WHAT ARE SOME BEST PRACTICES FOR NIGHT TIME ORAL HYGIENE?

Anything could happen in your mouth while you’re sleeping for six or eight hours. When you’re asleep, bacteria gather on your teeth. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t sleep to avoid cavities, plaque or tartar. There are lots of methods to keep your dental health while resting. Here are some best practices for night time oral hygiene.

Clean Teeth Before Going to Bed

Cleaning your teeth prior to going to sleep during the night aids in safeguarding your teeth against plaque accumulation, dental caries, and gum disease.

If you’re especially prone to these conditions, then you must brush immediately after supper or prior to bedtime. The earlier you brush, the less likely you eat snacks. And less snacking will certainly decrease food debris and reduce the possibility of tooth cavities.

Floss After Brushing

If you couldn’t floss in the morning, make sure that you do it before bedtime. Brushing alone won’t clean all the areas in between your teeth. That’s why the dentists at Advanced Dental Care of Austin recommend flossing after brushing in the evening as part of your nighttime oral hygiene.

Flossing eliminates food deposit and other harmful materials stuck in between your teeth. You don’t need to floss three times a day. However, you must at least do it once daily, especially before bedtime.

Rinse with Mouthwash

You may think of mouthwash as a way to help you freshen your breath. But it’s not its only role. Mouthwash has unique components that enhance teeth and aid you in dealing with specific dental health conditions.

But make sure to use an alcohol-free mouthwash to prevent any dental problems. If you have sensitive teeth, you may find mouthwash specific for patients with tooth sensitivity. It contains ingredients that soothe your teeth and gums. A fluoride mouth rinse is also ideal as it coats your enamel to further protect teeth from cavities.

However, you must remember that mouthwash isn’t a substitute for brushing and flossing.

Don’t Eat Sugary Food or Junk Foods

Sugar is one of the main causes of tooth decay. Some of the bacteria in your mouth produce acid when they encounter sugar. Unfortunately, this acid removes minerals from your tooth enamel. Although saliva reverses the damage, the repeated cycle causes the enamel to lose those important minerals.

As a result, it destroys and weakens your enamel causing cavity formation. And when you’re sleeping, your mouth won’t produce enough saliva, thereby, increasing the risk of cavity formation if you eat junk foods and not brushing and flossing after.

Use Mouthguard

If you noticed that your tooth enamel is worn down and you experienced tooth sensitivity, then they could indicate that you’re grinding your teeth while sleeping. To protect your teeth against the negative effects of tooth grinding, you should consider wearing a mouth guard.

However, it has to be customized to fully fit your teeth. You may ask your dentist at Advanced Dental Care of Austin about it.

Night time oral hygiene is vital for your overall dental health. Dentists at Advanced Dental Care of Austin teach their patients the best practices they can do to lower their risk of developing tooth cavities.