Tips to Maintaining Healthy Teeth and Gums
1. Brush your teeth and floss
A healthy smile starts in the mouth, and a healthy mouth begins with healthy teeth and gums. Brushing your teeth regularly will help keep your teeth clean. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time to remove plaque. Plaque is a sticky substance that contains bacteria. This will help to keep your teeth clean and reduce the chance of getting cavities. However, you should do this in the right manner for it to be effective. The main things to avoid are using a hard-bristled toothbrush and brushing too hard. Brushing will whiten your teeth, but try these 10 best ways to naturally whiten your yellow teeth at home.2. Floss once a day
The American Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day to remove plaque that collects along the gum line. Bacteria in your mouth can lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay. To floss, you want to place the floss between your fingers and wrap it around the two middle fingers. You want to make sure it is not too tight. Then you want to insert the floss into your mouth and bring it up on each side of the teeth. Flossing is a simple routine that has numerous benefits for dental hygiene. Daily flossing removes plaque, bacteria, food particles, and other debris trapped in between teeth and below the gum line. Flossing also stimulates the gums and reduces their chance of bleeding by up to 50%. Those who floss at least once a day have less tooth decay, fewer cavities, and healthier gums than those who don’t. It’s important to floss daily or risk gum disease or tooth loss.3. Visit the dentist regularly
It’s important to see a doctor who specializes in dentistry at least two times annually for routine cleanings and check-ups. This will catch any issues before they can cause significant damage. A good dentist can help you with other dental needs, such as an implant, crown, or root canal treatment. Some people are scared to go to their local DDS office. But it’s important to visit your dentist regularly for a couple of reasons. One reason is that dental care is expensive, and you can pay much less if you visit your dentist yearly for cleanings and X-Rays, instead of waiting until you have a major, costly problem. Secondly, there are some serious consequences to not seeing your dentist regularly, such as gum disease and tooth decay – which leads to teeth extractions. Gum disease can lead to tooth loss and life-altering surgeries. Tooth decay can be painful and lead to more expensive procedures.
4. Use mouthwash
A mouthwash is a liquid that you put in your mouth to help clean your teeth and gums. The liquid leaves a film on your teeth and gums, which helps to fight plaque, buildup, and bad breath.
Most mouthwashes come in a bottle or tube. You can either rinse your mouth with the liquid or use it as part of your tooth-brushing routine.
There are more than a few ways to use mouthwash for your teeth and gums. Some people prefer to use mouthwash as an alternative to brushing, while others use it in conjunction with toothpaste. Mouthwash can be used as a mouth rinse after eating or drinking something acidic or sugary, or before bedtime.
Mouthwash also provides a temporary source of fluoride to help strengthen enamels on the teeth. Mouthwash is also useful for preventing dry mouth and throat irritation.
5. Quit smoking
Smoking is detrimental to your oral health. It can lead to early tooth loss and gingival recession, even if you brush and floss regularly. Smoking also causes bad breath, gum disease, and periodontal diseases.
Your teeth are under considerable stress when you smoke. The high sugar levels in cigarettes can cause tooth decay and damage the enamel on your teeth.
6. Drink More Water
The human body is made up of 60% water, and it’s important to drink enough of it every day to keep your body hydrated. But did you know that drinking water helps your teeth, too? It’s true! A lack of adequate hydration can lead to oral inflammation, dryness in the mouth, dry skin, and even organ damage.
7. Avoid sugary food and starches
Sugar is bad for your teeth, but so are starches. Sugar is a big contributor to the growth of bacteria in your mouth and the bad bacteria can cause tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Starches break down into sugar in your mouth and can cause tooth decay as well as lead to gum recession.
To promote dental health, avoid sugary food and starches such as cookies and crackers. These foods are easy to overeat without realizing it, and they don’t offer any nutritional benefits.
Instead, choose fresh fruit, vegetables, or nuts as a snack. The fiber in fruit helps limit the amount of sugar that gets in your mouth.
8. Use a Fluoride Toothpaste
Everyone wants strong, healthy teeth and fluoride is an inexpensive way to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride helps harden the enamel on your teeth, preventing cavities and promoting their strength. When you use toothpaste with fluoride, it goes into the microscopic pits and grooves in the enamel of your teeth. This makes the tooth surface more resistant to acid attacks from bacteria.
Fluoride also helps reduce the risk of dental caries by replacing minerals on the tooth surfaces damaged by bacterial acids. Fluoride will create a more acid-resistant surface for the tooth.
– Conclusion –
Oral hygiene is an important part of your daily life. You want to make sure you’re caring for your teeth properly and in the long-term, you want to keep them healthy. Above are some tips on how to maintain good oral hygiene that will help you improve your dental health, while also improving the overall appearance of your mouth.
