Basic Dental Care for Children and Adults

Your family’s health is important, and if you want to look after it, that means looking after their teeth as well. It’s not too difficult to do, but it does change slightly as you get older, as our teeth develop, get stronger, and then eventually start to break down again. That’s why it’s important to take care of your teeth every step of the way, to reinforce them when they’re doing well and to give them a little extra care when they go through a rough patch.

At Rocky Mountain Smiles in Loveland, we know that teeth are resilient, and that’s part of the reason you should never give up on your oral health, because when treated right, they won’t give up on you. If you or your children have cavities, stained teeth, or teeth falling out because of tooth decay, then we can help get you back on track, so your teeth can return to be strong and dependable. Visit our family dentistry center for dental care that is unmatched and the tools to get your teeth back to full strength.

Preventative and Restorative Teeth Maintenance

Taking the first steps towards healthy teeth, and better oral health in general, usually just starts with the basics, and while we know that’s easy to say from a dentist’s perspective, it’s really not all that easy to handle if you haven’t been properly educated on how to do things. Here are a few tips on the basics — brushing, flossing, and rinsing — to help your family with their dental care.

How to Floss Your Teeth the Right Way

Flossing is one of the most difficult hurdles for people to get to in their every day oral health routine. For children and older adults, it can be a nightmare. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can take a long time if you do it thoroughly. We’re sorry to say, that it’s always going to take a little time out of your day, but that might be something you’re willing to sacrifice for better oral health and, quite possibly, a longer life. If you do it consistently, then you should stop feeling much or any pain.

Here are some steps you should follow with your family and children flossing to make your routine complete:

• Make sure you’re using new sections of floss as you move around your mouth, otherwise you could be pushing plaque into new places.
• Allow floss to slide into the space between your gums and teeth easily by hugging the floss to your tooth as you go up and down. This will prevent unnecessary scratching or bruising.
• Rinse, before and after you floss. When you do it beforehand, this will help knock off food and extreme excesses of plaque that might otherwise get shoved into your gums. When you do it after, you remove even more that the flossing might have loosened, but not taken care of. This will help you with your teeth and your breath!

How to Brush Your Teeth The Right Way

Brushing your teeth is so easy that everyone can do it. But, so is doing it wrong, and many of us, especially children, aren’t quite there on sufficient brushing. While there are many different ways to brush your teeth, if you’re struggling with keeping your teeth healthy, then the most important thing you can do is be thorough. Still, there are some common mistakes that all too many people make, some of which can actually make your oral health worse.

Here are a few tips to follow to keep your teeth brushing fully beneficial:

• Spend enough time on each tooth. Make sure you’re staying in one section long enough to have the desired effect and that you’re getting the back of your mouth as much as the front.
• Angle the brush slightly upward and use a gentle circular motion on your teeth. Do NOT push down too hard. Over time this could harm your teeth’s enamel.
• Make sure to get the inside of your teeth as well as the fronts. It’s easy to forget, but they often need it just as bad as the front.
• Don’t rinse immediately after you brush your teeth, as this removes fluoride that could be helpful to your teeth over the next few hours.

How to Rinse Your Teeth the Right Way

Rinsing is a valuable tool for oral health when you use it the right way. Rinsing more often, even with just water, can be beneficial to your oral health by lowering the overall plaque and food debris level in your mouth. However, some don’t realize the power of rinsing, and have yet to make it part of their daily routine. Rinsing, especially with mouthwash and at the right times, can supplement your dental care routine and your efforts for healthier, better looking teeth.

Here’s a few ways you can make your oral health routine better with rinsing:

• Rinse your mouth out after meals. You’ll get rid of some of the food caught in your mouth, and lessen overall plaque buildup because of it.
• Rinse with mouthwash before you brush, if it’s something you want in your morning dental care routine. Rinsing after you brush, whether it be with mouthwash or water, eliminates the fluoride that your toothpaste would otherwise leave behind.
• Saltwater can be used in a pinch for eliminating bad breath and reducing plaque buildup.

Get Your Family Dentistry Work From Rocky Mountain Smiles

Another part of basic dental maintenance is finding a dentist and visiting them regularly. In Loveland, Rocky Mountain Smiles delivers all levels of dental care, from pediatric dentistry to cosmetic dentistry and implants. We’ll help ensure your family’s oral health is among the best, and with the smiles to match! Contact us today to set up your appointment and ask about the new patient specials we run periodically.