Four Ways to Protect Your SmileDo you want to prevent cavities, gingivitis, bad breath and other common dental problem? Would you like to maintain a beautiful smile, even in between your dental appointments? Are you concerned about losing teeth as you age, due to dental decay, infection, or even gum disease? Would you be delighted to learn that it is possible to better protect your smile with some simple preventive steps? Fortunately, it is possible to help care for both your teeth and gums, with a combination of smart choices made at-home, and regular preventive dental care.

1.    Add Flossing to Your Hygiene Routine

One of the first things you can do to protect your oral health, is add flossing to your daily hygiene routine. If you are already brushing your teeth twice a day, you understand the importance dental hygiene plays in maintaining a healthy smile. Still, flossing should be an equally important part of your daily routine. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes!

2.    Eat a Healthy Diet, and Avoid Sugar

What you eat impacts your oral health, along with your hygiene routines. Make your calories count, by choosing nutrient-rich foods that help build strong bones and maintain healthy smiles. Vegetables and fruits should be a large part of your diet, with sugar playing the smallest role in what you eat. Unfortunately, many Americans diets are backwards, meaning they are filled with sugar that can lead to cavities and other dental problems, and void of the nutrients needed to maintain good oral health.

3.    Drink Water Throughout Each Day

Like a healthy diet, water is also essential to protecting your healthy smile. Water helps keep your mouth properly hydrated, which prevents the discomfort of dry mouth as well as a host of oral health threats that can be a result of a dry mouth.

Water also helps you produce saliva, which naturally limits plaque buildup.

4. Visit the Dentist Regularly for Checkups and Cleanings

Of course, you also need to visit the dentist regularly to best protect your smile against cavities and other common problems. Most patients should see the dentist at least twice a year, to properly protect their smiles. However, if you have struggled with frequent cavities in the past, you may actually need to have dental checkups and cleanings more frequently to prevent future problems.