Keeping Your Mouth As Clean As Possible

Many people desire a cleaner mouth. When the mouth remains dirty, halitosis, decay, and dental discoloration may result. 

Here are a few ways to help ensure that your mouth remains as clean as possible.

Use a Mouth Rinse

There are many different types of mouthwash, including varieties that are antimicrobial. An antimicrobial mouth rinse includes ingredients, such as chlorhexidine or alcohol, which kill harmful bacteria in the oral cavity. 

Often, chlorhexidine-based rinses are preferred because they are less likely to dry out the soft tissues of the mouth. Once dry mouth occurs, the number of bacteria may increase due to the lack of saliva to rinse them away.

A mouth rinse can be used twice daily, coinciding with a normal brushing routine. 

Don't Skip Flossing

As you brush your teeth, the soft bristles sweep away plaque, which consists of oral bacteria and particles of leftover food. However, the toothbrush bristles may be unable to reach deep into the areas between the teeth. As a result, plaque may continue to accumulate in the interdental spaces, causing decay and eventually hardening into tartar.

Flossing is necessary to clean the areas between the teeth. String floss can be inserted in between the teeth to sweep away debris. However, water flossing is also effective.

A water flosser uses oral irrigation to clean the interdental spaces. The device releases a stream of water to flush plaque and food away. The irrigator may also include controls that allow users to customize the pulsation and force of the water flow.

Attend Professional Cleanings

Even though at-home measures to clean the teeth are indispensable, professional dental cleanings are also necessary. The cleanings, which are also called scalings, remove accumulations of tartar.

Tartar, which is hardened plaque, tends to build up along the gumline and between the teeth. The porous, yellow material is too hard to be removed by a toothbrush and must be scraped from the dental surfaces.

Dentists typically perform dental cleanings on a patient every six months or so. Once the tartar is removed, the teeth feel and look cleaner. Additionally, the breath is likely to remain fresher.

A professional cleaning is not a lengthy process. However, the length of the procedure is dependent on the amount of tartar present. The greater the accumulation of tartar, the longer the cleaning may take. 

To have your teeth professionally cleaned, schedule an appointment with dentist like those at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry


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