Daily care
Good oral health is achieved with daily care and regular visits to your Culver City
dentist.
You can live better and healthier with a cleaner mouth and brighter teeth. Dental
health requires a systematic plan of daily oral hygiene; by practicing regularly
your brushing, flossing and rinsing mouthwash you can save yourself time and money.
Consider these brushing basics from the American Dental Association:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
- Use the proper equipment. Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled
toothbrush. Consider using an electric or battery-operated toothbrush, especially
if you have arthritis or other problems that make it difficult to brush effectively.
- Practice good technique. Hold your toothbrush at a slight angle
against your teeth and brush with short back-and-forth motions. Remember to brush
the inside and chewing surfaces of your teeth, as well as your tongue. Avoid vigorous
or harsh scrubbing, which can irritate your gums.
- Know when to replace your toothbrush. Invest in a new toothbrush
or a replacement head for your electric toothbrush every three to four months —
or sooner if the bristles become frayed.
Good Nutrition
Eating healthy foods that are smile-friendly like milk, eggs, yogurt, peanuts and
cheese, will help prevent tooth decay.
Other snacks that are good for your teeth are meat, seafood, raw vegetables, plain
popcorn, hard-boiled eggs, seeds and nuts. These foods are naturally high in nutrients
and low in sugar. A well balanced diet is important your mouth's health, vitamin
C is important for tissue health and calcium is important for bone health. Limiting
foods like soft drinks, ice cream, raisins, dried fruits, sweetened juices, chocolate,
candies, gum, jellies and other beverages high in sugars, will also help preserve
your teeth.
Periodic Examination
Periodic examination is the key to keep your teeth away from oral diseases and treat
the ones that already exist.
The American Dental Association recommends comprehensive dental exams for all patients
that are new to a practice and every three years for established patients. This
examination is done to determine any changes in dental and health status since a
previous comprehensive or periodic evaluation. A comprehensive exam lays the foundation
for the routine check and is much more than just a cleaning. It is recommended to
visit your Culver City dentist every six months, this way you'll allow your dentist
to take care of routine maintenance and preventive processes that can help you stop
and prevent tooth decay.
X-Rays
Dental X-Rays are pictures of teeth and surrounding bone that dentists use to evaluate
and determine problems that could be present on patients’ teeth and can’t be detected
by a simple oral examination. With X-Rays dentist can discover cavities, fractures,
tooth decay, bone loss, gum disease, infections, tumors, etc.
Cleanings
Dental Cleanings are very important to prevent tooth decay and oral medical problems.
Your dentist will provide you the necessary equipment to keep your mouth healthy
and clean in every oral cleaning visit. Your dental hygienist can remove most tobacco,
coffee and tea stains. During your cleaning, your hygienist will also polish your
teeth to a beautiful shine, resulting in a whiter and brighter smile.
Why should you have a dental cleaning at least once a year?
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