ORAL HYGIENE: 11 BEST TIPS FOR HEALTHY TEETH & GUMS

Our oral hygiene continues to be essential to our well-being. A healthy mouth generally contributes to a healthy body. This means that the health of your smile should mirror your general health. However, oral hygiene tips aren’t just limited to brushing your teeth and adhering to strong teeth tips every day — your entire mouth needs to be taken care of, including your teeth, tongue, and gums. This article offers 11 tips for healthy teeth and gums.

Choose the right brush.

The dense bristles of a hard-bristle toothbrush allow you to fully scrape the surface of your teeth. However, it can harm your teeth since many people brush their teeth violently, wearing away their enamel and scraping their gums in the process.

A soft-bristle toothbrush contains less densely-packed bristles that bend readily when brushing your teeth, making it softer on your teeth and gums. They can also help your oral hygiene by reaching parts of your teeth that are tough to clean with firm bristles and clean properly. So choosing a soft bristle brush is one of our most important tips for healthy teeth.

Brush properly

No list of tips for healthy teeth is complete without this point. Brushing your teeth incorrectly is almost as harmful to your oral hygiene as not brushing at all. To prevent plaque, take your time and move the toothbrush in gentle, circular motions.  

You must spend at least 30 seconds on each quadrant in your mouth, first brushing the inside, then the outside. This will allow you to evenly clean all parts of your mouth. It is especially important to brush correctly right before bedtime, so you aren’t exposing yourself to harmful bacteria overnight (when saliva production decreases).

Also, as we mentioned above, tooth enamel and gums can be damaged by brushing too forcefully. Being gentle while brushing is also an important oral health tip to remember.

Tongue Cleaning is also important.

Not just your teeth, but it is also possible for plaque to build upon your tongue. This can lead to bad breath as well as other oral health issues. You can reduce bad breath, a coated tongue, plaque buildup, and other oral health conditions by cleaning your tongue regularly. 

According to some research, tongue scrapers are the most effective tool to use. However, if you aren’t comfortable using them, you can clean your tongue using a toothbrush and mouthwash as well.

Use oral hygiene products with fluoride. 

There is a variety of toothpaste available in the market to prevent cavities and promote gum health. The majority of these include fluoride. Fluoride can significantly improve dental health by strengthening tooth enamel and making it more resistant to decay.  

While fluoride has come under fire from individuals concerned about its effects on other parts of the body, it is still an important aspect of oral hygiene and tips for healthy tips. This is because fluoride is a powerful anti-cavity agent. It also lowers the amount of acid produced by the germs on your teeth.

Consider Adding Mouthwash to Your Oral Health Routine

Mouthwash leaves your mouth feeling clean and fresh, ensuring you have a fresh breath. Besides maintaining good oral health, it also helps prevent tooth decay. By using mouthwash, you reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth, which results in less dental plaque forming.

If you use mouthwash regularly, it can help protect against periodontitis. It can even reduce cavities if your mouthwash contains fluoride. 

Even though it isn't one of the essential tips for healthy teeth, most dentists encourage you to use mouthwash in the morning and after dinner. It is also vitally important for people with certain medical conditions, such as tooth sensitivity and dry mouth, to use mouthwash.

Floss at least once a day.

Flossing is one of the important tips for healthy teeth and also crucial amongst the tips of healthy gums. Your toothbrush is unable to reach and clean the space between your teeth, and flossing helps remedy that. The process is also successful in preventing bad breath by removing food and debris from between the teeth. 

Limit sugary foods 

Sugar directly contributes to the decay of teeth. After consumption, sugar molecules combine with saliva and bacteria in our mouth and convert into acid. This acidic substance causes plaque, which slowly wears down the teeth enamel and causes cavities. Moreover, if this cavity is left unattended for long, it can lead to hazardous effects, like toothache or loss.

Therefore, while following the other tips for healthy teeth, don’t forget to limit your intake of sugar. Other food items like processed food, tea, as well as coffee can also damage tooth enamel. 

Eat fresh and crunchy fruits and vegetables.

Crisp fruits and raw vegetables, such as apples, pears, celery, and carrot, increase the production of saliva. This saliva, in turn, helps clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath. Other tips for healthy teeth include drinking plenty of water and restricting any soft drink or fruit juice beverage (diet or regular).

Drink plenty of water

Amongst the tips for healthy teeth, this one is the easiest to achieve. While drinking water keeps the body hydrated, it also keeps the teeth clean by periodically flushing away plaque and particles from the outside of the teeth. Furthermore, drinking water keeps bacteria from sticking to the teeth.

Do not smoke

When you smoke, you expose your teeth to both tobacco and nicotine. This has the effect of staining and yellowing the teeth and causing bad breath. Additionally, smoking lowers your immune system, making you more susceptible to gum disease and oral cancer. Hence, you have to quit smoking before trying to accomplish other dental health tips. Following all the tips for healthy teeth or gum strong tips is redundant if you are constantly smoking.

See a dentist regularly

In spite of following all of the above oral health tips, it is important to get a dental exam every six months. Moreover, one should have their teeth cleaned with a scaling instrument by a dental expert at least once a year. This will ensure long term benefits for your oral hygiene.

Looking for the best place online to shop for dental and oral hygiene products? Wellness Forever is your one-stop solution. You can also visit their website for your other health requirements. Follow these dental hygiene tips and keep your oral hygiene healthy forever!