3 Ways to Get Healthy Teeth and Gums for Life

People who have their natural teeth live 10 years longer than people without teeth. What happens in your mouth affects the rest of your body, and the presence of a beautiful smile impacts your mental health and self-esteem too. It’s easy to get healthy teeth and gums for life if you make professional dental care and at-home oral health care a priority.

1. Don’t Miss a Cleaning or Dental Exam

You may brush and floss religiously at home every day, and while these efforts are critical and should be applauded, they aren’t enough to keep your teeth completely healthy. There are places your dental floss and toothbrush simply cannot reach, and there are surfaces they cannot fully clean. Your dental hygienist has the tools and vision to scrape away built-up plaque and bacteria so it doesn’t have the chance to wreak havoc and cause tooth decay or gum disease.

During these teeth cleanings, you will also undergo a dental exam. Your Healdsburg dentist will review your teeth and gums for any signs of disease or developing problems, including an oral cancer screening. This is also your opportunity to talk to your dentist about your oral health questions and concerns and discuss potential upgrades or changes to your smile.

2. Get Invisalign® for Healthy Teeth

Straight teeth are healthy teeth, it’s as simple as that. While some people may not like the idea of wearing any sort of orthodontics, Invisalign® is an orthodontic alternative that is clear, difficult to see, and still delivers a level of freedom because it’s removable.

Invisalign® can correct all the same malocclusions that conventional metal braces can fix, from crowding to spacing, deep bite to open bite, cross bite to excessive overjet. The best part is that Invisalign® takes half the time of traditional braces and they’re discreet – no one can really see the clear trays that fit snugly against your teeth.

When your teeth are in alignment, they are easier to clean, which means the job is done more thoroughly every time you brush and floss. Straight teeth also minimize the likelihood of future oral health problems because both teeth and bite are where they’re supposed to be, reducing the chances teeth grinding, gum recession, worn enamel, and all the problems that come along with these issues.

3. Never Tolerate Tooth Pain

When you have tooth pain, mouth pain, or any sort of oral health problem, you don’t want to wait it out and see if the matter goes away. Legitimate dental issues are there for the duration until you get them treated and corrected by your dentist. The longer you wait to have a dental problem addressed, the bigger the issue can get and the greater the complications can grow, affecting the rest of your teeth and overall oral health.

It is always important to contact your dentist immediately when you have a dental emergency. Let the experts determine if you need to be seen right away. No one wants to have an oral health problem, but complications arise sometimes whether you like it or not. What’s important is having someone you can rely on to fix it right away.

Get Healthy Teeth for a Lifetime in Healdsburg

Contact Healdsburg Dental Spa in Healdsburg, CA, to schedule an appointment and learn more about your oral health.