5 Tips To Flossing

Flossing is the key dental habit you need in order to prevent periodontal disease. There is no other alternative or option for removing food from between the teeth.  While you can brush the front and back of your teeth, bristles of a toothbrush do not effectively remove food.   Here are five tips from Dr. Rice on how to floss.

1.     Utilize floss you like. Don’t waste time and money on floss that is not comfortable for you to use or you do not like. Find one that works for you and try different kinds until you find one that motivates you to floss.

2.     Set a particular time everyday when you are going to floss. Setting up the routine is the key to creating a habit.

3.     Dr.Denine Rice, suggests, “Listen to music or sports while flossing.”  Pairing flossing with something you do like can shift your brain to think positively about an experience you don’t necessarily enjoy.

4.     Put the floss in multiple locations in your house. If you have floss in a bathroom downstairs, put it upstairs as well. Or place floss in the kitchen drawer if helps to remind you to brush.

5.     Floss everyday. The more consistently you floss the less likely you are to have problems from not flossing. Non-flossing can cause bleeding gums, swollen or puffy gums. Once you have those early signs of disease, flossing can cause pain or uncomfortable feelings. This can decrease your desire to floss resulting in more damage and potential tooth loss.

Contact Dr. Rice and her team today for more information.

When Life Get’s Busy-Don’t Step Out Of Your Routine

It’s easy this time of year to let your busy schedule take you in different directions. The Holidays are over, but it doesn’t mean that life has stopped. However, now more than ever it is important to take care of your body. Yes, it’s 2015 and your New Year’s Resolution may have been broken a dozen times. But taking care of your body isn’t something that should take a backseat to your schedule. With each passing year, you are getting older and you only get one body to live in. "How healthy you are overall, impacts the health of your mouth,” says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

Our body is an interconnected set of systems that is impacted by how you treat it. If your gums are not taken care of, bacteria can float through the bloodstream and damage your liver, heart and other organs. Dr. Rice lets patients know, “Tt works both ways, if your body is run down, tired, and isn’t running at it’s best, it can negatively impact your gums and teeth.”

Brushing, flossing and eating healthy should be a part of your daily routine. It is as important as getting out of bed and getting ready for work. If you forget to floss in the morning or at night, don’t be afraid to write yourself a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself. Remember, it takes 21 days to make a habit. Day one should start today.