Dentist - 3 Easy Ways to Impress Your Dentist

There was a time when the ultimate reward to be had at a dental check-up was a sticker or some colorful trinket to show the world how brave you were. What we’re after now is a less flashy but infinitely more valuable prize; the sweet validation you feel when your dentist tells you, “you’re doing a great job!”

Admit it, you want to hear those words! If you’re brushing and flossing regularly, then you’re well on your way, but here are some simple ways to enhance your routine to give you an edge.

We all know that flossing is essential, and chances are, you’re already doing it, but do you floss between every meal? If you answered no, you’re not alone. A lot of people don’t like to floss during the day because it’s a fairly involved process, and they feel strange doing it outside of their home.

Happily, disposable flossing picks have become widely available in recent years. These small plastic tools can be kept on hand in your bag or pocket, and they make flossing in semi-public areas a snap. They even come in a variety of fun colors and shapes to help instill good hygienic practices in children.

Another inexpensive gadget you can add to your repertoire is a tongue scraper, which is used, as the name implies, to scrape bacteria off of the tongue. Many people use their tooth brush to do this, but with bristles designed to clean hard flat teeth, it isn’t the best tool for the job.

A tongue scraper is ergonomically shaped to handle the texture and contour of the tongue. Adding the use of one into your routine will greatly reduce the amount of decay causing bacteria in your mouth, and your dentist will tell you, it’s a great way to avoid cavities and bad breath.

Finally, if you have not done so already, you should switch to an electric toothbrush. The benefits of doing so are numerous. With its shape and motion, similar to that of the polisher your dentist uses, an electric toothbrush can reach to places that your regular brush cannot, including in between teeth and underneath the gums. The brush’s quick action helps get your teeth cleaner and whiter than a normal brush.

Once considered a luxury, electric brushes have become so common, that it is possible to find quality options at all price points. If you’re concerned about the effectiveness of one of the cheaper models, ask your dentist to recommend a good affordable one the next time that you go in for a checkup.

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. With these simple adjustments to your dental hygiene routine, you’ll see some fantastic results for very little extra effort. Try one or all of them and you’re bound to get the thumbs up from your dentist the next time you visit the office. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even get to take home one of those stickers that are usually reserved for the kiddies!