How Good is Your Hygiene? Take a Quiz and Find Out!

Good dental hygiene is the first step to maintaining a beautiful, healthy smile. While most people are familiar with the basics of good hygiene, there is more to keeping your smile clean and healthy than simply brushing and flossing your teeth. To find out how good your dental hygiene actually is, take a short quiz and learn if you could be doing more.   

Taking Care of Your Smile

How often do you brush AND floss your teeth?

It’s not just the act of brushing and flossing that protects your teeth; it’s how often you do so that matters. Throughout the day and night, oral bacteria continuously form on your teeth and along your gum line, feeding on food particles left behind from your meals. The best way to control dental disease-causing plaque buildup is to brush your teeth at least twice every day and floss at least once, paying special attention to your gum line.

How much water do you drink every day?

Water is not only refreshing, it also promotes a healthy flow of saliva, which is your mouth’s natural rinse and helps neutralize the harmful substances that oral bacteria produce. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and your saliva flowing, reducing your risks of tooth decay and gum disease. Water is also a preferable alternative to sodas and soft drinks that contain sugar and acid – harmful agents that could destroy your teeth’s protective enamel.

How often do you visit the dentist?

In addition to daily brushing and flossing, keeping your teeth clean also requires regular dental checkup and cleaning appointments with your general dentist. Tartar, or calcified plaque, does not come off with a toothbrush and water. Instead, you will need the expert skill and equipment provided by your dentist and hygienist to clean away the stubborn film of bacteria. You should attend a checkup and cleaning appointment as often as Dr. Kania recommends.

ABOUT YOUR ENCINITAS/SAN DIEGO, CA, LASER PERIODONTIST:

As a board-certified periodontist, Dr. Ann M. Kania is specially qualified to diagnose and treat issues concerning periodontal tissue and the supportive structures of a patient’s smile, as well as place dental implants to restore teeth lost to dental disease or trauma. Dr. Kania also offers the Pinhole® Surgical Technique (PST) for minimally-invasive, scalpel-free gum grafting. To seek Dr. Kania’s expertise, contact her office today at (760) 642-0711.