What if you knew all the top tips on dental hygiene? Would you perhaps smile better, bolder, and wilder? – and life will be more comfortable with better teeth, trust me on this. In this blog, we will be discussing top tips on dental hygiene.
There are several myths and fables on how your teeth should look like. Some believe they have optimal dental health so far they have snow-white teeth. Research has shown, though, that the natural color of the teeth isn’t white.
Maintaining hygienic oral health is an advocated way of preventing plaques, bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, and sorts. Asides from taking a responsible approach towards your oral health, it is equally important to know what could go wrong.
There are seemingly small but crucial steps you need to take in attaining the peak of proper dental hygiene.
Read on to find the top 8 tips on dental health–you will be smiling better afterward!
Brush your teeth – twice!
It is a general recommendation that you brush your teeth twice every day, once you get up and before bedtime. But, many of us still disregard this advice.
Brushing your teeth twice a day can help you prevent the colonization of bacteria in your mouth. Plaques form when naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth multiply by feeding on leftover food, especially sugary ones.
Brushing, mostly at night, removes food debris that bacteria could feed on through the night. Or would you rather have a buffet going on in your mouth while you sleep?
Use the right technique
Your grandma probably told you this, ‘take it easy on your teeth!’
It is a common myth that you have to go hard to brush thoroughly. Wrong! Asides from cleaning regularly and consistently, the technique that you employ when you brush mostly affects your oral health. Dentists have advised using easy, soft, circular, teeth-wide strokes when cleaning. Brushing hard or improperly can lead to plaque formation, enamel wear-off, and gum disease.
A simple, easy-to-follow technique is to: brush at a 450 angle, gently move the brush in a circular motion to sweep out debris in between the teeth. Clean all the surfaces of the teeth, especially the inner surface.
Remember to clean your tongue
It’s sometimes easy to forget to clean off your tongue when brushing. Giving sufficient attention to the tongue is a top tip in dental hygiene. This is because plaque can form on the tongue and cause bad breath.
Regularly brushing your tongue reduces the risk of periodontal and gum diseases. Moreover, regular cleaning reduces the risk of oral thrush, a bacterial infection that appears as white patches on the tongue. Trust me; it is highly unsightly.
The tongue is regarded as one of the first lines of defense of the body against infections. Taking extra care of it is taking care of your body – and the best part, you get to taste better.
Use a fluoride toothpaste
Just before you pick up the toothpaste from the shelf, check the contents.
Oral care routine is mostly optimized with products containing fluoride. Fluoride helps in reducing the rate of enamel breakdown and supports the remineralization process. Demineralization of a tooth is a gradual process that starts with plaque formation on the tooth surface. The plaque formed contains acid-producing bacteria that erodes into the rods of the enamel and destroys its internal structure.
Demineralization is also known as tooth cavity. Fluoride in oral care products like toothpaste and mouthwash helps in strengthening weak spots and exposed roots, and in stopping the early stages of decay.
Use a floss!
Flossing is one of the top tips of dental hygiene but also one of the least used.
One of the greatest menaces you will fight in your oral care routine is plaque. Also, it is the precursor to many other oral infections and diseases such as halitosis, periodontal diseases, oral thrush, and gingivitis.
Flossing removes leftover food and debris in between the teeth that brush bristles can’t get to.
Dentists recommend that you floss before brushing. This is done so that debris that was removed during flossing can be cleaned out while brushing.
Flossing once a day is enough to work the magic. Although, take note to be gentle when you floss. You wouldn’t want to injure yourself, would you?
Get a mouthwash
It is not a replacement for proper oral hygiene. Even so, using mouthwash is recommended for top-notch dental health.
Mouthwash is usually heavily marketed and advertised, but also mostly ignored. Mouthwash contains teeth whitening ingredients and may be used to complement brushing and flossing.
It is recommended to use a mouthwash once or twice every day. However, this recommendation is based on the type of mouthwash that you are using.
Drink water
Water always comes in for every aspect of your overall health.
Your teeth are predisposed to decay when your mouth is dry. Furthermore, you are at the risk of having a bad breath with a dry mouth. Water helps you remove food particles and debris from your mouth, and keeps up the average level of saliva in your mouth. Both of these benefits combined keep tooth decay at bay.
Remember to drink water after a meal. Drink water always!
Eat fruits and vegetables
Instead of consuming sugary and acidic food, eat fruits and vegetables.
Fruits provide loads of nutrients for your overall health and also contribute immensely to your oral health and hygiene. They provide vitamins and antioxidants that protect the gum from bacterial infection and cell damage. Most notably, crunchy vegetables contain fibers that keep the gum and teeth healthy and clean.
You can never go wrong with fruits and veggies!
Take home message
Prioritize your oral health! These top tips on dental hygiene will keep you good and steady. But, remember to keep your dentist close. Schedule a visit today!
