If you have teenagers living with you, it is important to know the different oral hygiene tips for teens out there. This can teach them best practices for taking care of their oral health, and it can also save you money in the long run. If your teen has braces on, it is crucial for them to follow their dental care instructions properly.
Oral health is a significant part of our overall health. It is important to take care of it. This is why we have come up with the following oral hygiene tips for teens. These can help you teach younger kids about the advantage of good oral hygiene. Keep on reading to find out more.
Don’t Try Whitening Your Teeth at Home
You would be surprised to find out how many people have stained or discolored teeth. There are various reasons that contribute to stained teeth. If your teenager wants to improve the appearance of their discolored teeth, they should try safe whitening treatments. The benefits of having a bright smile are worth it. An attractive smile is scientifically proven to make you more appealing, and it also boosts your chances of career growth and socializing. Teeth whitening is the least expensive form of cosmetic dentistry.
Finding a cosmetic dentist who can do the whitening procedure for you is advisable. While there are plenty of home kits that can get the job done for you at your convenience, you should stick to a professional. There is no need to be alarmed though because doing it at home is still considered safe. In fact, a cosmetic dentist should provide patients with an at-home care kit to help improve the bleaching procedure done. This is okay because having a professional to offer you guidance on how to use the at-home kit. This ensures quality control and professional monitoring on how you use a whitening kit at home.
Most importantly, the probability of human error is likely to increase if you do not have the expertise or guidance to use an at-home tooth whitening kit. Moreover, when you go to a qualified dentist to handle your procedure, they have access to high-quality equipment. If you are looking to achieve the best results, you should consider using a professionally trained dentist who can monitor your progress. So, if you are looking for oral hygiene tips for teens, you should consider telling them to stay away from whitening their teeth at home.
Be Thorough When Brushing Your Teeth
When you are giving oral hygiene tips for teens means that you should emphasize the importance of teeth cleaning. Being thorough when brushing your teeth is essential. It can prevent the onset of gum disease and the buildup of plaque. When you brush your teeth, you get rid of the primary cause of tooth decay. Teens should be taught the significance of brushing their teeth from an early age. It is an effective way to prevent periodontal disease.
To ensure that teeth are cleaned properly, you should have a daily oral hygiene routine in place. Teens spend a lot of time away from home when they are at school. This means that you should have an effective way to monitor if your teen is following their teeth cleaning routine. For instance, you can make sure that they take their dental floss with them to school. Flossing is an essential way to ensure that the small gaps that trap food debris are cleaned out.
Brushing your teeth can decrease your chances of having bad breath. It is important to invest in a quality toothbrush for your teen. Remind them about the dangers of brushing too hard if their toothbrush is quick to fray. Moreover, as a parent, you should ensure that your teen’s toothbrush is replaced every four months. This will help to improve their tooth brushing etiquette while providing them with the best results.
Don’t Skip Regular Dentist Appointments
Part of teaching oral hygiene tips for teens is ensuring that they do not skip their regular dentist appointments. If you are teaching your teeth to maintain optimal dental health, then seeing a dentist regularly should be part of this lesson. Below we will go over the reasons why skipping dental appointments can be detrimental to one’s oral hygiene.
An Examination – When you miss your dental appointment, you miss getting a thorough examination that can be done by a qualified dentist. An examination of this nature is very important because it makes you aware of any potentially dangerous conditions that can affect your oral health if left untreated. Not being able to determine issues in time can put you at greater risk for other conditions.
Thorough Cleaning – When you visit a professional dental center for a regular checkup, you are likely to receive a thorough cleaning done if it is overdue. Having your teeth cleaned should help them to stay in shape.
Fluoride Treatments – If you feel as if your teeth are losing their minerals and need to be strengthened, then this type or treatment is ideal for you. It is not advisable to purchase pure fluoride. As a result, a qualified dentist can help you to get a monitored fluoride treatment.
X-Rays – You may want to go for a dental checkup to see if any teeth have shifted or not. The best way that you can find out is if you ask your dentist to do x-rays for you.
A dental checkup is recommended twice a year.
Take Oral Cancer Seriously
When most people give oral hygiene tips for teens they overlook the importance of teaching teens about getting an oral cancer screening. This type of screening is significant to assess any signs of cancer conditions in a person’s mouth. It helps to identify any lesions that are forming at an early stage. Oral cancer is a dangerous disease that has been associated with different factors such as smoking, HPV, and significant sun exposure.
Even if you feel as if your child is still too young to be screened for oral cancer, you should remember that this type of screening test should not be underestimated. Cancer is a serious disease that does not choose who it affects. You should take oral cancer seriously.
Follow Your Orthodontist’s Instructions
If your teen has braces, following their Orthodontist’s instructions is very important. This could be the determining factor of your braces journey. Part of good oral hygiene tips for teens includes knowing how to take care of their braces. Orthodontists have essential at-home care instructions that are necessary for braces to achieve their goals. It can be the ultimate cause of failure. For instance, there are types of foods that should be avoided at all times. These can include eating sugary or sticky foods that can make cleaning teeth difficult.
If your teen is failing to follow instructions it can cause discomfort with their braces. This can also lead to damage to the type of brace material that is used. This is why it is important to use the right kind of elastics and retainers as prescribed. Moreover, brushing and flossing after each meal is imperative to ensure that the teeth and gums are always healthy. Braces are a form of teeth treatment. It is important for your teen to remember what they should and shouldn’t do and to maintain a vigorous oral hygiene routine when they have braces.
Don’t Believe Oral Care Myths
Did you know that oral health can impact your overall health? This is why learning about oral care is important for oral hygiene tips for teens. There is no denying the many disadvantages of not taking care of your oral health. For instance, it can lead to decaying teeth, tooth loss, and other severe complications. But there are many misconceptions that people have about oral health. For example, you may hear myths about the dentist and how they tackle oral health issues. The following are some myths about dental health that we believe you should not believe.
Sugar-Free Food is Better For Your Teeth – This is incorrect. Yes, sugar does contribute to tooth decay and cavities, but this does not mean that sugar-free foods are a healthy option either. The acids and carbohydrates that are found in this type of food can result in plaque buildup if your teeth are not regularly cleaned. This can lead to risky conditions such as gingivitis and tooth decay.
Dental Health Will Not Affect Your Overall Health – This is another common myth. However, most people are not aware of how much gum disease can increase their chances of heart disease, especially amongst people with diabetes. A buildup of bacteria and germs in the mouth can spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. When bacteria reaches the heart, it can cause serious problems such as inflammation.
You Can Wait to See The Dentist Until It’s An Emergency – Optimal dental health requires preventive care instead of waiting until an emergency ensues. When your teen goes to their dental appointment checkups, they will be able to know of any potentially serious dental conditions.
Gum Disease Is Not Common – The Center for Disease Control has published studies that prove that gum disease is a common and widespread oral hygiene concern. More than 59% of adults are estimated to have gum disease by the time that they reach the age of 30. The older that we get, the more our bodies are susceptible to many infections.
Believing oral care myths can leave your teeth in a bad condition. If you are unsure about dental care facts, it is important to speak to a dental professional who will provide accurate information.
Ask About Solutions to Your Teeth Cleaning Nerves
Any dental procedure can be painful. Oral hygiene tips for teens should teach them about ways to make their cleaning treatments easier. For instance, they can ask for sedation dentistry. This is a process that uses specific medication aimed at relaxing the patients during their dental procedures. It is often referred to as sleep dentistry. On the contrary, the patients are awake during the procedure. The exception is those patients that require general anesthesia.
Floss!
Flossing and brushing go together when teaching oral hygiene tips for teens. Flossing is an essential part of dental care. Flossing regularly can help you to get rid of the plaque that builds up in the small spaces between your teeth. The American Dental Association states that there are several interdental cleaners that play a crucial role in ensuring optimal levels of oral health.
Flossing helps you to reach the spaces that your brush is unable to reach. This is essential for the prevention of gum disease and the reduction of oral conditions that can affect your heart health.
Take Good Care of Your Teeth Now
When you start taking care of your oral hygiene from a young age, it can help to prevent many risk factors when you are older. It can also help you save money on future procedures such as reconstructive dentistry to reverse the effects of poor oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth regularly is very important. When you use fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth, you should not forget to brush your tongue because plaque builds up there as well.
The Bottom Line
Knowing which oral hygiene tips for teens are efficient and why dental myths to avoid is an important part of a healthy oral hygiene routine. When your teeth are susceptible to infection it can cause other health conditions to surface. This is why it is important to get regular examinations done. These can help you and your teenager in the long run by saving you time and money on complicated procedures.
Additionally, listening and following oral care instructions is vital if your teen has braces. There are foods that should be avoided and strict guidelines for brushing and flossing. Failure to follow instructions can cause problems with the braces and cause further damage to the dental structure. The best time to start taking care of your oral health is now. Book your dental appointment and follow instructions as advised.
