{"id":43,"date":"2022-06-15T11:23:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T09:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/?p=43"},"modified":"2022-06-21T10:28:48","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T08:28:48","slug":"7-point-dental-hygiene-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/7-point-dental-hygiene-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Point Dental Hygiene Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For truly optimal dental hygiene, having a simple checklist in place can help you teach proper dental habits to kids while reminding yourself how to keep your teeth and gums in excellent health. Like anything else in life, habit makes it easier to get into a routine. Once routine becomes a habit, you will no have to think or remind yourself to follow your dental hygiene checklist. Instead, it will become second nature. Of course, making habits is not always the easiest thing in the world.<\/span><\/p>

To help you get into the best possible dental routine, we have put together a dental hygiene checklist that includes seven simple steps. Print this out and stick it up over the bathroom sink, so that you and your family can keep your teeth in gums as good as new, with these easy to follow daily steps.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Ultimate Dental Hygiene Checklist\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Which steps make up our highly effective seven point dental hygiene checklist? Let’s take a look.<\/span><\/p>

1. Brush your teeth properly, twice a day.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

You’d be surprised how many people do not brush their teeth correctly. This process is often rushed or treated as an after-thought. In order to clean your teeth properly, you need to brush in a way that gently removes plaque. Using the right toothbrush is the first step. The next step is to hold your brush at a 45 degree angle and use circular movements to brush the outside and inside of your teeth. View our guide on how to brush teeth properly<\/span> for more tips.<\/span><\/p>

2. Clean your tongue after brushing your teeth.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Don’t forget to clean the surface of your tongue after brushing your teeth. This can help to remove any build up that may collect on the tongue. It also prevents bad breath. Use a tongue scraper or the ridged back of your toothbrush. Make sure that you replace your toothbrushes frequently as well \u2013 ideally every 3 months or as soon as you see the bristles flaring.<\/span><\/p>

3. Floss and gargle between meals to remove hard to reach food particles.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Brushing alone does not remove all bits of food that may be trapped in hard to reach places in the back of your mouth. Flossing<\/span> between meals is a good way to gently dislodge food. You could also gargle between meals to rinse the mouth out properly. Some people prefer to floss and gargle after brushing. Whichever way you do it, skipping this step can lead to a build-up of plaque and an increased risk of oral disease and bad breath.<\/span><\/p>

4. Schedule regular dental practitioner.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Ideally, you should visit your dentist<\/span> twice a year. Your dentist will give you a comprehensive checkup and also clean your teeth. You should clean your teeth every 6 months. As long as you see an oral specialist at least every six months, there is less risk of small issues becoming bigger, harder to treat issues.<\/span><\/p>

5. Don’t leave any pain, inflammation, sensitivity or concern go untreated.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Over and beyond your scheduled dentist visits, don’t ever leave any pain, inflammation, sudden sensitivity, chipped teeth, broken teeth, loose teeth or fillings or any other issue go untreated. Even a seemingly small issue can lead to serious complications if not untreated. Waiting until your next appointment may put you at risk of oral disease<\/span>, infections and even issues in the jaw itself.<\/span><\/p>

6. Stop smoking to avoid the harmful effect of nicotine on your teeth and gums.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Smoking<\/span> is one of the worst things to do to your teeth, gums and jaw bones. Nicotine stains your teeth and causes gum an bone recession. Stop smoking now to stop current damage and restore your teeth to their optimal condition.<\/span><\/p>

7. Avoid soft drinks, strong coffee and other sugary drinks that can affect your dental health.<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Fizzy and sugary drinks can also wreak havoc on your teeth. These drinks erode your enamel over time, leading to an increased risk of cavities and tooth decay. Use a straw if you have to drink sugary drinks, watch your caffeine intake, and try to minimise sodas and other fizzy drinks as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>

For more tips on how to achieve healthy teeth and gums, be sure to visit your dentist in Durban<\/span><\/a>. Here at Gateway Dental, we help you create healthy dental hygiene habits that allow you to enjoy the best possible smile.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For truly optimal dental hygiene, having a simple checklist in place can help you teach proper dental habits to kids while reminding yourself how to keep your teeth and gums in excellent health. Like anything else in life, habit makes it easier to get into a routine. Once routine becomes a habit, you will no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":696,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions\/696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gatewaydental.co.za\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}