June is a special month: National Smile Month! As an adult, you may think the idea of "celebrating" dental care is a bit silly. But you don't need to don a tooth costume or watch silly videos in honor of this occasion. Instead, consider celebrating National Smile Month by making a few upgrades to your oral hygiene routine. Here are a few suggestions.

Switch to an electric toothbrush.

While you can effectively brush your teeth with a normal, non-electric toothbrush, doing so takes a lot of effort, so many people get a bit lazy with their brushing. Upgrading to an electric toothbrush makes it easier to do a better job of brushing your teeth. You don't have to work so hard to brush as the bristles move for you, and you can get your teeth thoroughly clean in less time.

Buy some dental flossers.

If you're like most people, you find flossing your teeth a bit challenging, so you probably don't do it as often as you should. Buying some dental flossers can help. These are little, disposable tools that consist of a piece of floss strung between two tines. It's very easy to manipulate the flosser between your teeth, so you'll be more likely to floss each and every day like dentists recommend.

Start using a fluoridated rinse.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in the soil and is essential for hard, decay-resistant tooth enamel. Though it is added to most water supplies, many people don't get enough if they drink a lot of bottled water or other bottled beverages. Using a fluoride mouth rinse can help. You can purchase these rinses at a pharmacy and use them once or twice a day after brushing. They'll make your teeth stronger and reduce your risk of cavities.

Set a timer.

It takes two minutes to thoroughly brush your teeth. If you're not timing your brushing sessions, there's a good chance they are too short. Start setting a timer when you brush so you're not tempted to stop early. Alternatively, you could get into the habit of brushing through one song. Most songs are about 3 minutes long, so you'll be even more thorough!

If you make any of the above changes to your oral hygiene routine, your teeth will thank you. Your dentist will likely notice an improvement the next time you visit for a checkup and cleaning appointment, too. Dental offices like Brookside Dental Associate can help.