Pasadena Texas Family Dentist Dr. Nugent talks about Dental Hygiene:
It’s interesting how often adults allow their tooth brushing to lapse. Or they might forget about the proper brushing technique, or how often to brush.
Do you know how often you’re supposed to brush your teeth? Let’s take a pop quiz:
People should brush their teeth….
a. At least once a week
b. Every day – in the morning
c. Every day – at night
d. Every day, but only after lunch
e. Every day – twice a day – at night and in the morning
The answer is… e! But our office would love it if you brushed three times a day. I know brushing teeth after lunch is not cool but it is really beneficial.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that people brush their teeth twice every day – once at night before going to bed, and once in the morning. Brushing your teeth at night helps to remove bacteria and keeps your mouth clean while you sleep. Brushing your teeth in the morning helps freshen your breath and removes any bacteria that built up during the long night of sleep.
But what if you only have time to brush your teeth once a day, or what if you forget?
In that case – and again, you should always try to brush twice each day – it’s most important to brush at night before going to bed. The reason? During the eight (or so) hours that you are asleep, the bacteria in your mouth have an entire night to themselves. This makes it especially important to brush your teeth before going to sleep.
For example, if you drink a can of soda or eat something sugary right before bed, and then go to sleep without brushing your teeth, you are basically allowing the bacteria on your teeth to have a party all night without supervision!
But by brushing your teeth at night, you are getting a head start on the constant battle that goes on inside your mouth every night. You are beating back the bacteria and preventing them from damaging your teeth and gums. (Okay, maybe it’s not always quite as dramatic as that – but you get the picture, right?)
You only brush and floss the teeth you want to keep.
Start the routine of flossing early! Get your kids trained that it is normal to floss every time you brush your teeth. Set you kids up to be cavity free and to have a healthy mouth.
Dr. Nugent is a leader in Family, Cosmetic, Implant and Sedation Dentistry. His office is located at 3421 Burke Rd Ste A, Pasadena, Texas 77504. His amazing bed side manner has patients coming in from Deer Park, La Porte, League City, Friendswood and Houston, Texas. Dr. Nugent has been voted BEST PASADENA TEXAS DENTIST multiple times. Discover how amazing dentistry can be when you visit our office. Call our Pasadena Texas Dental Office today at 713-941-8261.
