The dentist’s chair is a place that few of us like to be seated in, a place in which many loathe and a place where the sounds of drilling and the idea of someone poking pieces of metal into our mouths is enough to make us shudder. Caring for your teeth is down to you and in doing so you can avoid having to visit the dentist for anything other than a routine check up.

Despite how much you may dislike heading to the dentist, even those with healthy teeth should be doing so once per year, just to ensure that there are no underlying issues. In order to ensure that you are only subjected to an annual check-up from the dentist, here are some tips to help you have healthier teeth and better dental hygiene.

Avoiding Damage

There are lots of different ways in which you can avoid damaging your teeth such as avoiding certain foods and practices. Sugary foods are notoriously bad for your teeth, the sugar sits on your teeth and strips away enamel and it is important that after you consume anything sugary that you try to brush your teeth or chew some gum to freshen them up. Alcohol can also pose a risk to your teeth both through staining and thinning your teeth as well as the dangers of having an effect on your gums.

One of the worst things that you can do for your teeth is to smoke, it damages gums, stains teeth and erodes your enamel leading to unstable teeth. Quitting smoking has countless health benefits and even if you can’t completely quit the habit, you could look at buying a vape kit and changing your cigarettes to vaping. The market for vaping is huge and it means that you can carry on the practice of smoking without the health risks, there lots of products out there with varying styles and flavors, from vape kits and mods to vape tanks.

Regular Brushing

As simple as it may sound, not enough people brush on a regular basis to keep their teeth clean and avoid causing problems that call for the services of your dentist. You should be cleaning morning and night and occasionally through the day depending on what you eat. When brushing, don’t brush too hard, gentle, circular strokes is the best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy and clean.

Replacing Your Brush

Many people aren’t aware of just how regularly you should be replacing your toothbrush, every 3 months is the current guideline. The problem is that after 3 months of regular brushing, your toothbrush will store bacteria and you will end up putting bad bacteria back into your teeth, something that should be avoided in any case, let alone when you are supposed to be cleaning them. If you use an electric toothbrush then the rules are very much the same and you should be aiming to replace the head of your toothbrush every 3 months to ensure that you are giving your teeth the best clean possible.