A Comprehensive Guide to Dental Care for Adults
Parents always teach kids about importance of good oral hygiene, but they themselves forget to ensure complete oral hygiene. Proper hygiene and professional dental care are essential for adults, too. However, busy schedule, bad habits and lack of caring make adults to neglect their mouths- with serious and troublesome consequences.
Why Dental Care Should be on Top of Your Priority List?
This might sound shocking but according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) more than 1 in 4 people in the U.S. have untreated tooth decay, and around 46% show symptoms of gum disease. In addition, health care costs due to such poor oral health are calculated to be as high as $5681 per person.
The Importance of Dental Care for Adults
The risks of gum disease, tooth loss and tooth decay constantly increase with age. This is due to many factors, like difficulty brushing, receding gums, more frequent dry mouth, or bad habits like skipping brushing or smoking.
In other words, it is essential to follow good hygiene practices in adulthood.
Forest dentists recommend you:
- Brush your teeth twice daily. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush for at least 2 minutes, ensuring you reach all your teeth.
- Use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride assists in strengthening tooth enamel and preventing tooth decay.
- Use a toothbrush for not more than 3 months. Bristles of toothbrushes wear out due to regular usage and after about 3 months, they are worn to the extent that they canโt clean your mouth.
- Flossing is as important as brushing. This removes plaque from between your teeth and under your gum line, preventing tartar and other dental issues.
Keep retainers, dentures and other appliances clean. - Follow a healthy, balanced diet. This assists lessen the chances of getting gum disease. Also reduce the intake of sweets, soda and other foods that are high on sugar content, as they lead to cavities and plaque.
- If you smoke, try quitting. The tar and other chemicals in smoke kill off healthy mouth tissue, make your mouth dry and erode tooth enamel- all of which lead to gum disease.
- Visit a Dentist in Forest at least twice a year. You can have your teeth professionally cleaned, and the dentist can determine any early symptoms of dental problems.
If you live in Forest, you can visit us for a consultation. For more details, feel free to drop us a line.