You know you should floss, but do you? If you’re skimping on this daily dental habit, you could be compromising your oral health — and the pearly white luster of your smile.
The Dental Touch team in Oakland, California, has numerous solutions for restoring a stained and discolored smile. However, the first step to keeping your teeth white and bright involves practicing good oral hygiene, especially flossing.
Do you need more motivation to adopt this daily habit? Here are a few reasons to consider:
When teeth become discolored, it’s easy to point the finger at common culprits like coffee, tea, and wine. After all, these beverages are well known for their ability to stain teeth. However, they’re not the only thing that can lead to tooth discoloration — so does plaque.
Everyone has dental plaque on their teeth, a sticky, acidic film that contains saliva, food particles, and bacteria. The substance itself is often colorless or pale yellow. It’s also the perfect place for debris to build up, leaving teeth looking dingy and feeling “fuzzy.”
Worse yet, when plaque hardens into tartar, it appears yellow or brown. And it doesn’t take long for this to happen. In reality, plaque can harden within 24-72 hours. And, once it does, it requires professional removal.
That’s where good oral hygiene comes into play. Brushing twice each day is a good start. But flossing ensures you reach all the nooks and crannies your brush can’t reach, removing more plaque than you can by brushing alone.
Making these habits a daily priority can keep your smile looking brighter and whiter between professional cleanings, which can take care of any stubborn spots of buildup left behind.
If you’re new to flossing, our team can give you pointers to make the habit easier than ever.
In most cases, we recommend flossing before brushing your teeth and following these steps:
Set aside plenty of time the first few times you floss. The more you practice this healthy oral hygiene habit, the quicker you’ll get.
If flossing still doesn’t come easy, we can make personalized suggestions to improve your experience, like different types of dental flosses, electric flossers, and even disposable floss picks.
Flossing can keep your smile looking whiter, but you could need some extra help getting there if your pearly whites are already suffering.
Our team can help restore your pristine smile, whether you need a thorough cleaning, professional whitening, or veneers to conceal irreversible discoloration. Then, you can maintain your results with daily brushing and flossing.
Do your teeth seem dingy or discolored? Contact The Dental Touch to learn more about your treatment options by calling 510-244-2737 or requesting a visit online today.
