Dentist Milton Keynes 5 Things Your Dentist Wishes You Knew
Dental care is about much more than making sure you’re brushing and flossing your teeth every day.
It’s also about making sure you keep regular appointments with your dentist so that any potential problems can be spotted and fixed BEFORE they become major issues. And it’s about making sure things like your diet, hydration and even your mental health are all kept in balance, since these can have a big impact on your teeth.
Since visiting the dentist is something some people worry about, here are 5 things we, as your dentists in Milton Keynes, want you to know
We’re Not Here To Judge You!
So many people end up putting off a visit to the dentist because they worry about being judged when they get there.
If you know you haven’t taken the best care of your teeth since we last saw you, you might think we’ll give you a telling off.
We promise, we won’t. We’re just happy to see you!
But avoiding us for too long can turn a simple cavity into a more chronic health issues, and that will always be far harder to deal with. We want you to have a positive, healthy relationship with your dental team, which means no judgement from us.
Your Diet Has A Big Impact On Your Oral Health
Believe it or not, what you put into your body has a big impact on your oral health, as well as your general health.
There are the obvious things – like eating too much sugar or drinking acidic, fizzy drinks – but there are also some positive things you can do with your diet to improve your oral health.
For example, a tooth friendly diet would include whole grains, nuts, eggs, cheese, bananas, fresh vegetables, fish, lean meat and plenty of water. These things all have the right nutrients to build healthy teeth and gums, provide a natural ‘cleaning’ function, and keep sugars from sticking to your teeth and causing decay.
Electric Toothbrushes Are Better
We get asked a lot about what kind of toothbrush is better for at-home dental care, and odds are every dentist and TV advert will tell you something different.
And honestly? Brands don’t make enough of a difference to mention.
But electric toothbrushes are a massive improvement over manual ones – in fact, they’re not even in the same league. They have been proven to remove more plaque than a manual toothbrush and help you optimise your brushing technique.
Bottom line? Investing in a good electric toothbrush is a great first step to maintaining good oral hygiene.
You Could Damage Your Teeth By Brushing The Wrong Way
Believe it or not, there is a wrong way to brush your teeth, and you could end up causing damage to your teeth and gums.
If you’re using a manual toothbrush it’s best:
- to make sure it’s soft bristled
- to brush for around two minutes in total
- massage your gums in a circular motion at 45-degrees to your gum line along the inner and outer surfaces
- gently brush over the chewing surfaces of your teeth
If you scrub too hard from side to side, you risk damage to your enamel and gums.
Again, a bonus of an electric toothbrush is that it can manage a lot of that for you.
Try Not To Stress
Stress is a big factor in one oral health condition – teeth grinding.
Unfortunately, if you grind your teeth you will struggle with headaches, worn enamel, jaw ache and other chronic health conditions.
It can be difficult to know if you’re grinding your teeth, especially if you do it in your sleep, which is why you need to see your dentist regularly.
Stressful periods in your life can often trigger teeth grinding (even if you’ve never done it before), and your dentist will be able to tell you if the signs are there.
At Appledore, we work hard to make sure you have a warm and welcoming environment to walk into, no matter what your appointment is for. If you would like to know more about our approach, or just have a question about your appointment, please just get in touch with us today
Milton Keynes Dental Practice Of The Year 2020 Awarded to Appledore, find out more here!
Affordable private Milton Keynes dentist pay just £17 pm to keep your teeth and gums in tip top condition it’s as easy as ABC, find out more here