Our mouth is the home to bazillions of bacteria (viz. Streptococcus mutans) that can build-up as dental cavities, plaque and gingivitis. Be mindful of your dental habits to ensure your teeth are as healthy and flawless as they can be.
With a Hygienic Dental routine give your teeth a reason to flaunt its Healthy Smile. Follow our to-dos habits to get those sparkling teeth and smile.
- Brush enough but gently
Brushing twice a day wouldn’t be effective enough if teeth aren’t brushed with proper technique. Brush your teeth gently at a 45-degree angle in small short strokes. All three surfaces of teeth, the outer surface, inner surface and the chewing surface should be cleaned properly. The inner surface can be cleaned with the gentle up-and-down strokes while the other two surfaces can be cleaned with short circular strokes. Brush twice a day for a minimum of two minutes. Tune in to a short video or a song to give time to clean your teeth nicely.
- Floss nicely
Flossing is not just removing the last little pieces of food left in between the teeth, its more of a way to revitalize your gums, prevent bad breath, remove plaque and help minimize the growth of infection. Use about an eighteen-inch floss and hold it firmly between your thumb and forefinger. Use a fresh section of floss thread after every few teeth to avoid reinstating the bacteria just removed. Curve the floss in C-shape against the tooth and slide gently away from the gums in up-and-down motions.
- Choose a soft-bristled brush
Always pick up the right toothbrush for your teeth. Bristles should be soft and small enough to stretch out into the crevices of molars and premolars. Using a hard-bristled toothbrush or brushing too hard can be abrasive to tooth enamel and cause permanent damage to the tooth, leading to sensitivity.
Dentists at HealthOne suggest that one should change one’s toothbrush after every 2-3 months or when the bristles are worn out.
- Use fluoride
As far as toothpaste is concerned, look beyond teeth whitening powder and flavours. Make sure that your toothpaste has fluoride. Fluoride works by boxing against germs that cause tooth decay and prevent dental cavities.
- Include a mouthwash
Antimicrobial Mouthwash works in four ways: wipes out plaque and gingivitis, cleans those hard areas where brush and floss can’t reach, remineralise teeth and limit the acidic content in the mouth.
After brushing and flossing, gargle with mouthwash energetically twice a day for about 30 seconds.
- Clean your tongue
The bad breath causing plaque can also be built on the tongue. Usually, toothbrushes have toothed tongue scrapers at the back of the brushes. Gently clean your tongue using a scraper that expel the bad bacteria and leaves your mouth with fresh breath.
- Watch your sugary intake
Eating a sugary snack or drink, think twice! The sugar particles that last on your teeth for a prolonged period provide a food source to bacteria. Bacteria loves to eat sugar and metabolise it to lactic acid. The lactic acid deteriorates the tooth enamel and causes tooth cavities.
- Go for crunchy and teeth whitening food
Fibrous food, like celery, apples, cucumbers, carrots, pears, strawberries, oranges, pineapples – all help to wash off the accumulated plague and gives you pearly white teeth.
Crunchy snacks require more time to chew. They not only have healthy fibres but also releases more saliva in the mouth. Try to keep yourself away from overly pulpy food and go for harder-to-chew foods. Chewing makes your gums and jaws working. While saliva helps to countervail the acidic content.
- Drink plenty of water
Sugary drinks can cause much harm to teeth as these drinks are the major source of added sugar. Sugar on teeth is the main reason for a tooth cavity. Drink plenty of water with and in between meals to get rid of sticky gummed acidic food particles that are left amid teeth.
- Visit your dentist regularly
Visit your dentist at least twice a year even if you are the most responsible and devoted brusher. The plague, dental cavities and all the probable issues can be checked and solved by your dentist.
Why is it so important to visit a dentist twice a year? It is important because it lets your dentist detect and diagnose oral health issues at an early stage. This will prevent these issues from becoming worse and let you get the treatment at an early stage.
Thus, it becomes pretty essential for you to visit your dental hygienist in Surrey so that severe oral health issues such as tooth decay and cavities, gum diseases and even oral cancer can be avoided or diagnosed and treated at an early stage. It also helps you to maintain a good oral health overall.
Hygienic Tips for Toddlers
Your child’s primary or baby teeth are as important as the permanent ones. Develop good oral habits from childhood as these baby teeth are the placeholders for the permanents.
- Use warm water to clean baby’s gums, even before the first tooth erupts. This will help to remove sugars if any from the gums.
- Parents who help their children to brush their teeth. Make very sure that they spit out the toothpaste.
- Bedtime milk bottles or juice should be avoided as they have added sugars in it.
The bottom line
Following a good and hygienic dental routine should be encouraged from childhood. Dental issues, gingivitis, dental cavities can be best avoided by practising a healthy oral routine and visiting a dentist regularly.
