5 Best Practices to Maintain a Healthy Smile

Maintaining a healthy smile does more than help your teeth stay bright and shiny. It can also protect against various dental issues and help you stay healthy overall.

The key is to adopt several oral health best practices. Doing these consciously over a few weeks makes them effortless, helping you get a healthy mouth. Add in dental insurance plans and regular dentist visits, and your dental health can be in great shape.

To help, this article dives into five practices you should follow to help keep a happy and healthy smile.

1. Brush, Floss, and Rinse Daily

A daily oral health routine can be the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle and helps keep your mouth clean of debris and bacteria to protect your teeth and gums against cavities, gingivitis, and more. Routine care will help keep your smile looking bright white.

This involves:

• Brushing: Brush two to three times a day with fluoride toothpaste, covering all teeth surfaces and the gum line.
• Flossing: Floss once a day to target the areas your toothbrush can’t reach, such as between your teeth.
• Rinsing: Rinse one to two times daily with an antimicrobial mouthwash to remove loose debris, eliminate bacteria, and freshen your breath.

2. Visit Your Dentist Regularly

An oral health routine at home is crucial, but it’s possible to miss areas or not detect potential issues.

Regular dental visits can help identify any potential issues. The dentist can examine any areas you may have missed and address early warning signs before they become costly and complex.

Your dentist can also offer advice on caring for your oral health at home. In many cases, they may give you a free new toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss to take home.

3. Eat a Healthy Diet

A balanced diet can impact your oral health in a few ways.

First, certain foods, such as sugars or acidic foods, can increase plaque and acid buildup on your teeth, which may lead to enamel erosion. Similarly, hard foods may cause damage if eaten in excess. Limiting these foods can prevent more direct harm to teeth and gums.

Overall bodily health can contribute to a healthy mouth by ensuring all the structures have the proper nutrients. For instance, getting enough calcium helps keep your teeth strong, and drinking enough water can prevent dry mouth and wash away bacteria.

4. Replace Your Toothbrush Every Few Months

Toothbrush bristles usually fray and wear with use, losing their effectiveness. If you use the same toothbrush for too long, it may not clean your teeth well.

You should replace your toothbrush every three months. Get a soft-bristled brush for regular use, as these are less likely to harm your teeth and gums during vigorous brushing.

Fortunately, dentists often give you a free toothbrush after visits, so you only need to buy two toothbrushes a year if you visit your dentist regularly.

5. Consider Dental Insurance

Dental insurance plans can offer an affordable way to cover your dental care needs. That said, understanding how does dental insurance work helps you pick the right plan for your needs and budget.

Most plans offer 100-80-50 models, meaning they cover:

• 100% of preventative care, this may include treatment for keeping teeth and gums healthy
• 80% of basic services, this may include treatment for care and maintenance
• 50% of major services, this may include treatment to help correct significant dental issues

Some plans may offer more coverage in exchange for higher premiums. Additionally, plans may have waiting periods during which coverage for some services are not payable.

Keep Your Smile Healthy and Bright

By following several practices, you can maintain a healthy smile for life.

The core steps are to brush, floss, rinse, wear your oral devices, and replace your toothbrush every few months. Lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco products, and reducing alcohol consumption may also help.

However, seeing your dentist is crucial to addressing issues, and dental insurance can encourage you to seek regular care.

Turn these practices into habits through conscious repetition. Eventually, they may become part of your routine, making a happy and healthy smile effortless.

Content within this article is provided for general informational purposes and is not provided as tax, legal, health, or financial advice for any person or for any specific situation. Employers, employees, and other individuals should contact their own advisers about their situations. For complete details, including availability and costs of Aflac insurance, please contact your local Aflac agent.

Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

A81000 & A82000 series: In Arkansas, Policies A81100AR–A81400AR. Policies A82100RAR–A82400RAR. In Delaware, Policies A81100–A81400. Policies A82100R–A82400R. In Idaho, Policies A81100ID–A81400ID. Policies A82100RID–A82400RID. In Oklahoma, Policies A81100OK–A81400OK. Policies A82100ROK–A82400ROK. In Virginia, Policies A81100VA–A81200VA. Policies A82100RVA–A82400RVA.

Dental, Vision, and Hearing coverage is underwritten by Tier One Insurance Company. Tier One Insurance Company is part of the Aflac family of insurers. In California, Tier One Insurance Company does business as Tier One Life Insurance Company (Tier One NAIC 92908).

Dental, Vision and Hearing: In Delaware, Policy T80000. In Idaho, Policy T80000ID. In Oklahoma, Policy T80000OK. Not available NY or VA. Dental claims are administered by SKYGEN USA, LLC. Vision claims are administered by EyeMed Vision Care, LLC. Hearing claims are administered by Nations Hearing. NOTICE: The coverage offered is not a qualified health plan (QHP) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is not required to satisfy essential health benefits mandates of the ACA. The coverage provides limited benefits.

Coverage may not be available in all states, including but not limited to NJ, NM, NY or VA. Benefits/premium rates may vary based on state and plan levels. Optional riders may be available at an additional cost. Policies and riders may also contain a waiting period. Refer to the exact policy and rider forms for benefit details, definitions, limitations and exclusions.

Aflac WWHQ | Tier One Insurance Company | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2400918                                                                                                                                          EXP 10/25

Contact Information:
Senior PR & Corporate Communications

Contact: Angie Blackmar,

Phone Number:706-392-2097

Email:[email protected]