You probably went through an unpleasant dental experience and since then you don't want to hear about brushing your teeth or the dentist again. Or maybe you simply didn't learn the habit of taking care of your teeth since childhood because you didn't have the model of your parents brushing their teeth, or you're simply demotivated to brush your teeth. Regardless of the reason, the toothache continues to occur and you still do not take action. What should be done in this case?
As a dentist with long experience in oral prevention for adults and children, I want to encourage and support you because oral care is actually an easy habit to acquire.
Here are some concrete actions you can take to have well-groomed teeth:
1. Write a daily reminder in your calendar to remind you to wash after morning and evening meals. The easiest way is to program an alarm with a pleasant sound on the phone, at the times when you know that you usually have a meal, so that you don't lie to yourself that you forgot.
2. Use the toothbrush recommended by your favorite dentist and the toothpaste that you like the taste of or that leaves you with a feeling of freshness. This is also valid for children, but for them the toothpaste must be chosen according to the age category, which you will find mentioned on the packaging. You can use an intensely mentholated toothpaste, with a fruit flavor or a more delicate one with coconut or lemon. Children love fruity toothpastes and toothbrushes with their favorite cartoon characters.
3. During the day, when you are away at work, you can easily use a small interdental brush with a cover or a dental floss with a handle and cover. An apple or a fruit with low fructose content contributes successfully to cleaning the teeth.
4. Avoid sitting in bed at night without brushing your teeth because it will be harder for you to get up afterwards and thus you will definitely skip oral hygiene.
5. Keep an interdental floss/interdental brush and a glass of water on the bedside table. This way you can at least clean between your teeth, because that's where caries and bad oral odor come the fastest.
6. Find a dentist who inspires you, who motivates you and supports you throughout your journey to get a healthy mouth.
These are some ideas that I hope will help you.
If you also have suggestions to help as many people as possible in acquiring a well-groomed smile, leave me a written comment 🌸
with motivation,
Dr. Stefania Mezdrea