Oral Hygiene Tips for Busy Professionals

Woman travelling

A Busy Schedule Can Get in the Way of Self-Care

When you’re a busy professional, keeping up with a hectic, fast-paced schedule, it’s easy to put self-care on the back burner. So many things demand your time and attention, whether you’re traveling or just living your life, that you may have trouble keeping up with things that are important to your health. One thing you should never neglect, though, no matter how busy life gets, is your oral health. Here, we offer some tips for busy professionals, to help you keep up with your oral hygiene.

Caring for Your Teeth at Home

Brush your teeth at least twice a day, for a minimum of two minutes each time. Using a soft-bristled brush with a small head and flexible neck, brush your teeth gently in a circular motion, with your brush at a 45 degree angle to the gum line. Start at the back of the mouth, working systematically and taking care to brush along the inner, outer, and chewing surfaces. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria from your mouth, and don’t forget to floss at least once a day. Wait for a few seconds after brushing to rinse so that fluoride has a chance to sit on your teeth. Limit in-between meal snacking, watch your sugar intake, and choose water over fruit juice or sweetened drinks.

Dental Care on the Go

Whether you’re traveling or just racing between appointments, prepare ahead of time to care for your teeth on a busy day. Carry a floss travel pack in your bag or wallet, and bring along some fresh, crunchy, fibrous vegetables like celery, carrots, and cucumbers. These foods have a high water content, which helps to balance the pH level of your mouth, and eating them helps scrape debris from your teeth in the middle of a hectic day when you don’t have time to brush. If you are traveling, clean the inside of your toiletries bag before packing your toothbrush, and let your toothbrush air dry whenever possible, to prevent the growth of microbes. Alternately, consider using disposable toothbrushes so that you know you always have a clean one. If you’re visiting a location where the water isn’t trustworthy, brush your teeth using bottled water.

Amping Up Your Efforts

If being pressed for time is a frequent problem for you, consider investing in an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes have smaller heads, to get into tight spaces more easily, and the rotating brush effectively removes plaque from your teeth. Some can elan your teeth thoroughly in as little as 15 seconds, so that can shave a few minutes off of your daily routine. No matter which kind of toothbrush you use, replace it every two to three months, or immediately after you’ve been ill. If you find you need to replace your toothbrush more frequently than that, you may be applying too much pressure when you brush. Talk to your dentist about improving your technique so that you can keep your mouth clean without damaging your gums and tooth enamel.

Finding the Very Best Dentist

Perhaps the most important part of caring for your dental health is finding a dentist and keeping regular dental appointments to keep your mouth clean and catch any issues before they become serious- and time consuming. If you’re looking for a dentist in New York, why not choose the dentist voted best in the city? At Park 56 Dental Group, we offer pediatric, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, Invisalign®, emergency, and sedation dentistry, all at the highest level of treatment. We serve the Midtown, Central Park, Upper East Side, Park Avenue, and all surrounding Manhattan and New York areas, with a patient-centered practice that has hours to fit your schedule. Schedule your complimentary consultation today by contacting us online or calling us at (212) 826-2322.