Happy 2025!

"Alta View Orthodontics is a 5-star experience all around. Super friendly staff, wonderful service, and very helpful. Dr. Tony Skanchy provided top end treatment and is a true professional in his field! The overall experience was fantastic!"

-Daniel Miller

The start of the new year is an opportunity to start fresh for everyone. That includes those looking to prioritize their oral health. Having good oral health is a multi-step process that involves extra attention and care. Let’s talk about it!

Good oral health is defined by the absence of disease like tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer. It also involves maintaining clean teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath.  To maintain a healthy smile, it’s important to follow a great oral health routine. This includes brushing and flossing twice daily, having regular dental check-ups, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding tobacco products.

If you find yourself struggling to keep on top of your oral health, don't give up! It's easy to improve your oral hygiene with a few changes.

If you’re struggling trying to figure out where to start, we suggest beginning with getting yourself a good toothbrush. Multiple studies have found and provided evidence that powered toothbrushes seem to have a slight edge over manual ones when it comes to plaque removal. Researchers also found that oscillating powered toothbrushes (which have a small round head that rotates quickly in one direction and then the other) were slightly better at reducing plaque than sonic electric toothbrushes (which have an oval head that moves or vibrates rapidly from side to side).

Your next step should be adding in a flossing routine. Your floss options include regular floss, a floss pick, or a Waterpik. Remember, flossing after every meal will help keep your teeth clean and gums healthy.  

If you have braces, use a floss threader or special orthodontic floss to thread the floss behind each wire. Wrap the ends of the floss around your pointer fingers of both hands, leaving a few inches of taut floss between them. Gently slide the floss between each set of teeth using a back-and-forth motion. Floss the sides of each tooth beneath the gum line to remove plaque and food particles. Repeat this process until you’ve flossed all your teeth.

If you find that your floss is not removing all the food particles between your teeth and around your braces, a Waterpik is a great tool to help with those tricky areas.

Maintaining good oral health is crucial as it affects your overall health. Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day is the most effective step you can take. This routine helps eliminate bacteria that cause plaque, a sticky, germy film that adheres to teeth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease if not removed.

If you’re ready to get started on your orthodontic journey, give us a call! For this month only, we are offering a special promotion of $750 off Invisalign. This is a great opportunity to improve your smile. Call us to schedule a complimentary consultation today!