Plan Your Ultimate Oral Care Kit for the New Year
It’s no secret that being organized and having all the supplies you need can make getting a task done easier. Just like you stock your first aid kit at home so you have everything you need in case of a headache or scraped knee (such as bandages, gauze, and aspirin), the same applies to your at-home oral care kit. It’s so much easier to ensure you are keeping to a proper oral health care routine if you have all the tools you need at hand and ready to go.
To make it easy, your family dentist in Wasilla, Alaska, has prepared some recommended items that every household should have in their ultimate oral care kit. Why not get your oral care kit ready before the New Year? What better way to start the new year than being equipped with the staples you might need, just in case.
8 Items You Should Have in Your At-Home Oral Care Kit
Now that you have decided to create an at-home oral care kit, you might be wondering what you should put in it. The team at Valley Dental Clinic in Wasilla, Alaska have made it easy for you with this handy list. Once you have these items assembled in your kit, you will be ready to ring in the New Year, confident in your bright, healthy smile.
- Toothbrushes
You can never have too many toothbrushes. Since you need to brush your teeth twice a day and sometimes more, it isn’t unusual to need to replace your toothbrush frequently. But during the holidays and especially in the case of inclement weather, you may have unexpected overnight guests. So, with a few new spare toothbrushes on hand, your overnight guests will be able to care for their teeth during their stay. And, in the event a family member gets sick, it’s always suggested to change out the toothbrush once they are feeling better.
- Toothpastes
You can’t brush your teeth without toothpaste. So, while you’re stocking up on toothbrushes, throw a few fluoridated tubes of toothpaste in your shopping basket too. In addition to the fluoride, other active ingredients can help lessen tooth sensitivity, whiten your teeth, reduce the risk of gingivitis, and protect against tartar build-up, enamel erosion, and bad breath.
- Dental Floss, Picks, and sticks
We recommend that our patients floss their teeth at least once per day, and especially after eating items prone to getting stuck between the teeth and gums. Dental picks and sticks can also come in handy as they help get at items stuck in those harder-to-reach areas. So be sure to add your favorite brand of dental floss and dental picks and sticks to your at-home oral care kit.
- Oral Irrigators
Brushing your teeth twice a day ensures that the front, back, and sides of your chewing surfaces are clean. And flossing helps to remove food debris that gets stuck between the teeth and gums. But flossing isn’t the only way to get the areas between your teeth and gums clean. Oral irrigators have become all the rage in recent years. An oral irrigator is a small electric device with a nozzle that can shoot water, air, or a combination of both at your teeth and gums. Oral irrigators are a great way to help keep your mouth clean and are an excellent addition to your at-home oral care kit.
- Tooth Whiteners
We’ve all dreamed of a brighter and whiter smile, and as we age, our smiles naturally begin to discolor. So if you’re looking to create the ultimate at-home oral care kit, we suggest that you add an at-home tooth whitening kit to the mix. Specifically, at-home professional whitening treatments provided by your family dentist use custom-made trays to evenly apply a prescription-strength whitening gel to break down surface stains and lighten the shade of your natural teeth. You can typically arrive at the dramatic results you want within two weeks, all from the comfort of home. So the next time you are in for a dental cleaning and oral examination, be sure to ask us about the best at-home tooth whitening solution for your oral care kit.
- Mouthwashes
Rinsing your mouth with a fluoridated mouthwash is a great way to end the day, especially after you brush your teeth before bed. Since rinsing with mouthwash should be a daily activity, it only makes sense that you should add a bottle or two of mouthwash to your at-home oral care kit. Many convenience stores or grocery markets have travel-item aisles, making it easy to purchase some smaller bottles.
- Tongue Scrapers
Cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper is a great way to help keep your breath more fresh. And if you like the way your mouth feels after you have cleaned your tongue, you might as well add it to your daily oral hygiene regimen. So, be sure to add tongue scrapers to your shopping list so that they can become part of your at-home oral care kit.
- Dental Emergency Items
No one wants to experience a dental emergency, but they do indeed happen from time to time. In fact, it is estimated that every 15 seconds, a person visits the emergency room due to some sort of tooth pain. If you’re experiencing heavy bleeding from the mouth, intense mouth pain, a fever accompanied by mouth pain, injury to the jaw or face, or unconsciousness, chances are that you are experiencing a dental emergency. So, in addition to knowing what to do in the event of a dental emergency, be prepared with some handy items in your at-home oral care kit. Include items such as gauze, plastic gloves, tooth pain gel, over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and clove oil. We also suggest that you get some temporary tooth fillings from your family dentist, along with a container for knocked-out teeth.
Review your List of At-Home Dental Care Kit Items with Your Family Dentist in Wasilla, AK
At your next oral examination and dental cleaning, be sure to review your list of at-home oral care kit items with your dentist. This will ensure that if there are new items on the market to try, that you can stock up on them. Plus, this is a great conversation to have with your dentist as it might provoke other dental-related topics that you should discuss. And if you’re overdue for a dental cleaning, there’s no time like the present to request an appointment. We look forward to seeing you and hearing about your at-home oral care kit!