4 Need-to-Know Tips for Improving Your Oral Hygiene
Most people don’t realize that the mouth is an important part of the body for more reasons than just providing nutrition. Without proper oral hygiene, you have increased risks of chronic diseases, low self-esteem, and other general health concerns. Symptoms of disorders and diseases frequently show their first signs in the mouth, too.
Without proper dental and mouth care, you are also at risk for dental caries and gum disease. These are both caused by bacteria that infest in your mouth and attacks the surface of your teeth and gums, respectively.
Of course, oral hygiene is necessary to make a good impression socially, too. Between all of the physical and mental reasons for keeping your mouth healthy, how do you add oral hygiene into your busy schedule? Here are 4 need-to-know tips to help you keep your mouth healthy in just a few minutes every day.
4 Tips for Smart Oral Hygiene
- Brush your teeth regularly. Dental experts recommend that you brush your teeth at least twice a day. But there’s a scientific reason behind when you choose to incorporate this into your routine.
Bacteria are the main cause of oral decay and these little microorganisms are most common in your mouth first thing in the morning after you wake up and at the end of the day after they have built up over time. It only takes 30 seconds to a minute to get a grip on eliminating these dangerous bacteria and leftover food from your mouth.
To really help increase your oral hygiene, use a toothpaste with fluoride in it. This ingredient helps to strengthen the enamel on your teeth, which fights tooth decay.
- Floss every day. There’s a saying in the dental field: “You don’t have to floss all your teeth; just the ones you want to keep.” This is a cute rhyme used to remind patients of the importance of flossing on your long-term health.
Floss, like brushing, eliminates leftover food hanging around your mouth that attracts bacteria and breaks down your enamel. But brushing alone can’t get into the tiny crevices of your teeth where food accumulates, so it goes hand-in-hand with flossing daily.
- Be careful what you put in your mouth. If you aren’t brushing after every meal, what you eat is still sitting in your mouth. Sugary foods or foods with starch in them interact with the bacteria that is naturally found in everyone’s mouth.
This interaction creates a salivary acid that continually erodes your tooth enamel if you don’t get rid of it quickly. Using an anti-bacterial mouthwash after every meal if you can’t brush is a good way to limit this problem.
You should also be careful if you use whitening products for your teeth. If you aren’t using a product with a proven whitening ingredient that is safe for your enamel, it could be causing you more harm than good. The best whitening strips will penetrate your tooth enamel to help whiten it without destroying the enamel itself.
- Add in the extra helpers. Taking care of your oral hygiene has never been as simple as it is today. Between oral irrigators that flush the food and bacteria out of your teeth similar to the pumps you see at your dentist’s office and mouthwash of all flavors and kinds, there are plenty of extra oral hygiene products that can help you prevent tooth and gum decay.
It Only Takes a Minute or Two for a Lifetime of Results
Whether you have healthy oral hygiene or not depends on your choices over time. It only takes a few minutes every day to create a habit that will keep your mouth healthy for a lifetime.
