Dealing with dental problems can be frustrating, painful, and embarrassing. Stained teeth, decay, and gum disease are three common problems that people face every day. It is easy to develop these issues but, fortunately, it is also easy to learn the steps for preventing common dental problems. Knowing the steps for preventing common dental problems is a good start but results only come if you consistently implement those steps into your oral care routine.

Brush twice per day

You should brush your teeth twice per day. This is probably not new information for you. But the importance of brushing regularly makes this step worth mentioning. Brushing is an important part of caring for your teeth, gums, and tongue. Food particles and bacteria can build up in your mouth throughout the day. Brushing helps remove those harmful substances from your teeth, gums, and tongue. This helps prevent decay and can aide in preventing gum disease.

Floss daily

Flossing daily is also a recommendation that you have heard before. Flossing is not as widely practiced as brushing but it should be. There are areas between your teeth and at the gumline that brushing cannot reach. The only way to get to the bacteria and food particles in those areas is by flossing. The minimum recommendation is to floss once per day but flossing every time you brush may make it easier for you to establish it as part of your routine. Flossing is an important part of preventing gum disease.

Make it to your routine dental visits

For most people, preventative dental visits are recommended twice per year. The low frequency of the visits does not mean that they are not important. In fact, making it to your routine dental visits can be a big part of preventing common dental problems. During preventative dental visits you get your teeth thoroughly cleaned. This includes having any built-up tartar scraped off of your teeth. Tartar is stubborn and cannot be removed by brushing alone. Tartar and anything else you have missed during your daily oral care routine can be addressed during routine dental visits. These visits also give your dentist the opportunity to look for signs of problems and recommend treatment.

Commit to living a healthy lifestyle

Some lifestyle choices – like eating an unhealthy diet and smoking – can make common dental problems like stains, decay, and gum disease more likely. Committing to living a healthy lifestyle is beneficial to your oral health as well as your physical and mental health.

If you brush regularly, floss daily, go to preventative dental visits, and commit to living a healthy lifestyle you can significantly reduce how susceptible you are to common dental problems. A few proactive steps can save you from experiencing pain and spending a lot of time and money getting treated for dental problems that could have been prevented.