Tips on Maintaining Oral Health

To maintain good oral health, proper care of teeth and gums is essential. Healthy mouth not only makes you feel and look good, but also makes eating and speaking confidently. It reduces the risk of developing gum diseases. This article presents basic tips for maintaining your oral health. Click on each subhead to read more on the topic.

Brush your teeth regularly

• Brushing is an essential part of your mouth cleaning process. Brushing removes bacteria and plaque that can get accumulated overnight, and saliva that gets dried up during sleep.
• Cleaning your mouth properly is important to avoid plaque build up, which is the main cause for several other dental problems. Make sure that you clean all the surfaces of teeth properly.

Floss regularly

• Like brushing, flossing is also important for keeping your teeth clean. Flossing helps prevent build up of plaque. Most of the cleaning is done by brushing your teeth, flossing removes the rest.
• Flossing helps in removing left over food particles especially at the places where your toothbrush can’t reach.
• Flossing is the only way to clean in between the teeth and below the gumline – major places where tooth decay begins.

Changing your toothbrush at regular intervals

• Changing your toothbrush every 2-3 months is an important part of oral hygiene. If you do not, over a time bacteria get collected on the bristles of your toothbrush and will be transferred back to your mouth when you brush.
• Moreover, bristles of your toothbrush become soft making cleaning your teeth ineffective.
• People who suffer from gum disease need to change their toothbrushes more frequently.
• It is sensible to ask your dentist what kind of toothbrush is suitable for your teeth and gums.

Clean your tongue regularly

• Uncleaned tongue can be the major cause of bad breath.
• The tongue generally traps tiny food particles and if not cleaned can lead to accumulation of bacteria on the back of the tongue, where it is difficult to reach, thus produces foul smell.
• Use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue at least once a day.

Healthy diet

• Diet plays an important role in maintaining good oral health. You body requires certain amount of nutrition to promote oral health.
• Deficiency of some nutrients can make your body prone to gum infections and tooth decay.
• A healthy diet will not only keep your teeth and gums healthy but also makes your immunity stronger to fight against infections.
• Make sure to include in your diet foods rich in calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D.
• Avoid foods that have high amount of sugar because bacteria react with the sugar and form acid. This is harmful to the teeth surface because the acid dissolves the enamel (the outer layer of the tooth).

Neglecting oral health means inviting major oral health issues, which later become complex and difficult to treat.

You may also like to read:
All You Need to Know About Brushing Your Teeth
Importance of Flossing Your Teeth
Food That is Good for Your Teeth
Why You Should Visit the Dentist Every Six Months?