As a dentist, it can sometimes be a hassle to remain excited about our own oral health whenever we have spent our entire day talking about oral health to others. Just like how a professional chef will get sick of cooking when at home and splurge on a greasy, non-professional meal, a dentist might get sick of focusing on their healthcare and forget to brush and floss.
And while making these mistakes every once in a while, is normal because even dentists are humans, dentists do need to practice what they preach and make sure that they are keeping up their dental health even when outside of the office!
So here are some of the best ways to make sure that you are keeping up your dental health at home. You might even notice that some of these are things you tell your patients every single day too!
Use The Right Dental Products
Dental products can sometimes be a minefield for dentists because we get so caught up in the technical side of things. We want to get the best toothpaste with fluoride, the most effective dental floss, and the best teeth whitener known to the world. And while there is nothing wrong with that, and you can chase the best products to have the cleanest teeth known to the world, it is much easier to find and stick with a product that you like.
Maybe you like dental picks because they are easier to get into your back teeth, or maybe you decide that you want one brand of toothpaste over the others because it feels better, or you like the flavor. No matter because you choose the products you do, or even if they can be considered the best or not, it is important to make sure that you like the products and will continue to use them every single day.
Have A Good Lifestyle
Just like with the products we buy; dentists can get wrapped up in the technical side of dentistry. Brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and getting their teeth checked twice a year, are all well and good, but you can’t forget about having a good lifestyle. You need to eat foods that are good for your teeth, avoid eating and drinking sugary foods and sodas in excess, and protect your smile when playing sports, for example.
The care of your teeth doesn’t just start whenever you go into the bathroom to brush and floss but instead needs to be something you do with your lifestyle. The more your lifestyle focuses on caring for your teeth and overall oral health, the less time you will need to spend in the dentist's chair. Because doesn’t it feel weird sitting in the dentist's chair with another dentist looking in your mouth when that is normally your job? It is best to mitigate that as much as possible and having a tooth forward lifestyle should do it!
Keep Up with The Latest in Teeth Health
Finally, you need to make sure that you are keeping up with dental health, because, as we dentists know, it is a growing field. Whether it is learning about new ways to protect your teeth or new dangers that can threaten them, this has a twofold effect. First, you are defending your own teeth, and second, you are keeping on top of and learning about trends that will affect your patients, so you can talk to them about these trends and keep their mouths healthy.
Plus, it can be very interesting to follow the latest inventions and innovations in tooth health, because there can be a lot of interesting things going on!
Dental Health Starts at Home for Everyone
Finally, by keeping your dental health up at home, you will not only be setting a good example for your patients, but you will also be able to honestly and earnestly tell your patients what works and what doesn’t work. Give them your recommendations or share your thoughts and personal oral care routine on social media or as part of a marketing tactic and see what happens.
But at the end of the day, if you have a practice that is built on tooth health, then you can focus on showing your smile to your patients and then telling them how they can have a healthy mouth and a white smile just like you have in your mouth.
