Budgeting For Healthy Teeth And Gums

Having healthy teeth and gums doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Our Wickford dentists offer some useful tips.

It is very easy to think of having a great looking smile with healthy teeth as being the result of cosmetic procedures which you might need to budget for. There is no doubt that some of the more costly treatments such as dental implants can make significant improvements to your smile and even the less expensive procedures such as teeth whitening can really transform the way that your teeth look. At the Cygnet Dental Practice, we try to offer effective payment plans to help those who need, or want, some of the costlier treatments but we also know that preventative dental care is still extremely important.

The good news is that preventative dentistry is within almost everyone’s budget and getting the basics of oral health care right shouldn’t stretch your money very far at all. In today’s blog, we are going to take a look at ‘low cost’ ways of maintaining good oral health.

Water

Let’s start with the cheapest of all; water. Especially for dental purposes, there is no need at all to buy the more expensive bottled water. Tap water is absolutely fine.

Water plays an essential role in good oral health as it not only flushes away bacteria and food particles but helps to keep our mouths moist. This is very important for keeping down the number of potentially harmful bacteria that reside in our mouths. These bacteria are responsible for problems like gum disease that can damage our teeth as well as our gums.

Water is also a very effective initial way of removing any food that has become trapped between the teeth after the meal. A vigorous swilling of water around the mouth is a great way to make a start to keeping your teeth clean. It should not replace brushing and flossing though.

Toothbrushes

While a manual toothbrush is cheaper than an electric one and will do a reasonable job of cleaning your teeth, we do recommend that you buy an electric brush if at all possible. It is generally considered that these are superior in their ability to clean both teeth and gums. Once purchased, you will need to buy replacement heads every few months but this should not prove to be significantly more costly than if you replaced your toothbrush at the same interval. This small outlay will ensure that the bristles remain healthy and are effective at keeping your teeth and gums clean.

Dental floss

There is no need to buy expensive water flossers or other gadgets that claim to help you clean between your teeth. Dental floss is a very cheap way of doing this and while it might initially prove a little tricky; once mastered it will become a regular part of your daily oral health care regime.

Sugar free gum

Chewing sugar free gum is a great addition to your daily routine. Not only will it help to remove tiny pieces of food that have become trapped but will also help to stimulate saliva flow which, in turn, will help to remove more food and bacteria. In addition to this, you will have fresher breath from the mint flavours that most have. Remember that it is essential that it is sugar free to prevent damage to your teeth.

Dentists and hygienists

While these services are not free, they are still sensible value and also essential for a healthy mouth. Seeing a hygienist will help to keep your teeth and gums clean and help you avoid potentially serious oral health issues such as periodontitis. You may think that if a dentist finds a cavity you will have to pay for the filling, and whilst this is true, the reality is that a small filling is going to be cheaper and less invasive than having a crown fitted which may need to happen eventually if you don’t have regular check ups at our Wickford based dentist.

Beware of ‘budget treatments’

Just a word of warning about being taken in by ‘special offers’, especially online ones or for treatment abroad. While not all of these will be bad, there have been far too many problems that have occurred by doing this for the risk to be worth it. You may save yourself a few pounds but find that the results are a long way from what you had hoped and you may even find that it causes even more issues with your oral health. Using the local team at the Cygnet Dental Practice is a safe and effective way of improving your teeth and if you are considering having cheaper treatment abroad, please discuss this with us first so that we can also discuss payment plans that can help you to spread the cost.

To make an appointment with us, please either complete the form on our website or call us today on 01268 733078.