When Something's Gotta Give, Don't Let It Be Your Smile

Life is hectic for many Englewood residents. At times, it’s impossible to get all the “gotta do’s” done and many are postponed or dropped altogether.

Sometimes your car has to wait another 500 miles for an oil change. Or you are a month late replacing your furnace filter. Or you realize that you’ve had a leaky faucet for as long as you can remember.

Many important things get put on the back burner, but we urge you not to disregard essential dental care.

Here are some typical dental care shortcuts. Are you guilty of any of them?

Rushing Through Brushing

Your teeth deserve a careful two minutes or more. Slow and methodical beats quick and dirty. Use a systematic approach to make sure you get every tooth. Playing one of your favorite two- or three-minute songs may help you go the distance.

Only Seeing Your Dentist When You Feel a Toothache

We hope none of our patients put off checkups and cleanings. When you feel tooth pain, it may be way too late to prevent a filling or even a root canal.

Neglecting Professional Cleanings

When softer plaque turns to calculus, you can’t brush it off with a toothbrush. Six-month cleanings help get rid of the calculus or tartar before it can damage your enamel or irritate your gums.

Using Floss Picks Instead of Dental Floss

While it’s better to floss with a floss pick than to not floss at all, it’s important to know that floss picks can only clean a part of the tooth’s surface. A floss pick holds just a small length of floss stretched in a straight line. Looking down, a tooth is shaped somewhat round or oval.

A straight piece of floss just doesn’t make sense geometrically because it doesn’t conform to the outline of the tooth as well as traditional floss. When you wrap a string of floss completely around the circumference of a tooth, you can more thoroughly clean that essential area around and just below the gumline. We have seen patients who are vigilant floss pick users who developed decay in a tiny crack the floss pick missed day after day.

At Vitangeli Dental, we urge our patients to practice preventative dentistry to shield their smiles for life.

For more information, call Vitangeli Dental today at 937-836-3565 or visit https://www.vitangelismiles4you.com/about-us/.