Oral Health for Busy Lives

While we understand more of us are getting increasingly time poor, it is important to still make time for your dental and oral health. It is just as important to care for your teeth and gums just as much as any other aspect of our lives.

The Basics

Essentially we want everyone to focus on getting the in the basics to your busy routine.

• Brushing 2 times daily for 2 minutes
• Flossing or in between cleaning of your teeth morning or night
• Maintaining a Healthy Diet
• Routine dental visits and preventative care treatments

Brushing

Brushing is all about timing.

Many people don’t give much thought to their technique or time spent brushing so it can often be overlooked. To gain the maximum benefit out of your brushing aim to brush for at least 2 minutes. A tip can be to brush along to a song or have a timer available. You will be surprised at the difference in your brushing when you allow the right amount of time.

The Manual Brusher

When it comes to a manual toothbrush always go for SOFT bristles. Soft bristles with a small and flexible head offers the best cleaning and protection to your teeth and gums. If you’re one of those people that wear through a toothbrush very quickly it may mean your technique is all wrong. While brushing aim to your bristles toward the gum on a 45 degree angle and use slow circular motions to remove plaque and debris. Hard scrubbing motions not only don’t clean the best but could cause damage to your enamel or gums recession.

The Electric Brusher

An electric toothbrush maybe the solution if you’re having issues with manual brushing. Like manual brushing you still need to angle the brush on a 45 degree angle toward the gum however with its oscillating movement all you have to do is place the brush in the correct position. Many electric toothbrushes have an inbuilt timer which aids in keeping you accountable for 2 minutes too.

Flossing

Did you know that half of your tooth surface area is in-between them?

This is why it’s so important to implement flossing or some form of in-between cleaning daily. The focus of flossing is to disrupt any bio film or bacteria from around your tooth and gums. The purpose of this is to reduce your chances of dental disease which often occurs when harmful bacteria are left behind.

Remember flossing doesn’t cause your gums to bleed! It is actually the bacteria left behind that causes inflammation and bleeding.

More flossing = less bleeding

Diet

When we get busy it often our diet is the first thing to be overlooked.

Did you know sugar is the single biggest cause in Tooth Decay?

Often sugars are hidden in convenience foods and flavored drinks. Read your labels carefully to avoid any unwanted sugar intake and exposure to your teeth. If you are stuck on the go try and aim for convenience foods such as cheese, nuts and vegetables. The healthiest drink for your body and oral health is plain tap water. We try to aim to get 2 litres of water intake a day.

Regular dental check ups

Lastly please find time to see us twice a year for you routine check ups and preventative care appointments. It is here where we are able to monitor any concerns and also maintain your healthy smile.

However if something feels not quite right before then please get in touch ASAP. This allows us to manage your condition early and before it impacts dramatically on you oral and overall health.

By Ashleigh Lilly