Elmhurst Dentist Explains Simple Dental Health Steps You Can Take Throughout The Day

Written by Dr. Scharfenberg on Jul 15, 2014

Cleaning your teeth morning and night will give you a great dental health foundation from which to care for your smile. But did you know that there are things that you can do throughout the day to boost your oral health? That’s what our Elmhurst dentists are discussing today—so keep reading to get easy-to-implement dental tips.

The first thing to keep in mind is that your natural saliva works to re-mineralize and fortify teeth. So, during the day, you should do what you can to promote saliva production and distribution:

· Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water so that you stay hydrated.

· Try chewing a sugar-free gum to jump-start saliva production if you find that your mouth is getting dry.

· Swish some water around your mouth to both clear away dental debris and wet your mouth.

Another thing that you want to do is limit the amount of time that sugars and complex carbohydrates are allowed to sit in your mouth. The longer these things sit in your mouth, they more oral bacteria feed and grow. So try:

· Rinsing your mouth with water after eating or drinking such substances.

· Eating sugary snacks and drinking sugary drinks at once, rather than snacking or sipping on them over a long period of time. The bacteria in your mouth will be active for about 30 minutes after you eat or drink.

· Obviously, it will help your smile if you limit the amount of sugars and carbohydrates you consume daily.

Keep these things in mind as you go through your daily routine, and you will be able to support your oral health 24/7! Our Elmhurst dentist office is here to answer any questions you may have, and help you maintain a healthy smile. Just give us a call to get more information!