The better you are able to care for your smile at home, the better your semi-annual professional check ups will be! Our Orland Park dentists encourage all of our patients to evaluate their at-home oral hygiene plans, and figure out how they can make their plan even more effective.
A solid oral hygiene plan begins with brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day. The American Dental Association recognizes brushing and flossing as two key ways to minimize bacterial plaque accumulation.
Once you are brushing and flossing as recommended, there are additional oral hygiene steps that you can to your routine in order to optimize your cleaning routine. One of these steps is using mouthwash every day.
How does using mouthwash help to keep your smile clean?
1. When you swish mouthwash around your mouth and between your teeth, you dislodge food particles and loosen plaque. The physical action of swishing a mouth rinse can make it easier for you to prevent plaque from taking root in your mouth.
2. The physical act of swishing with mouth rinse (or water) is great! But beyond that, many mouthwash formulations have bacteria fighting ingredients that neutralize harmful plaque. Since mouth rinse can fit into spaces that you can’t reach with your toothbrush and floss, this can be a great way to kill oral bacteria in hard-to-reach spots.
3. Another ingredient that is often included in mouth rinses is fluoride. Fluoride is found in toothpastes and mouthwashes, because helps dental enamel to re-mineralize (making it stronger). Harmful oral bacteria cause teeth to de-mineralize, so a dose of fluoride is yet another way to help prevent plaque related damage. There are many different mouth rinses out there today, so if you’re not sure what kind of formulation you should be using, just ask your dental team!
To get more information and answers to your questions, feel free to call our Tinley Park dentists!