Dentists are great when it comes to numbers too, you know. Maybe not mathematical genius level, but hey we know our 1-2-3’s. And do you know what’s the best part about counting the dentist way? It can help save your teeth – like magic!
Teeth are very important in our lives. If you want to really know the value of having teeth, try asking those who don’t have them anymore. Try asking people (only the ones you know) who are wearing dentures, teeth replacements, or the elderly who’ve completely lost all their little munchers. Ask them how it is like to live without teeth. Ask them if they’re enjoying it. And ask them if it’s an experience you should be looking forward too.
Well, I’m not too patient to wait for you to finish your survey so let me just tell you what they are like to answer:
“NO. Having no teeth is not great at all. You can say goodbye to eating steaks, burgers, and just about any hard, solid food. And instead eat soft, mushy food that hardly excites your appetite for eating. You also can’t go eating desserts or drink soda pop whenever you like. You’ll risk whatever teeth you have left to fall out or fall ill and watch them be taken out again. Having no teeth is never a nice experience.”
You can confirm it with someone who’s had first-hand experience later, but this answer should be obvious enough. I mean, even if you just try to put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel? Can you imagine life without teeth? How will you smile, chew, and eat normally? Teeth are often given the least attention because we’re used to them being strong and resilient. However, this is not always the case. Like people, teeth get tired of being mistreated. Don’t wait for them to turn on you before you try to improve your ways of taking care of them.
If you lack the basic knowledge on how to keep your oral hygiene at its best, this simple way of how dentists’ count should serve as a great reminder!
That’s right. Flossing at least once a day can really help you get out of those dentist appointments. After all, flossing helps you cover 35% of your teeth’s surface that you cannot reach by brushing alone. If you can (and you must), see to it that you floss regularly.
Not that we don’t want you coming over our clinics for check-ups, it’s just that we also understand that a visit to the dentist may very well cost you time, effort, and money. Not to mention, some visits simply aren’t ones you’d want to look forward to. Looking at it this way, flossing is definitely a smaller sacrifice to make – a smaller sacrifice we’d prefer you to make! Just a couple of minutes a day and you’re teeth will be a-okay!
The recommended brushing regimen for people to follow is 2-2 – two minutes of flossing and two times of brushing per day. And that’s exactly what two stands for when dentists count as well. The minimum amount of brushing required of people may be two times per day but feel free to brush right after every meal if you want to. Acid and bacteria are usually much more active after each meal, brushing your teeth to remove remaining food particles, or at least rinsing your mouth with clean water after you eat is healthy practice.
Three minutes of brushing is recommended – three minutes in the morning and another three minutes at night. This is probably the most productive thing you can do with three minutes – aside from using it to set up a dentist appointment (kidding!). To better observe this rule and to efficiently put it into practice, you can try using a three-minute hourglass to keep track of how much time has passed while you were brushing your teeth. Or, you can also try playing one of your favorite songs to help you keep track of how long you’ve been brushing. Songs typically last for 4-5 minutes. Since that’s way too much time to spend on brushing, you can just end it midway.
Dental cleanings should be done at least four times a year to help reduce plaque or tartar build-up. Four times a year would mean that you should schedule an appointment with your family dentist at the end of each quarter. If you really think about it, one quarter is already a three-month interval. Imagine how much food you’ve eaten within that amount of time. Surely, bacteria deposits would have developed during this period. Taking action before anything even starts to get worse would be best if you want to actively fight off tooth decay.
When you brush your teeth, it is not enough to just brush from side to side and then rinse. You won’t get rid of dirt, food residues, and harmful bacteria that way. Instead of just scrubbing left to right, try covering all directions: Left, Right, Up, Down, and Clockwise.
Each movement will help you cover different parts and angles of your teeth giving you a fresher, cleaner feeling. The up and down motion would help remove residues stuck in between your teeth lines. Brushing from side to side will help de-clog the grooves of your teeth of decay-causing debris. Lastly, brushing in a circular motion will help remove bacteria and acid off the surface of your teeth. So the up, down, right, left, and circular movement make five brushing directions in total. Make sure to follow them!
And that’s it. We only have time to count till five today. But I hope that you never forget those numbers. For better dental care, always count like a dentist!
