What Is Oral Hygiene And Effective Tips To Maintain It?
Oral hygiene is basically maintaining your mouth’s health by keeping it clean and healthy. Good oral health can be practiced by regularly brushing your teeth, using floss to clean the food particles stuck between your teeth, using mouthwash as well as regularly visiting the dentist for check-ups.
Why Is It Important To Maintain Oral Hygiene?
Oral health is something that is most often taken for granted. However, it is very important which should not be ignored as maintaining a healthy mouth will also help you maintain a healthy body. Our mouth can help detect any nutritional deficiencies in our body or any other general infection as well. Other diseases which can affect the body can first start showing up in our mouths. So, getting our mouth checked regularly by a dentist and maintaining oral hygiene is extremely important
How Should You Maintain Healthy Teeth – 5 Tips?
The first thing to start off with while maintaining oral hygiene is to keep your teeth healthy and clean. By brushing regularly with a good quality brush and fluoride toothpaste you will be working towards maintaining a healthy set of teeth, preventing cavities as well as keeping your gums healthy and away from any gum diseases which can be caused due to poor oral hygiene.
Mentioned below are basis brushing techniques suggested by the American Dental Association to help you maintain healthy teeth.
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Two Is The Magic Number
A lot of people think that brushing only once is sufficient. However, brushing twice a day- once when you wake up and once when you sleep is very important. While brushing ensure that you cover all your teeth and thoroughly and gently brush your teeth.
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Use The Right Toothpaste And Brush
The toothpaste used is often taken for granted. What most people are not aware of it that your toothpaste needs to contain fluoride. Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps in strengthening your teeth and bones. Using fluoride toothpaste helps prevent cavities and helps strengthen your teeth. Using the right brush is also important. Make sure that the bristles on your brush are not too hard as they can damage your gums and teeth. Using a soft bristled brush with fluoride toothpaste is the best combination for a good brushing.
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Keep Your Brush Clean
Washing your brush every time after using it and thoroughly cleaning it is something you need to ensure. After brushing rinse off your brush and keep it straight with the head of the brush on top. You can use a cover to protect your brush but make sure that your brush is dried first before covering it. Otherwise, a humid environment can lead to the growth of bacteria and mold on the bristles.
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The Right Technique Of Brushing
Brushing needs to be done thoroughly so take your time and do not rush it up. Hold your brush at an angle with the bristles pointing towards the region where your gum and teeth meet. Do not put too much pressure and brush gently throughout including the inside of your teeth and your tongue.
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Do Not Overuse Your Brush
Just like other things we use on a regular basis, brushes also wear out. So make sure to replace your brush every 3-4 months once you start noticing that the bristles are starting to wear out.
Importance Of Flossing
Brushing helps clean your teeth and gums but still some food particles, plaque and, bacteria which causes tooth decay can linger between your teeth where the bristles of the brush cannot reach. Flossing is equally important in maintaining good oral hygiene.
While flossing ensures that you take a good piece of floss. Wrap one end of the floss around your finger in one hand and the rest in the other hand. Use the middle portion which will be right now after being held in this position to floss.
Don’t floss too hard as it can cut your gums. While flossing close to your gums turn the floss towards the edge of the teeth. Floss gently and in a consistent back and front and up and down motion. Floss one tooth at a time thoroughly.
Other Oral Health Care Tips
According to this article from DeJesusDentalGroup.com, a deep cleaning of your teeth and gums cannot be accomplished by brushing alone. Other than brushing and flossing there are other steps which you can take to maintain good oral hygiene:
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Use mouthwash to get rid of any remaining bacteria after flossing and brushing.
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Do not use toothpicks to clean out remaining food particles as it can damage your teeth and gums.
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Eat healthy food to maintain the health of your gums and teeth. Having a balanced diet does not only to keep your body healthy but also contributes to healthy teeth and gums.
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Avoid eating too many sweets as food and drinks with high sugar can lead to cavities. Sugar remains in your mouth and causes bacteria to multiply which results in tooth decay. Make sure to brush your teeth after eating sweet food.
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Smoking has an impact on the health of your mouth as well. Smokers experience higher gum and teeth problems.
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Make sure to keep your dentures or any other accessory which your dentist has provided clean. You can use a separate brush to clean them and store them properly.
Plan Regular Visits To The Dentist
Many people are under the misconception that they should only visit a dentist when they are in pain or have noticed an issue. Regularly visiting the dentist and getting a check-up done is very important in maintaining the health of your mouth.
The dentist will thoroughly check your mouth for any early signs of any dental issue as well as clean your teeth and gums to remove any plaque which would have formed irrespective of brushing and flossing regularly.
The kind of techniques and equipment’s which the dentists use not have been advanced highly hence you have no reason to worry about anything. Cleaning and check-ups do not cause any pain and are extremely easy and quick. So if you are pushing aside visiting a dentist due to this wrong apprehension be assured that it will be a painless and quick visit.
A lot of people think that by not visiting a dentist regularly they will be saving on a lot of money. However, it is exactly the opposite. If you visit the dentist regularly your dentist can help you detect any infection or disease at an early stage which can be easily succumbed and dealt with. However, if the issue is observed at a very late stage not only will it be more painful but also will cost you much more money and time.
Symptoms To Keep A Lookout For
There are certain symptoms which you can check for in your mouth to detect any oral health problem. Some of them include:
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Bleeding gums
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Red or swollen Gums
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Permanent teeth fall
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Teeth alignment
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Bad breath
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Sensitivity to hot and cold foods and drinks
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Ulcers/ Sores
Prevention is better than cure. So early detection of any issue can help you prevent serious oral health issues which may result in more serious and costly procedures if not taken care of at the beginning. Brushing and flossing regularly, planning regular dental check-ups and avoiding eating junk food will ensure that you maintain good oral hygiene and have healthy teeth and gums.