Are you looking for that perfect smile? Read on to learn about achieving excellent dental health with these tips.
10 Tips For Excellent Dental Health
Everyone wants their teeth to be in top condition. From our smiles to helping us eat, they’re a vital part of us. But it takes dedication and perseverance to keep them healthy.
1. Brush Your Teeth Before Bed
The recommendation is to brush your teeth twice a day, at least. Most people, though, still forget or brush them at night.
Brushing your teeth before bed removes plaque and germs that build up during the day. This is one of the best tips out there for how to get a better smile.
2. Brush For Long Enough
The way you brush is as important as how often you brush. If you don’t brush your teeth right, it’s almost as bad as not brushing them.
Take the time to be thorough, and move your toothbrush in gentle circles. This is the best way to loosen and remove plaque. Plaque that isn’t removed will harden and build up. This can cause gum disease.
This dentist in Mathews recommends spending at least 2 minutes brushing your teeth.
3. Don’t Forget Your Tongue
Plaque can also build on your tongue. This can cause bad breath and other oral health issues like sores and ulcers. Each time you brush your teeth, make sure you brush your entire tongue too.
But make sure you know how to clean your tongue before you start doing it. It would be best if you had the proper technique.
4. Don’t Rinse — Spit
After you brush, you should spit out the toothpaste remaining in your mouth. You might want to rinse your mouth, but don’t do this. Otherwise, you will remove the protective barrier of the fluoride.
Not all kinds of toothpaste have it, but fluoride is its most essential ingredient. It’s vital for strengthening enamel, helping it resist tooth decay better.
Spitting the toothpaste and not rinsing ensures most fluoride settles on your teeth. It can continue to protect your teeth throughout the day.
5. Choose Fluoride Toothpaste
Another important factor is making sure you have the right toothpaste. You shouldn’t get hung up on flavor or whitening power. But whatever you choose, make sure it’s fluoride-based.
As we saw above, fluoride is still the top defense against preventing tooth decay. It fights germs that cause this decay while leaving a protective barrier on your teeth.
6. Flossing Every Day
Flossing is great for getting bacteria and plaque out from between your teeth. Your toothbrush can’t reach those places, so you need to put more effort in.
Using it once a day helps keep bad breath at bay, as it also dislodges any food caught in those areas. The American Dental Association and the CDC recommend that you floss your teeth.
But don’t snap the floss up and down between your teeth. This can cause pain, irritation, and bleeding. It also won’t be as effective as removing the plaque.
7. Use a Mouthwash
Many people skip out on mouthwashes because they don’t understand how they work, even if the adverts make them seem necessary for keeping your mouth healthy.
Mouthwash reduces the amount of acid inside your mouth. It also cleans out hard-to-reach areas that your toothbrush misses. This includes the gum line. Mouthwash also helps re-mineralize each tooth.
They bring in a balance of oral hygiene and are a helpful tool, especially for the young and the old, who may not be able to brush as well as they should be. In these instances, it’s an added layer of hygiene to make up for that shortfall.
There are many options, including fluoride ones, for extra protection. Ask your dentist to recommend a mouthwash to suit your needs at your next dentist appointment.
Some brands are better for specific age groups or teeth sensitivities. There are also prescription mouthwashes for issues that have already started to occur.
8. Eat Fruits & Vegetables With a Crunch
Ready-to-eat foods may save you time, but they aren’t kind to your teeth. Fresh fruits and vegetables that crunch are the best choices to help keep your teeth healthy.
They’re harder to eat and chew, so they get the jaw muscles working and the saliva glands. It also helps to brush away and remove plaque and germs that are starting to build up.
9. Drink Enough Water
One of the best things you can do for your general health is to drink more water. So, it should be no surprise that it can also greatly benefit your oral health.
It’s recommended that you drink a glass of water after each meal you eat. This helps wash any food stuck between your teeth and remove some bacteria and substances.
It helps to wash out any ill effects from sticky or acidic foods and beverages. It’s a way to refresh your teeth between brushes as you go through your day.
10. Cut Down on Sugary Foods & Starches
Consuming too much sugar can cause teeth cavities. Common foods that can cause tricky oral health issues include:
- candy
- desserts
- fizzy drinks
- processed foods with added sugars
According to WHO, you should limit your intake of sugars to 10% of your daily calories. If you lowered this to 5%, it would even further reduce the risk of dental issues like cavities.
Starchy foods like bread, chips, and pasta can cause tooth decay. These foods tend to linger more in the mouth and will break down into sugar.
The acid-producing bacteria in our mouths feed off this sugar. Too much bacteria leads to more acid, which in turn wears down our teeth faster. Fiber-rich fruit and vegetables and sugar-free dairy are much kinder on your teeth.
Dental Health Tips You Won’t Want to Miss
So, there you have it! You know these excellent dental health tips; you’re on the way to better oral hygiene.
Make sure you’re brushing twice a day and using the proper technique. Don’t forget your tongue, and make sure you floss. Consider the foods you eat and what better options there are out there.