The most common times people brush their teeth are morning and night, either before or after breakfast, after dinner, or at bedtime. But sometimes hiccups in the schedule can knock you off a well-established routine. At David Rice DDS in Elgin, we have some thoughts on that.
Sometimes after dinner isn’t super cut and dried. Many St Charles IL families face irregular weeknight routines. As the school year progresses, some have games to attend, band concerts, play practice, youth groups or other weeknight commitments. An irregular schedule generally disrupts regular dental maintenance.
What are you to do? One suggestion is to try doing a better job at cleaning your teeth during the day. One of the best things you can do is rinse your mouth with water after you eat. It’s no substitute for brushing, of course, but will give your entire mouth a quick cleansing.
A quick brushing is good, too. An excellent trick is what we call dry brushing. That means brushing your teeth without toothpaste. Yes, it sounds a bit strange – but it’s effective, especially if you can use a little water, too. (We’ve heard of dentists who do it themselves.) It isn’t the way you would brush at home, but it’s going to clean the surfaces of your teeth – and that’s half the battle.
The other half of the battle is the stuff that gets between your teeth. A good solution here is carrying floss picks with you.
The most important time to be sure to brush is after eating sugar or carb-intensive foods. Otherwise, these foods kickstart bacteria growth on the teeth.
We know that life gets busy, and hiccups in your dental routine can damage your teeth if you aren’t careful. The best approach is to brush and floss before bed, and see us at David Rice DDS in Elgin for a checkup every six months. Our services include general and family dentistry, and restorative dentistry. Call for an appointment today!
Contact David A. Rice, DDS:
847-741-2353
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1972 Larkin Ave Ste 1
Elgin, Illinois
60123