#1 Visit Your Dentist Twice A Year

Visiting your dentist twice a year is important to avoid tooth decay and improve your oral health. Even if you are not currently experiencing any symptoms of tooth decay or gum disease, it is important to visit your dentist for a thorough examination and cleaning. Despite a good oral routine, your teeth can still accumulate potentially harmful bacteria. This bacteria can lead to gum disease and tooth decay if not professionally removed by your dentist. At Glow Dental in New York, NY we offer general dental services to anyone who wants to keep a bright smile.

If you have chronic pain over the holidays or lose a tooth we have several restorative services available including:

• Tooth extractions
• Dental Implants
• Dentures
• Root Canals
• LANAP Laser Gum treatment – Our office offers periodontal therapy using laser technology to remove the targeted areas of infected gum.
• Periodontal Scaling/Planing – For patients severely affected by periodontal disease, we provide periodontal scaling/planing to clean the gums of hardened plaque.
• Provisional restorations – For preparation for extensive treatment, we offer temporary restorations to allow patients to adjust to their restorations.

#2 Be Careful With What You Eat And Drink

What you choose to eat and drink affects your teeth. If you want to avoid tooth decay and staining your teeth do not consume the following:

• Tobacco
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Tea
• Coffee
• Soda
• High sugar and high foods

If you do consume these foods and beverages try drinking water to stay hydrated and rinse away the particles that stay behind.

#3 Protect Your Teeth With Mouthguards

If over the holidays you practice extreme sports or activities protect your teeth with a mouth guard to avoid any dental emergencies. Using a mouthguard while playing basketball, skateboarding, and martial arts can prevent the following:

• Chipped or fractured teeth
• Tooth loss
• Soft tissue injuries
• Concussions

If over the holidays you are experiencing sudden and chronic tooth pain near NYC, or if you have sustained trauma to your teeth and surrounding tissues, you should see one of our dentists right away to avoid permanent damage.

#4 Make Sure You Are Using A Good Oral Health Routine

A good oral routine requires you to brush, floss, and use mouth rinse. Below are some things to help ensure a brighter smile.

When brushing your teeth keep the following in mind:

• Brush for at least 2 minutes.
• Use toothpaste with fluoride.
• Brush in gentle circular motions
• Do not scrub or apply too much pressure.
• Electric toothbrushes are more practical for cleaning your teeth thoroughly with the right pressure and time.
• Brush at least 30 minutes after eating.
• Change your brush every 3 months, when the bristles are damaged, or if you are sick.

When you are flossing keep the following in mind:

• Do not use too much pressure when losing to avoid hurting your gums.
• Be sure to clean beneath the gum line.
• Use gentle rubbing motion.
• You can try floss picks, water flossing, or a variety of alternative flossing tools.
• No matter how you do it, cleaning between your teeth will help keep your smile sparkling.
• Floss at least once a day.

When using mouthwash keep the following in mind:

• Mouthrinse is not a replacement for brushing or flossing your teeth.
• Keep the mouth rinse in your mouth for at least 30 seconds before spitting it out
• There are two common types of mouthwash, therapeutic and cosmetic.
• Do not swallow the mouth rinse.
• Do use the mouth rinse right after brushing your teeth. Some dentists recommend waiting 30 minutes to avoid rinsing away the fluoride from the toothpaste.

If you have any questions about oral hygiene products contact our dental office.