Taking care of your teeth and gums with proper oral hygiene is a crucial step to avoid Oral health issues. Oral hygiene is an important part of overall oral health education and every individual should know it for good oral health. Follow the Oral hygiene practices given below to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
9 Ways to keep your Teeth and Gums Healthy
Regular Teeth Brushing with proper technique
It is advised that every individual should brush their teeth 2 times a day in the morning and night before they go to the bed. It is also important to brush and clean your teeth after having sweets or sugary foods to reduce tooth decay.
Adults that don’t brush their teeth 2 times a day increase their risk of tooth decay by 33%.
So don’t forget to make time for teeth cleaning on regular basis for healthy teeth.
You should do brushing properly with the correct tooth brushing technique. Brushing your teeth wrongly causes damage to your teeth, and gums and also causes gingiva recession.
Brushing wrongly damages your teeth instead of making them healthy.
Cervical abrasion is one of the physical tooth injuries that occur due to horizontally brushing on the cervical portion of the tooth where the protective layer enamel is very thin. The modified bass technique is the most acceptable brushing technique according to ADA.
That’s why brushing teeth properly is an important step toward healthy teeth and gums.
Floss your Teeth
Flossing your teeth with dental floss is important to clean your teeth in interdental areas where it is difficult to clean with your toothbrush.
Brushing helps to clean only 70% of your tooth surface leaving interdental areas. Dental floss helps to clean the remaining tooth surface.
Dental floss helps to clean the interdental area from food debris and ultimately prevents bacterial growth and promotes oral health. Flossing your teeth regularly also helps to prevent bad breath. You need 18 to 20 inches long dental floss so you can use clean floss for each tooth to clean your teeth properly. Do you know, Should floss before or after brushing?
Fluoride Toothpaste
Toothpaste that contains fluorides helps to prevent tooth decay and fight against cavities as it creates a protective layer over enamel which is less susceptible to acid attacks on the tooth surface.
Make sure you use ADA (American dental association) approved toothpaste for the best results. Ask your dentist about it.
Clean your Tongue
Cleaning your tongue is as important as cleaning your teeth because plaque also spread on the tongue so you should clean your tongue as well. Regular cleaning of your tongue also helps to reduce bad breath. You can gently brush your tongue after brushing your teeth.
Use Mouthwash
Mouthwash helps to clean all areas in your mouth, especially, where toothbrushes can’t reach. Mouthwash kills all bacteria in your oral cavity and prevents bacterial growth for the upcoming few hours.
Mouthwash prevents plaque formation on teeth surfaces and reduces the chances of Tooth decay.
It is advised to use alcohol-free mouthwash for better results. So don’t forget to add mouthwash to your healthy dental routine.
Drink more Water
Keep yourself hydrated with plenty of water because dry mouth or dehydration increases the chances of tooth caries. It helps to maintain proper saliva flow in the oral cavity which helps to keep tooth surfaces clean.
So make sure you drink enough water on a daily basis it’s helpful for your overall health.
Avoid Tobacco
Tobacco is not just harmful to teeth but to the overall health of a person. All types of tobacco consumption are harmful whether a person chews tobacco or smokes it. It stains and discolors the teeth, and affects oral mucosa. If the consumption of tobacco has not stopped on time then a person may suffer from diseases like Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), Smoker’s palate, and in the end Oral cancer.
So, avoid all types of tobacco consumption from now for better teeth and overall oral health.
Routine Dental checkup
It is a crucial step to maintain oral health. Many times patients don’t know about oral health issues that have in their mouth until it becomes worse and creates pain. Regular dental checkup helps to identify oral health issues in your mouth to prevent them.
I hope this article helps you to shape your Oral hygiene practices for Healthy Teeth and Gums.
