Best Practices For A Healthy, Beautiful Smile

Categories: Dental Health

cosmetic dental Grand Prairie

Even if you value a healthy smile, it’s easy to become a bit negligent about smile-friendly lifestyle choices. In today’s post, our goal is for you to assess where you stand and think about whether you could step it up a notch. Committing to oral health best practices can prevent future problems and benefit your quality of life.

Brushing

Good: Brush teeth once a day.
Better: Brush teeth properly after each meal.
Best: Brush after each meal and floss correctly before bed.

Dental Checkups

Good: See your dentist if you get a toothache.
Better: See Dr. Ratcliff once a year even if you don’t notice any dental problems.
Best: Twice-yearly, have an extensive dental exam and professional dental cleaning at Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.

A White Smile

Good: Use a whitening toothpaste.
Better: Use a whitening product at home.
Best: Schedule an in-office tooth whitening treatment.

Missing Tooth

Good enough for some people: Ignore it. (We don’t recommend this.)
Better: Get a quality dental bridge.
Best: Restore your smile with a beautiful, strong, and natural-functioning dental implant. (Consult with Dr. Ratcliff to find out if you are a good candidate for an implant.)

Smile-Friendly Nutrition

Good: Eat a nutritious diet.
Better: Eat a healthy diet and limit sugary snacks and beverages.
Best: Eat a sensible diet, limit between-meal snacking, eat lots of calcium-rich foods, steer clear of sugary snacks, abstain from energy drinks and soda, and sip water throughout the day to keep acid at bay.

For Young Smiles

Good: Never put your child to bed with a bottle. When your toddler starts drinking from sippy-cup, don’t let them sip juice or milk all day.
Better: Follow the previous advice and schedule his/her first dental checkup before the first birthday.
Best: In addition, communicate with Dr. Ratcliff about dental sealants when your child is young. When your little athlete starts participating in sports, make sure he/she wears a protective mouthguard. Set a good example of daily dental hygiene and healthy lifestyle choices.

Hello, I am Dr. Stephen Ratcliff. At Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we are dedicated to the best in dentistry. We invite you to call 817-274-7875 to schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you.

Contact Stephen Ratcliff Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:

817-274-7875

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

909 W Mitchell St
Arlington, Texas
76013