How Do I Maintain a Healthy Smile?

A healthy, beautiful smile goes a long way in making positive first impressions. A little effort on your part and some help from your trusted team at Santa Teresa Dental will ensure you maintain healthy smiles for life. The following are tips to help keep your teeth and gums healthy and sound. 

Brush Your Teeth Every Day

One of the best ways to keep your smile healthy and bright is to brush your teeth at least twice a day for two to three minutes at a time. Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, and make sure you clean all your teeth, especially the back ones. Brush in circular motions to remove plaque, the leading cause of tooth decay and gum disease. Don’t forget to brush your tongue, which can harbor harmful oral bacteria. 

Floss Every Day

Even with the most thorough tooth brushing practices, plaque and food particles can get trapped in the hard-to-reach nooks and crevices between the teeth, providing an abundant food source for harmful bacteria to flourish. Flossing helps remove plaque and food debris from those tight spaces, lowering the risk of cavities, tooth decay, bad breath, and a host of dental problems. 

Maintain A Healthy Diet

It’s essential to maintain a healthy, balanced diet to ensure your gums and teeth have all the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Make sure your diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Be mindful of what you eat. Instead of a sugary, starchy, or processed treat, reach for fresh fruit, raw vegetables, cheese, or nuts. Drink plenty of water throughout your day to stay hydrated. 

Avoid Foods That Are Harmful to Your Teeth

Sugary foods and beverages provide cavity-causing bacteria with a plentiful food source, wreaking havoc on your teeth and gums. Carbonated drinks are also harmful because they are acidic and sugary, posing a double threat to your oral health. Limit sticky foods and starches that linger in the grooves and crevices of your teeth and are hard to clean properly. Moreover, steer away from crunchy or hard foods which can chip, crack, or break your teeth, providing harmful bacteria with an entryway to the inner layers of your teeth. 

Wear a Night Guard or Sports Mouthguard

If you grind your teeth in your sleep, a condition known as bruxism, wearing a custom mouthguard called a night guard will protect your teeth from damage or wear. The same goes for athletes or anyone involved in contact sports. Wearing a custom protective sports mouthguard will lower the risk of injury to the teeth, tongue, and soft tissues. 

Avoid Tobacco Use

Smoking and tobacco use are leading causes of oral cancer, gum disease, tooth decay, tooth discoloration, and a host of health problems. If you use tobacco products, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your oral and overall health.

Maintain Regular Dental Exams and Cleanings

Visiting Santa Teresa Dental for regular dental exams and cleanings twice a year, or more frequently when needed, will help keep your smile free of disease. Dental cleanings remove plaque and tartar deposits, lowering the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath. Moreover, they remove surface stains, leaving your teeth looking cleaner, whiter, and brighter. 

Regular dental exams are also essential preventive measures. During every visit, we thoroughly evaluate every aspect of your oral health and treat any problems as they develop. That helps avoid the need for costly and complex treatments and helps maintain a beautiful, healthy smile for years to come. 

Quality Preventive Care Near Me

Visit Santa Teresa Dental in Morgan Hill, CA, to learn more about keeping your smile healthy and sound. We encourage you to maintain excellent oral hygiene practices and to keep up with your routine dental exams and cleanings. Dr. Huang and his outstanding team look forward to working alongside you to ensure you enjoy long-term healthy smiles. We invite you to call 408-782-6568 to schedule your appointment or book one online today!