Since childhood, you’ve been learning proper oral hygiene. Most people know the basics of taking care of your teeth, such as brushing and flossing. The rest that you need to know is taking care of your teeth goes beyond routine brushing.
Other elements like limiting sugar intake can also help to improve your teeth health. Even regular dental checkups can track some teeth problems before they worsen.
Check out our guide to improve your oral hygiene and prevent dental issues from ruining your teeth.
Brush Your Teeth at Least Twice a Day
Brushing before breakfast is like a ritual for most people. The American Dental Association recommends you brush at least twice a day. Besides your morning routine, you should brush your teeth after dinner.
The act of brushing helps to remove plaques and food particles from your mouth. If you neglect this step, the bacteria flourish and more acid gets produced. Acid in your mouth decays the teeth and causes cavities.
If your teeth are discolored, one of the issues may be insufficient brushing after meals. Some foods like coffee, tea, wines, vegetables, or fruits can discolor the teeth. Brushing helps to remove the stains before they turn into grime or plaque.
When brushing, make sure you clean the tongue, between the gums and the teeth, and the teeth surfaces.
Check Your Diet and Lifestyle Choices
For most people, diet and lifestyle choices aren’t considered in regards to what can affect teeth health. Many tasty foods and snacks can harm the teeth. Snacks and candies can deny you cavity-free teeth.
Alcohol dries the saliva and that causes plaque to stick faster on the enamel. Carbonated drinks can cause higher acid production and enamel corrosion.
Tobacco smoking is also something to avoid if you’d like to keep a bright smile. Smoking taints the teeth and can cause more dental complications such as oral cancer.
To keep your teeth healthy, drink more water to flush away the bacteria in the mouth. Crunchy vegetables like carrots, celery, or apples sweep away bacteria and increase saliva.
Taking Care of Your Teeth By Flossing
Flossing is one of the least used methods in dental hygiene. Research shows only 30% of the American population floss daily. Yet, flossing is a reliable way of taking care of your teeth.
Flossing is an effective step to add to routine brushing. It reaches the teeth spaces where the brush bristles can’t clean. If you do it properly, you can remove stuck food particles, bacteria, and plaque.
For perfect oral hygiene, floss at least once a day. You may not get it right for the first time but here are some tips to help you floss better.
- Wind an 18 inch of dental floss around your middle figures
- Leave one or two inches between the figures to floss with
- Tighten the floss between the index and the thumb figures then place it between the teeth and glide it upon the sides of the teeth
- Curve it around the tooth and drag it up and down. Avoid touching the gum line with force or you can injure yourself
- Repeat the process for the rest of the teeth and rinse your mouth
Use a Flouride Toothpaste
Fluoride toothpaste is more useful for brushing your teeth. The American Dental Association says fluoridated water can reduce tooth decay by over 25%.
When taking care of your teeth, flossing and brushing alone aren’t the end of it. Fluoride toothpaste enhances the effectiveness of the two processes. Fluoride remains a proven way to rid cavities and prevent tooth decay.
Fluoride is a natural mineral present in water bodies and rocks. It’s a key ingredient in toothpaste, supplements and mouth rinses. Most cities and councils add it to piped water to help prevent tooth problems.
26% of people above age 20 live with untreated dental caries. Fluoride prevents tooth decay problems by avoiding loss of the enamel’s minerals. When bacteria multiply in the mouth, fluoride erodes the plaque. This prevents the production of acids from protecting the teeth.
Most people rinse their mouth after a brushing session but dental professionals recommend living the fluoride in the mouth for some time. Fluoride strengthens the enamel and keeping it in your mouth can increase effectiveness.
It may not be possible to do so after brushing in the morning. The thought of swallowing the paste doesn’t sound cool. After dinner, brush and rinse to clean the food particles then brush again to remove residue from the teeth surfaces.
Get Routine Check-Ups
Visiting the dentist twice a year is essential for the checking up of any dental issues. Unfortunately, few people go for dental checkups. In America, only 58% of people visit the dentist at least once a year.
Dental checks comprise an all-round diagnosis of your oral system. The dentist checks for cavities and cleans to remove any plaque and tartar. They also examine the gums and the mouth for any disease symptoms.
Smiling is a necessity for everyone, but some teeth problems can kill your smiling confidence and destroy your self-esteem. Your dentist can treat and reverse most teeth problems and win back your smile.
For the broken tooth, the dentist can recreate the original look. By using dental crowns or veneers, they can make a chipped tooth look healthy. If you’ve misaligned teeth, an Invisalign dentist can help straighten them.
Start Taking Care of Your Teeth Properly
An all-round approach is the best way of taking care of your teeth. Combine all the tips for healthier teeth and a charming smile.
Brush your teeth as recommended using the fluoride toothpaste. Floss at least once per day and keep your diet and lifestyle healthy. Visit the dentist to prevent severe dental issues and visit a specialist for dental corrections.
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