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Important Oral Hygiene Tips for the New Year

Important Oral Hygiene Tips for the New Year
Posted on 01/17/2018
Writing New Year resolutions in a notebook

All of us here at the practice of Dr. Lauren Cai wish you a Happy New Year and a 2018 that’s full of prosperity and happiness! As your providers of braces and Invisalign in and around Longview and Vancouver, WA, your orthodontist and orthodontic team would like to do all we can to make sure that your oral health is at its optimal level for the new year and beyond. To help with that goal, we’ve provided you with a set of helpful oral hygiene tips that we hope you’ll adhere to.


Don’t Smoke

This is probably the most obvious oral hygiene tip, yet also the most important one. Smoking can cause a plethora of problems for your oral health, including increasing the amount of bacteria and plaque in your mouth, which can lead to a greater risk of developing gum disease and tooth decay. Also, smoking can eat away at your gums and make you much more likely to develop oral cancer.

Floss Daily

Flossing is such a vital part of a great oral hygiene regimen that it’s a shame that many people don’t follow through on doing it. Flossing will help clean areas of your mouth that you just can’t reach with a toothbrush. With proper daily flossing, you’ll improve the health of both your teeth and gums.

Quit Drinking Soda

Another bad habit that we recommend stopping is drinking soda. While you won’t have to completely quit consuming it, it’s best to heavily limit the amount that you drink. Soda is full of citric acid and phosphoric acid – two ingredients that can eat away at your tooth enamel and make you much more susceptible to developing cavities.

Drink Milk

Since you’ll be limiting (or even eliminating) soda from your diet, you’ll need a good replacement for it. Well, why not milk? Milk is full of calcium, which is essential for your teeth. They’ll make your teeth stronger as well as your bones. Milk isn’t the only source of calcium; you can also find it in cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products – all of which we recommend consuming.

Visit Your Orthodontist

While most people understand that an orthodontist will help straighten a patient’s teeth and make them look more attractive, you may not realize all of the health benefits that a visit to the orthodontist can offer as well. Teeth that are crooked or crowded can be more difficult to clean properly and lead to gum disease and even tooth loss. After undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces or Invisalign, it’ll be much easier to keep your teeth healthy.


Schedule an Appointment with Your Longview and Vancouver Orthodontist!

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with your orthodontist for braces or Invisalign, we encourage you to give us a call at one of our two convenient locations. Our Vancouver office phone number is (360) 882-5090 and our Longview office phone number is (360) 425-8210. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

Dr. Lauren Cai

  • Longview Office - 870 12th Ave., Longview, WA 98632 Phone: 360-425-8210 Fax: 360-577-1605
  • Vancouver Office - 15593 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98684 Phone: 360-882-5090 Fax: 360-882-5121

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