I'm A Dentist And This 3-minute Habit Keeps Teeth At Their Best

Brushing teeth twice a day and a good flossing routine are key cornerstones of maintaining optimal oral health.

cheerful woman cleaning teeth with flosser — (Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com)

And while some people may struggle to work it into their daily lives, the key could lie in ‘habit stacking’, according to Dr Tony Taunk of dental solutions experts Implant Perfection. He tells Belle About Town: “Patients regularly tell me how they sometimes find it difficult to keep up with an effective brushing and flossing routine.

“With how hectic life can be sometimes, it’s understandable if some things fall through the cracks, but it’s important to find the time to maintain good oral hygiene.

“A good trick is to ‘habit stack’ by tethering a brushing and flossing routine to something that’s already ingrained in your daily life, such as showering. It makes it feel less like a chore that you need to get out of the way, and it becomes something that you do on autopilot.

“For me, I combine my brushing, flossing and tongue scraping into my morning shower routine. I do this as soon as I wake up to tackle any bacteria that has built up in the mouth overnight, and it helps me manage all my cleaning and grooming tasks at once. Once this is out of the way, I can have my morning coffee and breakfast, then I can start my day on the front foot.”

Dentists recommend brushing our teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time, and floss once a day to tackle lingering food particles and banish bacteria. It is also advised to see a dentist once every six months for a professional checkup and cleaning.

While many people maintain a good brushing routine, some can struggle to keep up with flossing, which helps clean teeth in a way that brushing alone just can’t. It is an important habit to build in order to prevent issues such as cavities, gum disease and bad breath.

And flossing is linked to a reduction in other serious conditions outside the mouth, including heart disease and stroke.

Dr Taunk says: “Brushing your teeth is a key pillar of maintaining good oral hygiene, but it’s also important to ensure you are flossing, too.

“If you find yourself failing to floss every day, it may be worth adopting habit stacking and attaching it to your morning shower routine, for example.

“Small changes can go a long way to keeping your teeth and gums at their best.”

Emily Cleary

After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!