Top Reasons Not to Skip Dental CleaningsTop Reasons Not to Skip Dental Cleanings

Your teeth are so important to your overall health and well-being. You want to put all you can into caring for them so you can keep them as healthy as possible for the duration of your life. While most people tend to care for their teeth, you want to be someone that takes oral care to a whole other level so you know you are doing your best to ensure their long-lasting health. You should add these three extra steps into your oral hygiene regimen:

Scrape your tongue

You may be unaware of just how important it is for you to clean your tongue. It will harbor bacteria, dead skin cells, food debris and fungus. Your tongue can be so full of germs that it can affect the overall health of your gums and teeth. Also, it can affect the way your breath smells. For all these reasons, you should incorporate tongue scraping into your daily oral hygiene routine.

You want to use a tongue scraper gently so you don't cause your tongue any trauma. Complete long strokes starting at the inside part and work your way down to the tip. Each time you reach the end of your tongue, rinse off the scraper, then move on to the next section.

Use an oral irrigator

An oral irrigator is a device that puts out a pulsating stream of water from a hand-held device. You will also add a mouth cleaning solution that mixes with the water to help kill bacteria. The stream of water will blast plaque and other debris from between your teeth and it will also help to condition your gums.

To use the irrigator, you will fill the container with water and add in a bit of mouth cleaning solution. Choose your attachment and connect it to the hose. Turn on the unit and use the attachment to clean your teeth, gums and the rest of your mouth.

Always use mouthwash before bed

The reason it is important to always use mouthwash before you go to sleep is the mouthwash will continue to kill bacteria in your mouth even after you are done with it. The trick to this is not to drink anything for a while after using the mouthwash.

You also want to make sure you continue going to see your dentist for your professional teeth cleaning treatments. No matter how hard you try to keep up with your oral care at home, nothing makes up for the professional cleaning you'll get at the dentis office with their expertise and superior equipment. To find out more, speak with a business like Carolina Forest Family Dentistry.