Professional dental cleanings, which you should undergo every six months, deep clean your smile, and minimize oral plaque. Then, in between professional cleanings, it is up to you to maintain your smile with daily oral hygiene treatments.
Our Tinley Park dentists can help you figure out exactly how to optimize your oral hygiene routine, so that you can take care of your smile effectively. The first step is to make sure that you are following the ADA’s recommendation regarding brushing and flossing your teeth. If, after mastering these steps you still feel like your hygiene routine needs a little boost, you can consider adding in additional steps.
One oral hygiene step that many dental patients choose to incorporate into their routines is rinsing with mouthwash. There are a number of benefits to rinsing with mouthwash, including:
Loosen Dental Debris and Plaque
The physical act of swishing mouth rinse around your mouth will help to dislodge embedded dental debris and bacteria. Both flossing and brushing remove plaque—mouthwash is yet another way to combat constant plaque accumulation!
Neutralize Bacteria
Many mouthwash formulations include ingredients that kill oral bacteria. Since mouth rinse can reach into those hard-to-reach spaces between teeth, swishing with mouthwash can help you neutralize bacteria you would otherwise miss.
Fortify Enamel
Mouthwashes that include fluoride can actually help to keep your dental enamel strong and resilient. Fluoride aids in dental re-mineralization, so using a mouthwash in fluoride can actually help you minimize the effects of demineralizing oral bacteria.
If you aren’t sure what type of mouthwash might be best for you, you can always talk to your dentists about what your smile needs. Many dental patients report that their teeth feel cleaner, and their mouths feel fresher after beginning a mouth rinse regimen.
Our Orland Park dentists are here to provide you with additional information and support, so give us a call to get started!