We all desire our teeth to be white, straight, and most importantly, healthy. But with busy schedules and overlapping priorities, we tend to neglect our oral health.
Partnered with unhealthy lifestyle habits, it is no surprise that most people suffer oral-related problems.
So, in this day and age, how can we ensure the health of our oral cavity?
Brush your teeth right.
Thumbs up for you if you brush your teeth, but just brushing your teeth is not sufficient in achieving optimum health for your teeth and gums. You must do it right!
Here’s how:
- Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush to ensure a gentle touch on your teeth and gums. Also, opt for a toothbrush with a small head to easily access hard-to-reach areas.
- Suit your toothpaste with your needs. Toothpaste has different variants for various dental needs. You can talk to your dentist about the best toothpaste for you.
- Brush circularly or vertically and at a 45-degree angle. Circular or vertical stroke and a 45-degree angle brushing remove plaque better.
- Spend two minutes on cleaning your teeth. Brushing shorter than the recommended time can miss areas and bacteria while brushing longer can cause plaque buildup and sore gums.
- Be gentle when you brush your teeth as overbrushing can wear the enamel and increase the risk of dental problems. If you have a difficulty controlling the pressure, you can use an electric toothbrush wherein the pressure is usually set.
- Let 30 minutes pass after a meal before grabbing your toothbrush and cleaning your teeth to allow the pH level inside the mouth return to normal.
Don’t Forget to Floss and Rinse with Mouthwash
Most of us are in a rush. We want everything to be done fast that’s why we subscribe to fast food chains, instant coffees and use technology.
But, there are things that we need to do even if they slow us down – such as flossing and rinsing with mouthwash.
Flossing is recommended to remove food particles that lingered between our teeth and were missed by brushing. We know it’s too much work to floss especially with the traditional string floss. But, other options are available that you now lack the excuse to skip on flossing. You can use Waterpik, flossing sticks, electric flosser, Sonicare Airfloss, and interdental brushes.
On the one hand, mouthwash is helpful in addressing dental issues such as bad breath, plaque, tooth decay, and gum disease. It can also be a whitening agent and a topical pain relief.
Gargling with mouthwash can reduce the pain caused by a canker sore or the small, white or yellow lesions with a red border which develop on the mouth’s soft tissues or at the base of the gingiva.
With flossing and rinsing with mouthwash, you can fight plaque buildup, avoid tartar formation, and other oral-related problems.
Visit your Dentist
It may be a hassle to set an appointment and go a dental office, but trust us when we say that the best preventive care you can give your oral cavity is a visit to a dentist.
There is only so much that brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash can do. Your dentist can help in diagnosing and addressing dental problems.
For example, pericoronitis can be detected through clinical evaluation during a dental visit. Pericoronitis is the inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of a partially erupted tooth where the gum tissue overlaps the tooth’s chewing surface.
A visit to your dentist at least twice a year will be helpful in identifying dental problems early and before they worsen.
Slowing Down in Trying Home Remedies
We want our teeth to be straight, white, and perfect. But, dental treatments are usually heavy in the pocket, especially without dental plans or insurance.
Your option? Home remedies such as baking soda.
If you desire to whiten your teeth, you can use baking soda which contains mild abrasive that can effectively remove minor and newly-formed stains.
However, you must remain cautious in using baking soda as excessive use can harm the enamel. Baking soda must also not be used as a substitute for toothpaste because it does not contain cavity-fighting fluoride.
Although there are home remedies that you can try and are nodded upon by dental experts, learn to slow down in trying them because they may cause more harm than good.
The above tips are not new, and you probably have heard of them a lot of times. But these simple tips are usually neglected or taken for granted. By practicing basic oral hygiene thoroughly and religiously, you can avoid dental problems and smile confidently.