Three Steps to Take to Protect Your New Dental Bridges
ShareIf you just recently had dental bridges installed, you are going to want to do everything that you can to ensure that you get the longest usable life out of your new bridges. Getting the longest usable life out of your dental bridges will help increase the value of the investment that you made in your dental health. Here are three ways to protect your new dental bridges.
Keep Up with Your Daily Dental Care
The best thing that you can do for your new dental bridges is keep up with your daily dental-care routine. If you don't have a daily dental-care routine, now is a good time to start one. It is a smart idea to brush your teeth either immediately when you get out of bed or after you eat breakfast in the morning.
You should also brush your teeth in the evening. Although it is traditional to brush right before you go to bed, if you are someone who likes to drift off to sleep while watching television or reading, it may be a better idea to brush your teeth a half hour after you eat dinner so that task is taken care of.
It is also a good idea to start carrying around dental supplies with you so you can brush your teeth after every meal, even when you are not at home.
Finally, don't forget that flossing your teeth should not be an afterthought; flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth. You should floss your teeth a couple of times a day.
Engaging in and keeping up with your daily dental care will go a long ways towards keeping your teeth and your new dental bridges in great shape.
Failing to floss and brush your teeth on a regular basis will result in food getting lodged in between your teeth and wearing down your dental bridges faster.
Start Using Mouthwash
If mouthwash is not already part of your dental-care routine, start working it into your schedule. Mouthwash is a great complement to brushing and flossing daily. An antibacterial mouthwash will help kill bacteria that may be located around and compromising your dental bridges. Mouthwash can also help prevent plaque from building up on your dental bridges and teeth.
Try to use mouthwash in between when you brush and floss. For example, if you like to brush your teeth as soon as you get up but don't eat until an hour or so later, use mouthwash after you eat to clean your mouth.
Mouthwash is also really handy to take with you and use when you are out of the house. Purchase a travel-size mouthwash bottle that you can keep in your purse or vehicle so you always have some handy.
Watch What You Eat
Finally, watch what you eat. A dental bridge, although strong, is not the same thing as your natural teeth. Try to avoid eating foods that are really hard or sticky. Hard and sticky foods can wear down your dental bridge and can slowly cause damage to it over time. Although this damage may be caused slowly, it can still do serious damage to your dental bridges and cost you a lot of money. Try to limit your intake of extremely sticky and hard foods and candies if you want to protect your dental bridges.
For more information, look on sites such as http://www.kcgordondental.com.