To maintain optimum oral health, dentists advice that you visit them twice every year. But, that leaves 363 days for you to care for your oral health on your own. And, that’s exactly why you need to ensure you have the tools to do the job well. Here are some items that everyone should have in their dental care kit.
Toothbrush: Get a soft-bristled toothbrush. Consider buying an electric version if you’ve had some trouble maneuvering your brush in the past. And, make sure to change out your brush every 3 months or after you’ve recovered from an illness.
Toothpaste: The toothpaste you get should always have fluoride to help strengthen your tooth enamel and keep tooth decay at bay. However, you can also find kinds of toothpaste that have additional ingredients, which help combat things like tooth sensitivity, gingivitis, tartar, bad breath, and more. Make sure that you’re not purchasing your toothpaste based on how good it tastes.
Dental floss: It’s important that you don’t forget about this critical dental care tool. Flossing helps clean areas of your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. With floss, you can pick between waxed and unwaxed versions.
Dental picks and sticks: If you find it difficult to use dental floss, consider getting dental sticks or picks. These help provide interdental cleaning for people with bridges, braces, or dentures as well as those who have trouble using string floss between the teeth. Keep in mind that these are not toothpicks, which are usually quite dangerous for the soft tissues in your mouth.
Oral irrigators: Agin, this is an alternative to flossing. Oral irrigators are powered appliances that essentially shoot streams of water into your mouth so bacteria and food particles are removed efficiently. Some people, in fact, consider these to be a lot more effective than flossing with string floss.
Teeth whiteners: This is the safest and most effective way to whiten your smile is with professional teeth whitening treatment that you can opt for when you visit your dentist. However, teeth whiteners are a decent alternative if you want to try and whiten your teeth at home.