Are you someone who is proactive in their dental health and would like to do whatever they can at home to prevent diseases before seeing a doctor? Or are you someone looking to level up your oral hygiene game? Have you had dental issues before and are now committed to your oral health? Well, you are at the right place. Here is dental health, simplified in 10 easy steps –
1. Your Brushing Technique
Everyone brushes daily, yes, but not in the right way. The right way to brush your teeth is to place the brush partially on the gums and partially on the teeth and move the brush in circular motions all over the teeth not forgetting the back teeth. Our goal here is to remove any debris that forms on the gum margin and any bacteria that sit in the grooves of the teeth.
2. Brushing frequency
The dentist keeps insisting on brushing twice a day, but why is it important? Because most of the caries forming bacteria act during the night time. If there is any residual food or sugars on your teeth from your meal and if it stays on the teeth for the whole night, there is a high chance it might start bacterial activity on the surface of the tooth.
3. Floss regularly
There are some parts of the teeth and dentition that a brush just cannot reach. Like the gaps between two adjacent teeth and gaps near the gums. Flossing is important to remove the debris from here as this is the usual spot for cavities to form.
4. Avoid sugars
Cavities are formed by the interaction of 3 things – the tooth surface, the acids in the mouth and sugars. The acids and sugars degrade the tooth layer and attract bacteria, which spread to form cavities. Hence limit your sugar intake.
5. Caffeinated beverages
Caffeine is the number 1 product that is responsible for the yellowing of your teeth. The harsh beverage also erodes the enamel layer of your teeth. If you want an aesthetic, healthy white smile, caffeine is to be limited.
6. Avoid tobacco
Tobacco is not only responsible for damaging teeth and gums but also for oral cancers, mucosal ulcers, pain and even limiting mouth opening. Most of these cases turn out to be severe. You can talk to our dental counselor to nip this habit in the bud
7. Teeth Grinding
If you have the habit of grinding your teeth during sleep or just keeping your teething constantly in contact throughout the day, it will lead to unexplained facial pain. You might need an expert consultation and early intervention for this as it might lead to serious head and neck issues.
8. Brushing hard
Yes. Sometimes brushing might also be harmful if you are using hard bristle toothbrushes or exerting too much force onto the tooth surface. This will lead to erosion and abrasion of the top layers of teeth, causing severe sensitivity.
9. Full body systematic symptoms
You have taken care of the external oral hygiene but what about the internal factors affecting your teeth? Gut issues like acid reflux might erode the inner surfaces of your teeth. Diabetic conditions might aggravate your gum issues, and sometimes bleeding gums might affect your heart health too. Which leads us to the last step,
10. Consult your dentist
No matter how precise our care is, sometimes an expert eye is needed. Maybe it will help you find missing links or just support you through your oral hygiene journey. So don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation now.
