If you are interested in improving your oral health, there are some easy practises you can start doing today, to give you a more healthy smile.
Good oral hygiene is all about keeping your mouth healthy and clean. The benefit of oral hygiene is its ability to prevent dental concerns, like cavities, gum disease, bad breath and more.
Maintain Good Oral Health for Your Overall Health
Oral health and overall health are closely linked. Inflammation or infection in the mouth can spread to other parts of the body through your bloodstream. Gingivitis and periodontitis is known to be a factor in increasing the risks of heart disease, stroke, endocarditis, premature birth with low birth weight, and other health problems.
Also, some conditions may have a negative impact on your teeth and gums, such as diabetes and osteoporosis.
Your efforts to maintain excellent oral health can assist you with other disease control, and improve your general health. To help you achieve your best oral and overall health, here are five best practices.
Best Dental Hygiene Practices for Good Oral Hygiene
1. Brushing and Flossing for Oral Health
Many people know daily brushing and flossing is part of proper oral hygiene, but often don’t do it properly. You should brush at least twice a day for a full two minutes, using fluoride toothpaste. To brush plaque and bacteria away from gums, keep your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle towards your gums and brush in little circles. Make sure to reach the back and sides of teeth, spending equal amounts of time on all areas. A timer can help until you get accustomed to how long it should take you to brush.
A soft bristled brush and good technique will ensure you don’t damage soft tissue around your teeth. An electric toothbrush can be effective too. Just remember to change your toothbrush every six months.
Be sure to also brush your tongue, to scrape bacteria off. Either your toothbrush or a tongue scraper works.
Floss daily before brushing to clear food debris and other deposits that your toothbrush can’t reach, to avoid tooth decay. Flossing is a piece of oral hygiene that commonly gets missed. If you haven’t been doing it regularly, when you start, you may have sensitive or bleeding gums, but this will stop after a couple of days. Water flossers can help, but they don’t fully replace dental floss, as they still don’t clear all of the biofilm from tight spaces between teeth.
2. Professional Dental Hygiene Care Every Six Months
Regular dental appointments will ensure your teeth get a thorough professional cleaning. Twice a year is recommended to remove dental plaque and tartar, especially along the gum line, to lower the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and other oral health problems. Going to the dentist regularly for checkups allows for exams and dental X-rays to be done, so concerns can be addressed before they become larger problems. Your dentist might also recommend dental sealant, especially for children, to help prevent tooth decay.
3. Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Avoiding sweetened foods and sugary drinks, while consuming more calcium-rich foods, will promote stronger tooth enamel and a healthy mouth.
Avoid tobacco; smoking will lead to tooth staining and higher risks of periodontal disease, tooth loss, oral cancer, and other concerns.
Drinking water is great for overall health, but it also helps you make enough saliva to wash away food particles before oral bacteria can grow. It also helps relieve dry mouth not related to certain medications or health conditions.
4. Take Advantage of Dental Hygiene Aids
Additional dental health products can help, including antibacterial mouthwash and oral irrigators, if used alongside regular brushing and flossing. Another aid that is especially good for children are disclosing tablets or toothpaste; these help highlight any poor oral hygiene, by colouring plaque. Since plaque is otherwise hard to see, these products let you see what spots were missed.
5. Watch for Signs of Gum Disease and Other Oral Health Symptoms
To prevent small concerns from developing into bigger ones, check your teeth and mouth daily, as part of your good oral hygiene routine. Check for anything unusual and note if anything has changed, and let your dentist know. Some symptoms of oral health problems include toothache, bleeding gums, loose teeth, receding gums, mouth sores, bad breath and swelling. These can be signs of tooth decay and other oral health issues.
Robson Square Dental
Robson Square Dental can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy. Even better, if you book an appointment for a cleaning and whitening together, you can leave with an immediately healthier, brighter smile. We are professionals that are committed to providing a personal touch, while meeting all your dentistry needs.
