National Dental Hygiene Month

Do you brush and floss every day? We sure hope so, but not everybody knows exactly how to maintain the best possible oral hygiene routine. Since October is National Dental Hygiene Month, we at Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Flushing thought it would be a good time to go over the basics.

You should only brush your teeth with soft-bristled toothbrushes and toothpaste. People should brush their teeth twice a day (and brush their gums before putting in dentures) and brush for two minutes each time. When brushing the fronts of your teeth, you can do so horizontally, but you should brush their inward-facing sides vertically. We recommend flossing daily, and you should only ever use an American Dental Association-approved product for picking your teeth. When flossing, rub the side of each tooth down to the gum line; don’t just move the floss through the gaps between your teeth. Be sure not to miss the backs of your teeth.

Brushing and flossing aren’t the only parts of good hygiene. Daily use of a tongue scraper can help keep your breath sweet and prevent you from inhaling bad bacteria. Between brushings, you can also chew sugar-free gum to get rid of food debris.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

 

Smoking and Oral Health

The effects that smoking has on teeth and the oral cavity are vital pieces of information to prevent dental diseases and oral cancers. Over time, smoking can hinder the immune system from fighting off infection, cause a person to develop periodontal disease, and eventually lead to tooth loss if left untreated. Smoking can lead to tooth decay, tooth stains, bad breath, and other detrimental issues. Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care can help improve your oral health.

People who smoke are more likely to produce bacterial plaque, which leads to gum disease. The gums are affected because smoking causes a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, so the infected gums don’t heal. Smoking causes people to have more dental plaque and causes gum to disease to get worse more quickly in non-smoking. Naturally, the best solution to this problem is to quit smoking, but when you can’t quit cold turkey, Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care can offer a variety of options to esthetically enhance and restore your smile.

If you have questions or concerns regarding dental health and oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272.