We are visited by patients in downtown Saskatoon every day who ask us for advice about new dental care fads or alternative approaches they heard about. We all want good oral health, but with so much new technology and ideas about health constantly evolving, the best approach doesn’t always seem clear. While it’s great to have many solutions and alternatives to traditional oral care that we can use to supplement and support our oral health, nothing can sufficiently replace these top 6 practices required for good oral health: 

1. Thorough brushing twice per day 

As dentists, we will be telling you to brush twice daily until the cows come home! This is the number-one most important thing you can do for your oral health. Check out our blog 8 Tips For Better Oral Health at Home for tips to address common oral care oversight and brushing mistakes to discover some ways you might improve your brushing! Please visit this blog for advice on which toothbrush and toothpaste to choose. 

2. Flossing at least once daily 

While flossing is less popular than brushing, it’s equally important, and it gets easier with practice! Did you know that up to a third of the surfaces of the teeth can only be reached by dental floss? That means when you brush and skip flossing, you’re missing almost a third of the plaque and bacteria that leads to gingivitis, gum disease, and tooth decay. Learn more about the importance of flossing by reading our blog Gum Disease and The Importance of Periodontal Care.

3. Balanced and nutritious diet

Your overall health is directly linked to your oral health, and what you eat influences the health of your gums and teeth. In Nutrition and Oral health: 4 Tips To Protect Your Enamel, we discuss the best foods and drinks to eat and avoid if you want to increase  the longevity of your oral health. 

4. Abstention from sugars and acidic foods as much as possible

We all know sugar can be highly damaging to our teeth. Please refer to this blog for more on the infiltration of sugar in our modern diets, the risks it poses to our teeth, and ways to protect the enamel against destruction by sugary foods and drinks. 

5. Regularly cleaning the tongue

If you’re not already scraping or brushing your tongue, you should be! It only takes a few seconds to add this step to the end of your regular brushing routine. Invest in a tongue scraper, or simply use the back of your toothbrush to loosen and remove the biofilm that accumulates amidst the bumpy surface of the tongue. For more about tongue cleaning, read 4 Reasons to Clean Your Tongue Daily.

6. Frequent visits to your Saskatoon dental clinic to remove mineral buildup

Any plaque bacteria not removed from your teeth within 24 hours will begin to harden into tartar or mineral calculus which can only be removed by a professional dental hygienist like the ones at NEESH Dental. Not only does it harden and become impossible for you to clean with your toothbrush and dental floss, it also begins to wreak havoc on your gum tissue and enamel. It also increases your chances of developing gingivitis, acid erosion (sensitive teeth) and eventually tooth decay or cavities. Even the most skilled and diligent brushing and flossing will inevitably miss things sometimes, which is why we recommend professional cleanings twice annually or more. Please read The Importance of Regular Dental Check Ups for more. 

NEESH dentists say the best dental care starts with a strong foundation of home care habits

Your oral health is up to you. What you do between clinic visits will dictate your oral health into the future. The 6 essentials in this blog will set you up for proactive prevention and the best possible oral health outcomes as you age.  

These 6 essentials are our recommended prerequisites for anyone considering cosmetic treatments. We love offering professional services to enhance the beauty and health of your smile so you can feel your best. If you are interested in Invisalign, whitening, or other cosmetic treatment options, the first step is to take good care of your teeth with these 6 essentials and we can help with the rest!