“Nothing beats a great smile.” You cannot achieve a great smile with an underlying problem in your teeth. Good oral hygiene is essential in maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. It is crucial to observe best practices to have healthy teeth and gums. Poor dental hygiene leads to gum problems, tooth decay, pains, cavities, bad breath, tooth loss, eating problems, and lower self-esteem. The following are dental care practices you should observe to ensure healthy teeth and gums.
1. Brush Your Teeth Regularly
Brushing your teeth should be your primary dental care practice. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day as it helps remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums, thus keeping them clean. It is crucial to teach your children how to brush their teeth while young, as healthy teeth take a lifetime of care. Brushing your teeth can also be counterproductive if you use the wrong technique or brush. Brushing your teeth with a soft-bristled brush will give better results, whereas a hard-bristled brush might end up causing tooth sensitivity and gum erosion. Dentists also recommend brushing your teeth using a small circular motion while avoiding the back and forth motions. It is good to replace your toothbrush every three months to avoid overusing one.
2. Flossing
Flossing helps remove bacteria and plaque from between your teeth and gums. The best time to floss is right after your usual brushing. Flossing your teeth helps remove food debris that sticks between teeth that the toothbrush could not reach. Flossing is effective when you push the floss way down to the gumline and applying slight pressure sideways on the tooth before bringing it up.
3. Use Fluoride-Based Dental Products
Flossing and brushing your teeth alone would not give you those perfect white teeth unless you incorporate fluoride-based dental products. Fluoride helps protect your teeth from cavities by strengthening your teeth enamel and is essential in mitigating tooth decay. It is advisable to read your toothpaste or mouthwash contents and opt for the ones that contain fluoride as they provide better protection against tooth decay. It is also an advantage to use water that contains fluoride. In most places, tap water contains moderate amounts of fluoride specifically to help prevent tooth decay.
4. Eat Healthily
Dental experts recommend cutting back on consumption of candy, sugary foods, and soft drinks from your diet as they increase your risk of having cavities. It is also advisable to eat foods rich in protein and calcium, such as dairy products and meats, for they are essential in rebuilding your gum and tooth enamel. If you have a sweet tooth and have it hard staying away from candy and other sweetened food, then you should consider brushing your teeth after every encounter. It would be best to consider taking fresh fruit juice and water as a healthier substitute for soft drinks usually high in sugars.
5. Quit Smoking
Global statistics state that smokers experience more teeth and gum problems than non-smokers. Smoking tobacco drastically increases the risk of oral cancer. If your interest in healthy and robust teeth outweighs that of nicotine, then quitting smoking is a viable option for you. Alternatively, try other means of getting your nicotine that does not involve smoke or nicotine vapour.
6. See Your Dentist At least Twice a Year
Even with strict observation of personal dental hygiene, you should visit your dentist at least twice a year for checkups. Besides cleansing and carrying out corrective measures to your teeth, your dentist might as well spot emerging and potential issues that you could not notice. It is a good thing if your dentist detects an early problem as it would be cheaper to fix it, unlike discovering it late when it is serious. Watch out for Taringa Dental professionals near you for exceptional dental care and services.
Above all, practice good dental care while not forgetting to instill the same principles in your children. You should see your dentist if you experience sharp pains that occur while biting or chewing, persistent foul breath from your mouth, and sensitivity while taking cold or hot substances. Keeping up with regular dental checkups and observing proper dental hygiene will ultimately ensure you have strong and healthy teeth. Clean and healthy teeth will eventually boost the appearance of your smile.
