According to a recent AACD survey, almost 99.7% of adults believe a healthy smile is socially important. While it may seem socially important to keep those pearly whites in good shape, it’s also medically important.

Dental services don’t exist to tell you your smile looks nice. They exist to help you learn how to maintain your smile outside of your dentist’s office. Here are a few excellent habits you should get into if you want to keep your smile healthy for life.

Learn to Brush Properly
Yes, there’s a difference between what you do in front of your bathroom sink for 30 seconds every night and proper teeth-brushing. In reality, you should be spending one to two minutes brushing your teeth, making sure both your teeth and gums are getting a good brushing. In addition, you should be brushing at least twice a day.

You’re Bleeding Because You Don’t Floss
You might hate hearing it, but not as much as your dentists hate saying it to you. Flossing might not seem important, but when you think about all of the food you ate potentially getting stuck in your teeth and causing bad breath, it can get pretty gross. Do everyone — including yourself — a favor and floss more often.

Wash Your Dirty Mouth
It’s normal to not like the way mouthwash makes you feel. But all of that stinging is nothing compared to having a tooth removed because it was decaying. If you’re not a fan of the stinging, there are alcohol-free mouthwashes that your dental services can recommend. But this helpful product is best used in conjunction with proper brushing and flossing.

Don’t Skip the Tongue
For any people, dental care stops with the teeth. Unfortunately, your teeth aren’t the only part of your mouth! Yes, it turns out your tongue is pretty important when it comes to keeping clean. In fact, brushing your tongue during your twice-daily teeth brushing routine can help prevent bad breath and keep harmful bacteria from making a home there.

If there’s one thing you need to get in the habit of, it’s taking care of your mouth. So before your next dental appointment, make sure you’re keeping these tips in practice.