When it comes to your oral health habits, prevention is vital. At our Katoomba, NSW dental clinic, we recommend check-ups and cleans every six months. This enables our dentists to identify dental issues early on, when they are easier and less invasive to fix. These visits also give us the opportunity to talk to patients about their home care.
Taking proper care of your oral health at home is a big part of maintaining overall oral health. Are you guilty of any of these bad habits at home that could be having a negative impact on your oral health?
Drop These Bad Habits for the Sake of Your Oral Health
- Using your teeth as tools. When you use your teeth for anything other than what they were intended for—such as ripping open a bag of crisps, ripping a tag off new clothing or pulling out a watch button—you risk chipping or fracturing your tooth. Keep actual tools on hand to perform these tasks.
- Crunching and sucking—Do you find yourself chewing on ice once you’ve finished your favourite beverage? Do you suck on the pits of fruit after consuming the flesh around them? Both of these habits can damage your teeth.
- Grinding your teeth—This is often an unconscious habit, so it can be difficult to stop. Since it is most often done at night while asleep, a night guard can protect your teeth from this damaging habit.
- Using anything other than a soft-bristled toothbrush—You might think that the firmer the bristles, the better they can clean your teeth, but this is not the case. A firm-bristled toothbrush can damage soft gum tissue, leading to gum recession. Stick to a soft-bristled toothbrush; it will do the job without damaging your gums.
- Not flossing or brushing properly—Some people brush twice a day, but they do it so quickly, they are not doing a proper job. Many electric toothbrushes come with a 2-minute timer to help ensure you are brushing thoroughly for the right amount of time. And if you are not flossing at least once each day, this can also jeopardize your oral health. Let us know if you don’t know the proper technique, and we can help you.
We Welcome New Patients to Our Katoomba, NSW Dental Clinic
If it has been a while since your last visit to the dentist, we invite you to contact Katoomba Dental Centre. We can help you get your oral health back on track. You can reach us on (02) 4782 1507. We look forward to seeing your smile.
