How your dentist in Southfield, MI, can help you maintain a healthy smile

Routine dental hygiene can save your smile, but did you know it can also help your body stay healthy too? It’s true! In fact, a healthy smile can help protect you from having a stroke, developing heart disease, or developing diabetes. A healthy smile starts with routine dental hygiene.

Dr. Ali Beydoun at ASB Dentistry in Southfield, MI, provides comprehensive dental care, including preventive dental cleanings and exams, to help you maintain a healthy smile.

When it comes to dental hygiene, it’s all about removing plaque as thoroughly and frequently as you can. That’s important because plaque contains millions of harmful bacteria that produce toxins. These toxins eat away at your tooth enamel, causing tooth decay, and infect your soft tissue, causing gum and periodontal disease.

There are two very important parts to routine dental hygiene. The first is what you do at home. You need to:

Brush your teeth after meals and before you go to bed; always use a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride. Gently brush your teeth in a circular motion, covering all tooth surfaces and along the gumline.

Floss every tooth, every day; flossing is the only way to clean in between your teeth, and in between your teeth is often where decay and disease begin. Be sure to wrap the floss around the tooth surface as you go down in between your teeth. The wrapping technique ensures the floss stays firmly against the tooth surface.

The second part of routine dental hygiene is what your dentist and dental hygienist can do for you. Be sure to:

Visit your dentist every 6 to 12 months for a dental examination, including x-rays; routine dental visits help to keep dental issues small and easily treatable. If you don’t visit your dentist regularly, small dental issues can become large dental problems.

Visit your dental hygienist every 6 to 12 months for professional dental cleaning; routine cleaning visits help keep your gums, teeth, and supporting structures healthy.

To discover more about why routine dental hygiene is important to the health of your smile, talk with an expert. Call Dr. Ali Beydoun of ASB Dentistry in Southfield, MI, at (248) 354-3500. Call today!