Adopt These 5 Essential Habits for Great Oral Health
It’s well known that you should visit a dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings to keep your teeth and gums in optimal shape. That said, any dentist will tell you that good oral hygiene starts at home.
The importance of keeping your mouth healthy is hard to overstate. Conditions such as gum disease and tooth decay are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems from neglecting your teeth and gums. It has been known for some time now that the conditions caused in your mouth by bad oral hygiene can cause health problems in other parts of your body with heart disease and diabetes being two notable and scary examples. Given these facts, it’s helpful to review a few things you can do to keep your teeth strong and your gums pink and healthy.
Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day Every Day
Brushing twice a day is at the core of basic dental hygiene. If you’re not doing this, then anything else you’re doing for your oral health isn’t going to amount to much. You should use a soft bristle toothbrush and brush in a circular motion while being sure to clean the entire surface of every tooth. It’s a good idea to change your toothbrush about every three to four months. While your brushing anyway, make a point to clean your tongue with your toothbrush as well.
Don’t Forget To Floss
Flossing is a necessary complement to brushing. It reaches places in between your teeth that brushing can’t. Flossing helps to keep your teeth and gums clean. When flossing, you should slide the floss between every single tooth. You should wrap it around the base and gently move it up and down several times. If you prefer, you can get a water flosser that gets the job done with a jet of water.
Mouthwash Is For More Than Good Breath
Mouthwash is used by many people for its ability to freshen breath. It’s especially useful for this purpose when gargled right after eating onions, garlic or some other strong-smelling food. Many brands of mouthwash also have ingredients that kill the germs that cause plaque and gum disease. This makes a quality mouthwash an important part of a thorough oral hygiene regimen.
Improve Your Eating
Habits It’s no mystery that certain foods and drinks are prone to cause cavities. Sugar is the biggest culprit. It works with bacteria to produce acids that can harm tooth enamel and infect your gums. Try to avoid sugary foods or soft drinks. If you can’t resist the urge, then having some sugar-free mints or chewing gum right afterward should help remove some of it. You may also want to swish mouthwash around your mouth as soon as it’s convenient after eating or drinking such things.
Try To Avoid Dry Mouth
Dry mouth might seem like a mild inconvenience, but it can end up giving you a mouth full of trouble. Saliva plays an important role in moistening and cleansing your mouth. Critically, it’s also known to control levels of bacteria and fungi, which helps prevent infection. If you have dry mouth, you’ll have an increased risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease. You can increase your water intake to help alleviate dry mouth, and chewing sugar-free gum will boost your production of saliva. There are also mouthwashes with ingredients that specifically help this condition.
Following the steps above should help you minimize the need for cavity fillings or other dental procedures. That said, sometimes, no matter how good we try to be, there are days when we don’t do what we know we should when it comes to our oral health. This is where regular dental check-ups become all the more important.
Selecting the right dentist is important. Fortunately, if you live in the Bucks County area near Philadelphia, you’re a short drive from Bucks County Smiles. They’ve been named “Top Dentists” in Philadelphia magazine for 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Whether you need a simple check-up and cleaning or require major cosmetic or restorative dentistry, their experienced team can handle it all.
