Dental Hygiene in
Alamogordo, NM
A core component of good oral health is a dental hygiene routine. There are two main parts of an excellent dental hygiene routine. The first part is biannual visits to Mountain View Dental, and the second part is an at-home dental hygiene routine. Keep reading to learn more about dental hygiene routines and the best practices to keep your teeth healthy.
Biannual visits to Mountain View Dental
At Mountain View Dental, we recommend that their patients visit their office at least every six months for a dental cleaning and exam. Below is more information about the two parts of your biannual dental exam and cleaning.
Dental Cleaning: Your dental hygienist will clean your smile by using a unique tool to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth during your dental cleaning. Tartar is a hard substance you cannot remove with just a toothbrush and toothpaste. Your dental hygienist will also floss your teeth to remove debris between your teeth. Next, your dentist will take over.
Dental Exam: For the dental exam, your dentist may take an X-ray of your teeth to understand better what is happening with them. Next, your dentist will observe the dental structures. He will determine if there is decay on your teeth or other restorative dentistry procedures that need performing. At this time, if there are restorative dentistry procedures that need to be performed, your dentist will recommend them.
At-Home Dental Hygiene Routine
The second part of an excellent hygiene routine is an at-home dental hygiene routine. Although an ideal at-home oral hygiene routine takes time and commitment, it will be worth it to have a beautiful smile. Additionally, good oral hygiene at home can decrease money spent in the future on restorative dentistry. An at-home oral hygiene routine consists of brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash twice a day. For the best results, opt for fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash. Fluoride will chemically strengthen the outer portion of your tooth, the enamel, to prevent cavities. When you brush your teeth, brush in a ‘C’ motion, ensuring that you touch the gums just as much as you brush your teeth. Next, to floss, cut off a strand of floss and put it between two teeth. While holding both ends, move the floss back and forth and up and down. Make sure to get between each tooth to remove any debris hiding between your teeth. Finally, take a medium to a small amount of mouthwash and swish it around in your mouth. Then, spit it out. These steps are the basics of the essential dental hygiene routine at home.
Other Ways to Improve Dental Hygiene
There are two other ways that your dentist can help you improve your dental hygiene at the Mountain View Dental office. First is fluoride treatments, and the second is sealants.
Fluoride
As mentioned above, fluoride is used in many kinds of toothpaste and mouthwashes. It helps to strengthen the outer layer of your tooth through remineralization chemically. At Mountain View Dental, we offer fluoride treatments for patients during their biannual dental appointment to strengthen teeth and reverse decay forming on their teeth.
Sealants
Sealants are used to protect your back molars from debris collecting in their crevices and forming decay. When we eat, debris often accumulates in the back crevices of our teeth as the food and debris buildup decay begins to assemble and break down the top layer of our tooth, the enamel. Your dentist can put sealants on your teeth to seal over the top of the back molars to prevent this.
Dental hygiene is the cornerstone of good oral health. To perform good dental hygiene, create a dental hygiene routine that includes visiting Mountain View Dental twice a year and practicing dental hygiene at home. For more information about dental hygiene or to schedule an appointment, call our office today.