30 Oct Best Dental Hygiene Habits
Best Dental Hygiene Habits
Oral hygiene does not only mean to keep your teeth clean. Cavities, gums, tongue, and mouth, all need care for maintaining good oral health. Studies have found that a person’s overall dental health affects the individual’s overall well-being.
Dental care is important for a brighter smile and maintaining your teeth and gums’ health. Adopt the following dental hygiene habits and make them a part of your life.
1. Brush Gently
Brushing your teeth twice a day is the golden rule of dental care. However, many of us forget to clean our teeth at night, allowing the bacteria and plaque to build up. Also, many overlook gums, tongue, and the upper mouth surface while brushing. The plaque build-up can cause bad mouth odor.
- Use a brush with soft bristles as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA).
- Brush your teeth gently in a circular motion.
- Brush your tongue for removing the plaque.
- Change your toothbrush every three months.
2. Use Fluoride Toothpaste and Mouthwash
Regularly brushing or flossing your teeth does not guarantee cavity protection unless you use fluoride. Make sure that your toothpaste contains fluoride as cleaning teeth is more than just whitening. Fluoride helps prevent cavities.
Interestingly, different health organizations, like WHO and CDC, recommend adding fluoride to the water supply. Mouthwashes containing fluoride are also beneficial for oral hygiene as they
- Reduce the acidity in the mouth
- Help replenish the minerals in the teeth
- Prevent plaque build-up
- Help clean the areas around the gums.
3. Make Flossing a Habit
While brushing helps clean the teeth surface, spaces in between the teeth are often left out. Flossing proves beneficial for removing the residual food particles stuck between the teeth. Also, the removal of debris trapped between the teeth prevents bad breath.
- Floss your teeth, at least, once a day.
- Do not snap the floss up and down between the teeth, or in your gums.
- Poor flossing techniques can cause pain.
- Be gentle while flossing.
4. Maintain a Teeth-Friendly Diet
The excessive consumption of junk food and sugar is harmful to your teeth. According to WHO, people should limit their sugar intake by 10% below their daily calorie consumption. So, you should include fresh and fiber food items in your diet. For instance, the following are a few of the teeth-friendly food items.
- vegetables, and
5. Quit Smoking
Smoking is injurious to your health and weakens your immune system. It becomes difficult for the body to heal injuries. Smoking makes you vulnerable to gum diseases and slows down the healing process following a dental procedure.
While smoking causes serious internal damage, the effects are visible on the mouth as well. Smoking tobacco leads to the yellowing of your teeth and tongue and leaves a bad-breath. Above all, smoking can cause oral cancer. For dental hygiene, it is important to abandon smoking.
Oral health problems, if not properly treated, can cause severe pain and tooth decay. Also, bad oral hygiene may lead to malnutrition and other problems. While you may practice all these oral hygiene tips, regular dental check-ups are equally important. Make sure to visit your dentist, at least, twice a year. The regular visits help maintain good oral hygiene and proper dental care.