Preventive dental care encompasses a number of smart strategies, from periodic checkups and cleanings to home-based dental hygiene. However, if you still struggle with dental wellness despite these tried-and-true methods, you can always enhance your current regimen with the use of a germ-killing mouthwash.

The more you understand about what mouthwashes do, how they do it, and how to use them productively, the better the results you can expect. Have a look at the answers to some frequently asked questions about mouthwash and its relationship to dental health.

How Do Mouthwashes Protect Your Teeth and Gums?

Different kinds of mouthwashes employ different methods to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Many brands use a blend of ethyl alcohol, eucalyptol, and menthol as antiseptic ingredients. These substances can make their way into the smallest gaps, killing bacteria that you might miss with your toothbrush or floss.

Other mouthwashes feature a potent antibacterial agent called chlorhexidine. This substance actually binds to tooth and gum surfaces to block bacterial infiltration. Your dentist may recommend this mouthwash for a brief period (usually one to two weeks) immediately following gum surgery or other dental work.

What Other Benefits Do Mouthwashes Offer?

The human mouth hosts some 700 different strains of bacteria. While many of these strains actually help to promote oral health, others, including streptococcus mutans and porphyromonas gingivalis, can cause problems ranging from tooth decay to chronic, progressive gum disease.

Fortunately, you have more control of your mouth’s ecosystem of microorganisms than you might think, especially when you understand how certain smart strategies can help you ward off the negative effects of unhealthy oral bacteria. Consider implementing the following three protective measures.

1. Brush and Floss Regularly

Bacteria cause trouble for the teeth and gums when they latch onto food particles and saliva, a mixture known as plaque. As they feed on this material, they release acids. The acids can thin tooth enamel or even eat holes in it, exposing the sensitive nerve tissue beneath and setting the stage for root canal infections.

If your child recently got their 6- or 12-year molars, your dentist may recommend applying sealants to the chewing surface of those molars to reduce the risk of cavities. Sealants are like a thin layer of plastic that the dentist paints onto the tooth to prevent food and saliva from coming into direct contact with it.

As with any dental procedure, you probably have a few questions you want answered before you agree to having sealants placed on your child’s teeth. Keep reading to have those questions and concerns addressed.

Are Sealants Really Necessary?

Many good dental care habits can reduce your child’s risk of cavities — brushing more thoroughly, avoiding sweets, and flossing, for example. So you may wonder if sealants are really important or effective provided your child already takes good care of their teeth. In most cases, they are.

A dental cleaning once every six months can benefit your oral health in a number of ways. The focus of dental cleaning is the removal of the plaque and tartar that builds up on tooth enamel. Tartar, especially, can cause a number of unpleasant and damaging dental conditions.

Here are some of the dental conditions that regular dental cleanings can prevent.

1. Prevents Severe Stains

Tooth enamel can stain over time, especially if you eat foods with strong coloring, like curry and spaghetti Bolognese. A tooth whitening procedure is an effective way to treat stained enamel. But whitening doesn’t work on tartar, which is a combination of food particles, dead bacteria and minerals. You first need to remove the tartar before you can effectively whiten your teeth.

Many people love white teeth, but not everyone knows how to keep their teeth white. Even if you currently have white teeth, they might discolor if you don’t maintain them. Below are some tips to help you keep your teeth white.

Maintain Dental Hygiene

Poor oral hygiene can discolor your teeth. Here are some tips to keep your teeth clean and white.

Brush Everyday

Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Brush for at least two minutes to ensure all teeth surfaces are clean. Toothbrushes lose their effectiveness over time. Change your brush every three to four months to maintain its effectiveness.

Like most problems in life, preventive dental care is better than corrective or curative dental care. Preventive measures tend to be more comfortable and affordable than curative measures. Below are seven forms of preventive dental care that may benefit your child.

1. Dental Exams and Cleanings

Everyone, including children, needs regular dental exams. The ideal schedule for these exams is every six months. During the consultations, the dentist will:

• Give tips for home dental care
• Clean the teeth
• Examine the teeth for anomalies and emerging oral problems

Tobacco use is not only bad for your overall health, but it also increases your chance of tooth loss. Tobacco contains several chemicals that directly affect the function and structure of your nerves, blood, and bones. Therefore, you need to be extra diligent about your oral hygiene if you use tobacco products. Here is more information about how tobacco products affect your teeth and other parts of your mouth.

Ways Tobacco Ruins Teeth

No matter how you use tobacco, the substance will have a noticeable effect on your teeth. If you fail to take action, then you may have more serious complications over time. Here are some examples of common tobacco-related problems.

Increased Yellowing

All types of tobacco use leave stains on your teeth. These stains may be difficult to remove without special treatment. Several smoker’s toothpastes and other related products are on the market and may help with this problem. However, if you wait too long to address the problem, the stains could become very deep and possibly permanent.

If there is one type of tooth that needs removal more often than any other, it’s wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth often emerge much later than the rest of your teeth, and because many people’s mouths are too small to accommodate a third row of molars, complications can ensue. Here is an overview of the signs that you may need your wisdom teeth removed.

1. Crowding or Impacted Teeth

Wisdom teeth are prone to growing in at an angle, and there are several reasons for this. For starters, these teeth can simply form at an angle. Wisdom teeth can also get lodged under the tooth in front of them and grow at an angle. In many cases, wisdom teeth are aligned crooked enough that they don’t emerge from the gums at all.

While there is not definitive research stating that angled wisdom teeth can lead to whole-mouth crowding, these teeth can certainly crowd the second molars adjacent to them. This can cause the wisdom tooth or second molar to crack, and it also promotes the formation of gum pockets behind the second molar that can trap bacteria and lead to infection.

Approximately 25 percent of all men and women suffer from bad breath, also called halitosis. While gum and mints can mask the smell of bad breath temporarily, bad breath may return after you spit your gum out or your mint dissolves in your mouth. Instead of simply masking your bad breath when needed, take steps to find the root cause of your halitosis so you can then conquer your bad breath permanently.

Read on to learn about three common causes of chronic halitosis and how you can combat the bad breath they cause.

Do your New Year’s resolutions include changes in your dental health habits? If you’re not sure what to put on your resolution list or how to change your oral care habits, take a look at what you need to know about a new year, a new you, and a new healthy mouth.

Your Brushing Routine

How can you change your brushing routine for the new year? If this oral health step tops your resolution list, make a positive impact on your mouth and:

• Buy a new toothbrush. The old brush you’ve used for the last year needs to go. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a brush replacement every three to four months. If the bristles fray or mat sooner, replace your brush more often.
• Set a timer. Do you brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day? Set a timer as part of your New Year’s resolution.
• Change your methods. The ADA suggests using a 45-degree angle approach to brushing. If your current technique is subpar, change your methods in the new year. Along with a new angle, make sure to get the backs, fronts, tops, and all sides of your teeth.