Brushing Twice A Day For The Perfect Dental Hygiene
Smiles, they are among the most common and most visually appealing of positive social cues. Its known to be the most reciprocated gesture that people carry out to one another.
Smiles are so contagious that an old Chinese proverb says that they can travel halfway around the world.
It is, thus, no wonder that dental hygiene is now the base of a multi-billion dollar industry. Many people go to great extents to attain that perfect smile, spending big bucks on multiple dental supplies, bleaching, surgeries and a host of other procedures all in a bid to get those “pearly whites”.
Most people, however, forget that there’s more to a mouth than teeth, and there’s definitely much more to oral hygiene that just having perfectly white dentures.
What if I told you that the key to having good oral hygiene lies in one of the most over-emphasized but underutilized pieces of advice ever given. Most people can clearly remember being told repeatedly as kids to brush twice daily. Such a simple action as making out time to brush twice a day can significantly improve your dental hygiene. We will discuss some of the massive benefits of doing this.
But first, what are some of the effects of poor hygiene?
Poor dental hygiene. Any consequences?
Definitely! There are many negative effects to one’s health that can be caused by poor dental hygiene. But brace yourselves, because it might just want to go grab your toothbrush after reading this!
- Cardiovascular disease: Poor dental hygiene exposes a person to the risk of heart disease. If the presence of the bacteria that cause periodontal disease is made evident by inflammation of the gums, there is a risk that the same bacteria can get into the bloodstream where it causes the arteries to form plaque and harden. This condition is referred to as atherosclerosis and can be very dangerous as it radically increases the chances of a heart attack. This can also damage the blood vessels enough to cause hypertension and make the sufferer more prone to strokes.
- Dementia: Yes, poor dental health can affect the brain. Inflamed gums release substances that are known to actually kill brain cells and lead to memory loss. Gingivitis caused by bacteria from the mouth which spreads to the nerve channels or enters the bloodstream can result in dementia or even Alzheimer’s disease.
- Respiratory disease: Bacteria in the mouth from inflamed gums or infected teeth can travel through the airways or even through the bloodstream to the lungs and cause respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, acute bronchitis, or even COPD.
- Diabetes: Diabetics are readily prone to infections such as periodontal disease caused by infected gums. At the same time, periodontal disease makes it more difficult to manage and control diabetes. Symptoms begin to worsen as gum disease drastically increase sugar levels. To avoid such complications, diabetics are advised to take care of their dental health.
- Pregnancy complications: During pregnancy, mothers are more susceptible to different infections. And any of such infections increase the risk of complications with pregnancy and childbirth.
- Cancer: It is a well-known fact that poor dental hygiene practices such as smoking and using of tobacco products can cause oral, throat and lung cancers, but oral diseases have also been found guilty for other cancers as well. Kidney cancer and pancreatic cancer to name a few have all been linked to gum disease.
How to properly brush your teeth.
Let’s face the facts, people today do not brush as much as or for as long as they should. The truth is that this problem persists because not many people actually know how to brush properly. It involves a lot more than the motion; moving your brush over your teeth in a hurried habitual manner completely disregarding the fact that brushing is meant to clean your teeth and is not just a ritual to run through in the morning. We will discuss some very important steps to take to ensure that you clean your teeth properly.
- First of all, you must pay attention to your brush! Brush your teeth twice every day using a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should be so as to allow you reach all areas of your mouth easily. Ensure to replace your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months. Depending on the condition of the brush you may need to replace it sooner if it is frayed for example. A work out toothbrush does little or nothing to clean your teeth. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride.
- Now to the technique to brush properly. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums and move it back and forth with short strokes. Brush the inner, outer and chewing surfaces. To clean the inside surfaces of the teeth on the upper jaw, hold the brush vertically and make multiple up-and-down strokes. You should brush twice daily for at least 2minutes each.
- Important to note: Clean between your teeth regularly as food particles can get stuck there. These can begin to decay and lead to the formation of plaque and bad breath. It is also important to note that for the majority of humans, the colour of teeth is not actually white. Clean healthy teeth have a slightly off-white or cream color.
Electric toothbrush or a manual toothbrush?
The dentists at Dental Dorks have proven that the electric toothbrush is much better than it’s manual counterpart in many aspects. It is noted to be better at scrubbing plaque away because it means more micro-movements for every motion over the teeth.
It helps those with limited mobility and improves your focus while brushing ensuring that you pay attention to those areas that are normally overlooked. So spend those extra bucks and get yourself the best electric toothbrush you can find!
So get yourself a good toothbrush, spend those extra seconds, pay attention while brushing and actually clean your teeth. Do this twice a day and you’ll notice the difference almost immediately. This will certainly bring a smile to your face.
Author Bio:
Emrick Hill is the content manager and editor at Dental Dorks. He is on the mission to help people & to provide the best possible healthy oral habits to stay away from most common oral problems.