How To Keep Your Teeth Healthy?

Keeping teeth healthy should be everyone’s prerogative.

If you want to have the same white teeth, fresh breath, and beautiful smile you see on TV adverts all you have to do is achieve and maintain a good oral hygiene.

Adopting habits such as brushing your teeth twice daily, visiting the dentists twice a year, and regular flossing amongst others can transform your teeth from what they used to be to what you love to see.

If your oral health isn’t top-notch and you are wondering how to go about it, you are just in luck as this article discusses how to keep your teeth healthy.

Importance Of Oral Health

Good oral health is not only necessary to prevent gum disease and cavities, but it’s also important for several reasons.

For one, it helps to prevent bad breath, and tooth decay, this helps to maintain the teeth especially as you get older.

According to medical experts, practicing good oral hygiene habits has proven to help achieve and maintain the overall emotional and physical well-being of people throughout their lifetime.

Oral hygiene has an impact on physical appearance, diet, nutrition, interpersonal relations, and even speech.

Good oral hygiene practices also help to detect oral diseases on time which enables early treatment to commence.

It prevents tooth loss, enables dentists to create oral healthcare plans, and generally helps you achieve good health.

Tips For Achieving Good Oral Hygiene

Here are some tips that can help you achieve and maintain good oral hygiene:

1. Brush Your Teeth at Night

It’s not enough to brush in the morning, to have a healthy tooth, you should also brush your teeth before retiring for the day.

This recommendation is given by the American Dental Association (ADA).

Brushing before bed removes the plaque and germs that have accumulated throughout the day, leaving you with a fresh breath and a healthy tooth.

2. Proper Brushing

While it’s important to brush, it’s also important to brush the right way. Poor brushing technique is as bad as not brushing at all.

When brushing, do not rush, move the brush through your teeth in a gentle manner.

Take circular motions, this will remove any plaque buildup. When plaques are not removed, they become hard and form calculus and gingivitis which is a form of gum disease.

3. Brush The Tongue As Well

Beyond brushing your teeth properly, you must also pay attention to the tongue while brushing.

This is because the tongue provides a perfect breeding environment for plaques which if not tackled can cause mouth odor.

Be gentle while brushing your tongue though and rinse your mouth with lots of water.

4. Use of Fluoride Toothpaste

There’s more to choosing toothpaste than flavors and whitening powders. Whatever brand or flavor you prefer, ensure it contains fluoride.

Although there are concerns about how fluoride affects other aspects of the human body, it remains a vital part of maintaining good oral health. This is because fluoride fights against the buildup of germs which causes tooth decay.

It also forms a protective barrier for the teeth.

5. Flossing Is As Important As Brushing

Yes, you read that right, flossing is as important as brushing! Many people do not take this seriously and often forget.

But flossing isn’t just necessary to remove tiny food particles stuck in between the teeth, it’s also a means of stimulating the gum, lowering inflammation, and reducing the buildup of plaques.

6. Do Not Be Deterred by the Challenges of Flossing

Flossing can be challenging, especially for children and older people with arthritis. But rather than give up, identify tools that can make the process easier.

There are many ready-to-use dental flossers you can purchase from a nearby drugstore. These tools help you to floss easily.

7. Mouthwash

Many adverts are highlighting the importance of mouthwash for good oral health.

Sadly, many people ignore this mainly because they don’t know how it works.

Mouthwash is important because they reduce the level of acid in the mouth, helps to clean out-of-reach areas around the teeth and gum, and also re-mineralizes the teeth.

Choose a mouthwash recommended by a dentist and not just any random brand as there is a specific product for certain people and conditions e.g., there are mouthwash for children, sensitive teeth and so on.

8. Drink lots of water

Water remains the best drink for good health including oral health. As a general rule of thumb, experts suggest drinking two to three cups of water every one hour or more if you sweat a lot.

Water helps to reduce the level of sticky food and beverages in the mouth and removes acidic food.

9. Consume More Fruits and Vegetables

While ready-to-eat food may be easy to access and consume, they are not so good for your oral health.

Fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables are better as they contain healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are good for your teeth.

Crunchy food in particular helps build strong teeth and bones, especially for kids.

10. Reduce Acidic and Sugary Food

In the end, sugar changes to acid in the mouth. This can erode the enamel of the teeth, leading to cavities.

Thus, avoid acidic teas, fruits, and coffee. Although it may be altogether impossible to avoid such food, being conscious and reducing the quantity consumed can help improve your oral health.

11. Book An Appointment with The Dentist Twice Yearly

While your everyday habits are important and determine whether or not you achieve good oral health, it’s also important to visit an expert.

The best flossers and mouthwash aren’t enough. Visit the dentist at least twice a year.

A dentist will not only check the general state of your mouth, but the doctor will watch out for cavities, remove calculus and also be able to stop potential problems and provide an immediate solution.

Some dental insurances cover a regular dental checkup.

If your insurer offers such, then take advantage of the opportunity. This becomes more important if you have dental issues such as periodontal disease, gingivitis, and so on.

12. Avoid Smoking, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use

Smoking is not just bad for your health, it’s particularly bad for your oral health.

It causes discoloration, leads to the buildup of tartar/plaque, and causes tooth loss, gum disease, and even oral cancer.

Besides, it reduces the ability of the mouth to heal after injury.

Alcohol also has a similar detrimental effect. It dries the mouth, enables the build-up of plaque, and reduces the production of saliva.

Most alcohols are acidic and sugary which leads to tooth decay and subsequently tooth loss.

Those who consume alcohol regularly are more likely to develop oral cancers than those who do not. Thus, avoid smoking and excessive drinking.

13. Purchase a dental sealant

Dental sealants are special coating applied to erupted mortars in kids.

However, adults can also use them. Dental sealants fill up the fissures and grooves, this helps to prevent the build-up of plaques and prevents cavities.

FAQ ON ORAL HYGIENE

What are the causes of bad breath?

Bad breath can be caused by poor oral hygiene habits, food such as garlic, onion, ginger, etc. it can also be caused by taking tobacco products and drinking alcohol, dieting, dry mouth, periodontal diseases, and so on.

What type of toothpaste and toothbrush are recommended?

Buy toothbrushes that have soft bristles and replace them every two to three months. When purchasing toothpaste, ensure it contains fluoride, it helps strengthen and protect the teeth.

3. What are the signs of dental disease?

Jaw pain, redness, swollen mouth or gum, sores in the mouth, and pain are all early signs of gum disease. If this occurs, visit your dentist immediately.

CONCLUSION

Good oral hygiene is necessary to keep the gums and teeth healthy which in turn helps improve your overall wellbeing.

Habits such as brushing twice a day, flossing, use of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash, and consumption of water amongst others help to ensure you have white teeth, fresh breath, and confident smile that will leave your face glowing and radiant.