting smiles!