5 Easy Tips For Good Oral Hygiene
You brush; you even floss: something that too large a percentage of the population doesn’t do at all. Is there anything else you can do to improve your oral hygiene? After all, wiping out those tooth decay bacteria will help you to make your teeth last a lifetime. Like you, we like to see your teeth get a clean bill of health at each check-up. Let’s look at some of the extra things you can do to keep your teeth healthy.
#1. Quit Smoking
It’s not just the way smoking stains your teeth that’s a problem, Smoking has been linked to a wide variety of oral health problems, not least of which, cancer. If you’ve tried quitting before and found that you struggled, consult your doctor. He or she can prescribe medications that will help you to quit.
#2. Chew Sugar-Free Gum
It isn’t just the chewing action that helps to keep your teeth clean. Chewing gum stimulates saliva production, and this helps to reduce acidity in your mouth. Saliva also help to wash away food residues that encourage plaque development.
#3. Use an Anti-Bacterial Mouthwash
After you’ve brushed and flossed, use an anti-bacterial mouthwash to make your mouth unfriendly to the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Sloshing mouthwash around your mouth and between your teeth can also help to dislodge any remaining food particles you couldn’t get to with brushing and flossing.
#4. Brush Your Tongue
If you want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to oral hygiene, brushing your tongue is a good place to start. Some people dislike the sensation when they brush their tongues. If this is you, try using a tongue cleaner or scraper. You can buy them at most outlets that sell tooth brushes, and they’ll remove bacteria that might survive on your tongue. They’re just waiting to multiply and affect your teeth, so the less there are, the better.
#5. Know What Sugar Does and Plan Accordingly
Since you were a kid, your mom has told you that sugar rots teeth. That’s almost, but not entirely true. Sugar provides food for bacteria that breed in your mouth. They, in turn, produce acids that eat away at your teeth. However, that doesn’t mean you have to starve your sweet tooth. It’s not how much sugar you eat, but how often you eat it that becomes a problem. Consume sugary snacks and drinks as occasional treats and chew some sugar-free gum afterwards.
How Good are You at the Routine You Already Use?
Because we brush our teeth often, we often fall into bad habits, not cleaning teeth as well as we should and tending to miss spots. Some people aren’t comfortable with brushing to the gum-line and tend to neglect this area.
Others have a strong gag reflex and tend to neglect the molars. Your dentist will be able to see if there are problems with your brushing technique, so ask him or her how you are doing when you go for your next check-up. Has it been a while? There’s no time like the present! Call us for an appointment today.