USC Dentist Tips: 8 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy and Increase Your Life Span

Taking good care of teeth is each person’s responsibility. Otherwise, one will greatly suffer the consequences of poor teeth and gum health. Having a toothache is not that painful, right? And the bloody dental procedures don’t sound horrifying? If you don’t think so, below are some tips from a USC dentist to help you keep or renew happy and healthy smiles, and possibly live longer.

Here are some ways to keep your whole mouth healthy:

Ways to keep teeth healthy

• Brush, Brush, Brush, 3x a day. If you hear that commercial from a toothpaste company and you think that it is only for children, think again. Brushing your teeth is a lifetime activity, only if you want to make your  teeth last a lifetime.  Brushing your teeth and gums at least twice or every after meal can undeniably improve your teeth’s health.

• Brush your teeth properly. It’s not only about brushing, it’s also about how you brush your teeth that matters. A usual brushing can only take up a minute, especially for people who are in a hurry.  But a proper brushing can take up to two to three minutes.  Also, use fluoridated toothpaste for additional protection.

• Floss for longer life. What if you find out that dental flossing every after meal can increase your life span? It’s a surprising fact, isn’t it? Various studies found out that flossing every day can prevent the germs or bacteria stuck between teeth that could cause gum disease and heart problems. That is why, never neglect the power of a dental floss.

• Avoid carbonated, acidic drinks and  junk food. The acid drinks and junk food can soften the tooth enamel, which could cause a hole like cavities or caries. If you can’t resist drinking acidic drinks and junk food, at least limit the intake.

•  Use mouthwash or chew gum after meal. Rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash can kill bacteria and germs infiltrating your mouth, and improve your gum health. You may also opt to chewing sugar-free gum to increase saliva, which neutralizes acid and eradicate bacteria.

•  Protect teeth from injury. Physically demanding sports like boxing, wrestling, martial arts or any sports that require physical contact must be taken properly. This means that you should wear mouth guards. So before engaging in this sport, go to a dentist for custom-fitted mouth guard. If not, go to sporting goods.

• Avoid smoking. Smoking is also a great contributor to gum disease and oral cancer. If you can’t quit smoking, use a smokeless cigarette.

• Visit dentist. If you haven’t suffered toothache, it does not mean that you shouldn’t visit a dental clinic to have a dental check-up. It’s better to be early than it’s already too late. If you already have had a dental implant surgery before or had your teeth extracted, you know how important the regular dental check-up is.

If it’s your first time to seek dentist for a check up or have dental implants in Los Angeles, seek trusted and qualified dentists near you. You can always trust a USC dentist.