Hampton Roads family dentist Dr. Harper emphasizes the importance of maintaining good dental health to ensure a lifetime of smiles and overall good health! Dr. Harper recommends that patients come in to his Poquoson dental office for preventive dental care twice per year, and educates them on good at home oral hygiene to keep disease at bay between visits.
There are several key components to good dental health, and incorporating these into your everyday lifestyle can go a long way towards keeping you strong and healthy:
1. Understand your own oral health and oral health needs: this can be accomplished with regular dental visits where Dr. Harper can make recommendations for good oral hygiene that are personalized and take into account other factors that may be influencing your dental health.
2. Commit to a daily oral hygiene routine: brushing, flossing and using dental care products that will keep your smile healthy between visits is key to long term oral health. Dr. Harper will often recommend appropriate hygiene products to patients who are having a health issue.
3. Use fluoride products: this applies to both children AND adults! Fluoride helps keep tooth enamel strong and healthy.
4. Brush and floss: practicing these daily helps to reduce the development of gum disease and tooth decay.
5. Eat a healthy, balanced diet with limited sugar: added sugars have caused an increase in both oral and overall health issues for today’a dental patients. Limiting sugar is important for overall good health and will also reduce tooth decay.
6. Stop the use of tobacco: smoking contributes to halitosis, damaged and stained teeth as well as gum disease- if possible, quit smoking!
7. Perform oral exams at home: looking for and informing Dr. Harper of changes in the teeth and gums on a regular basis can mean quicker treatment of developing dental problems.