Why Oral Hygiene Basics Matter

Many people have heard the importance of brushing and flossing their teeth. However, not enough people follow these oral hygiene basics. Up to 35% of people never see a dentist and many more don’t even brush or floss their teeth during the day. It’s no wonder that tooth decay and gum disease affect over 64 million American adults! There are oral hygiene basics you need to have in your life if you want to keep a healthy smile and keep your teeth throughout life. Find out what those oral hygiene basics are, how to properly do them, and why they are so important to your health!

Shocking Statistics

For patients who brush and floss daily, they may think these are oral hygiene basics that everyone follows. However, millions of people don’t brush and floss enough, or don’t do these two things at all. The statistics on oral health are alarming:

• Studies have found that on average, only 65% of Americans see a dentist each year. That statistic has remained constant for the last decade.
• The American Dental Association found that 23% of Americans have gone 2 or more days without brushing their teeth in the past year. Around 37% of people between 18 and 24 go that long without brushing often.
• 4 in 10 people in the United States floss at least once a day. 20% of people in the U.S. never floss.
• 84.7% of children between 2 and 17 visited a dentist in the past year. Only 64% between 18 and 64 years old and 62.7% of people 65 and older visited the dentist.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 18.6% of children under 19 have untreated tooth decay. 31.6% of people in the U.S. between 20 and 44 have untreated tooth decay as well.
• The National Institutes of Health report that tooth decay (also known as “cavities”) is the most “chronic prevalent disease among children and adults.

What Are the Basics and Why?

The good news is that about 7 out of 10 Americans brush their teeth twice a day. Even though that means 30% aren’t brushing or flossing, at least 70% are, which is great. The ADA recommends that all patients brush and floss their teeth daily. You can do both of these after every meal if you want to reduce your risk for tooth decay and gum disease even more. Brush your teeth with a soft-bristled brush for 2 minutes each time your brush. Follow brushing with flossing, making sure to scrape away plaque as you go, and to floss all the way up in your gum line.

Many patients also swish ADA-approved mouthwash for 30 seconds to kill decay-causing bacteria. Fluoride treatments are also beneficial for patients to protect their tooth enamel from decay. All of these oral hygiene basics are important for avoiding tooth decay. You get tooth decay and gum disease from plaque, which is a sticky, acidic substance your mouth makes from the sugars in your food. The more sugar you eat, the more plaque your mouth makes. That plaque sticks to your teeth (unless you brush and floss), slowly eroding them and causing tooth decay. Plaque also sits along the gum line, irritating the gums and causing tooth recession and tooth loss.

Seeing the Dentist Is Important

Part of keeping a healthy mouth is keeping it free of gum disease and tooth decay. These problems happen to many people without them even knowing. They even happen to patients who take good care of their oral health, but it is less likely for people who follow oral hygiene basics. Every person should visit the dentist at least twice a year. These biannual visits consist of a comprehensive exam, dental cleaning and a quick oral cancer screening. Dr. Varley will do a quick, but extensive examination of your mouth, checking your teeth and all your soft tissues for any abnormalities.

We will take x-rays of your teeth to detect tooth decay and bite and alignment problems. Dr. Varley will also look for any signs (such as discoloration or growths in your oral tissues) that could indicate oral cancer. This quick examination saves thousands of lives a year when cancer is caught early. Your comprehensive exam will be paired with a dental cleaning. One of our hygienists will thoroughly clean, polish, brush and examine each tooth. They will floss your teeth individually, look for signs of gingivitis and will provide you a fluoride treatment. These oral hygiene basics take about an hour of your time, but are so important to your health.

Protect Your Oral Health

Taking care of your oral health really doesn’t take much work. You see the dentist at least twice a year for exams and cleanings, and you brush and floss daily. Some people add mouthwash and fluoride treatments into their daily routine as well. Overall, these small habits only take a few minutes of your day. However, they can save you tons of money and time in the future from having to have extensive dental work done. We urge every patient to make a resolution to take better care of their oral health. You will thank yourself years from now. To schedule your comprehensive exam and cleaning, call Stonebrook Family Dental at (303) 872-7907!