The most common times people brush their teeth are in the morning, before or after breakfast, and at night, after dinner or before bedtime. But sometimes hiccups in the schedule can knock you off a well-established routine. At Artistry in Dentistry in Gilbert AZ, we have some thoughts on that.
Sometimes “after dinner” is a vague notion that isn’t cut and dried. An irregular schedule generally disrupts regular dental maintenance. What are you to do?
One suggestion is to try doing a better job at cleaning your teeth during the day. One of the best things you can do is rinse your mouth with water after you eat. It’s no substitute for brushing, of course, but will give your entire mouth a quick cleansing.
A quick brushing is good, too. An excellent trick is what we call dry brushing. That means brushing your teeth without toothpaste. Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but it’s effective, especially if you can use a little water, too. (We’ve heard of dentists who do it themselves.) It isn’t the way you would brush at home, but it’s going to clean your gums and the surfaces of your teeth, and that’s half the battle.
The other half of the battle is the stuff that gets between your teeth. A good solution here is carrying floss picks with you.
The most important time to brush is after eating sugar or carb-intensive foods. Otherwise, these foods kickstart bacteria growth on the teeth.
We know that life gets busy, but hiccups in your dental routine can damage your teeth if you aren’t careful. The best approach is to brush and floss before bed and see us at Artistry in Dentistry in Gilbert AZ for a checkup every six months. People from Gilbert, Superior, Gold Canyon, Mesa, and Apache Junction see us for general and cosmetic dentistry. Contact us to schedule an appointment today!