Going to the dentist to get a cavity filled or a tooth removed is not a pleasant experience. It can be expensive and uncomfortable, so you probably don't want to go to the dentist any more than is necessary. By following some simple tips at home, you can drastically reduce the amount of time you need to spend at the dentist.

Watch What You Eat

The first step in preserving dental health lies in what you eat and drink. Everyone knows that you shouldn't eat a lot of sugar and that acids are bad for your teeth. However, the truth is a little more nuanced than that.

In some cases, you do want to eat acidic foods (like fruits) to promote a healthy mouth. When your body senses that you are eating something sour, it will increase saliva production to compensate. Saliva plays a huge role in eliminating bacteria in your mouth, so increasing production is not a bad idea. That being said, you do want to limit your intake of sugar as much as possible. If you do need to drink a soda or eat candy, you should try to brush and/or floss shortly after.

Ensuring that you get your daily dose of vitamins and calcium is also incredibly important to keeping your mouth healthy. Although milk ads are often targeted at kids, the message that calcium will improve your bones and teeth still holds true as an adult. Without calcium, your teeth will be significantly weaker and more vulnerable.

Brushing and Flossing

It's common knowledge that you should brush twice a day, but what about flossing?

First of all, you actually don't need to brush twice a day. Dentists often recommend twice a day because most people aren't very thorough with their brushing. If you take the time and effort to brush your teeth with care, then you really don't need to do it more than once a day. The reasoning behind this is that the bacteria in your mouth doesn't really begin to cause problems until it's been present for at least two days. By vigorously cleaning your mouth once a day, you prevent the bacteria from building up enough to cause real damage.

For the same reasoning listed above, you should floss daily. It serves the same purpose as brushing, but it treats parts of your mouth that a toothbrush is unable to reach. A concerted effort of brushing and flossing should eliminate the vast majority of bacteria in your mouth in a matter of minutes.

To learn more, contact a dental clinic like Family First Dentistry LLC.