Healthy teeth and gums let you comfortably live out your day, to enjoy good food with a confident smile. With irregular care, your teeth can begin to decay and a slew of problems can come from that, causing more discomfort to you than just having stained teeth. Here we will go through the best practices for keeping teeth and gums healthy.
Follow the basic steps
The most basic things that you can do every day are to:
1. Brush your teeth twice a day
You want to brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Try to brush 30 minutes after eating to let enamel from food harden up so you can brush it away easily. Brushing before 30 minutes may not remove all the enamel present on your teeth. Brushing your teeth will remove plaque from your teeth, which when left alone for too long can cause cavities and gum disease.
2. Floss regularly
Flossing with dental floss helps give your teeth a deep clean by getting into the cracks and grooves that your toothbrush may have missed. Flossing removes bits of food and plaque that are caught in those tiny gaps and if left untreated, it can become tartar which will then require a dentist to remove.
3. Use some mouthwash
You don’t need to add mouthwash to your daily teeth care routine, but it can help provide a bit of extra fluoride and kill any leftover bacteria that may cause plaque and early gum disease if left for too long. Mouthwash also helps freshen up your breath and can be used at any time of the day, before or after brushing.
Keep in mind however that mouthwash is NOT a substitute for brushing your teeth or flossing. You should always be brushing your teeth and flossing. Your high quality dental services provider can offer you specialized products for your mouth which can target areas of your mouth to improve, such as higher fluoride toothpaste than whats available at supermarkets.
4. Be mindful of what you eat
Foods with sugars and starch are the worst for your teeth, as they produce the most acids in the mouth, which can damage the teeth if left for too long. Unless you brush your teeth afterward, try to avoid snacking on highly sugary foods such as lollies, dried fruits, chips, and cookies to name a few.
Understand how dental health affects overall health
The effects of having plaque buildup, tartar, sensitive teeth, and tooth decay are quite severe, they can be painful and can be lengthy to fix depending on the severity. This kind of trauma is proven to be linked to overall health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, kidney disease, and stroke to name a few. It can also cause milder effects such as migraines and stress. With this in mind, it is important to understand how dental health affects overall health, and why keeping your teeth clean is so crucial for your health.
If you’re struggling to stay on track with daily teeth care, talk to a dental hygiene therapist today, who can go further in depth about the benefits of good oral hygiene, and plan regular dental checkups with you to keep your teeth in pristine condition.
