Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body because it allows you to eat and drink which is very necessary for living. It also adds to your overall appearance as you smile and most importantly for communication purposes. Since your mouth is used in various ways, it is also most prone to bacteria build-up most especially if your teeth and gums are not totally cleaned every time you consume something, may it be food or drinks.
These bacteria are responsible for the tartar, plaque, and cavity build-up in your teeth which damages your overall dental health. The bacteria could also result in periodontal which is a serious gum disease that takes a long time to cure when not treated right away.
Why Oral Care Is Important?
Oral care is important because if your mouth is healthy, it saves you from serious illnesses in your body. If you don’t take care of your dental health, mouth problems such as tooth decay and gum disease might give an underlying impact on your overall health. To keep it simple, what you will experience with your mouth will also reflect in your body. Furthermore, there is nothing more satisfying than having healthy white teeth, fresh breath, and a beautiful smile.
Can Oral Health Problems Kill You?
Yes. You will not die due to toothache or any discomfort you feel in your mouth but if your oral problems such as tooth decay and gingivitis infect any of your body organs, the higher is the fatality risk. You might think that the bacteria in your teeth won’t have any chance to go beyond your mouth but the sad news is it can actually reach your sinus because your mouth is connected to your nose and eyes. If not cured right away, it will cause death because the bacteria may access and damage your brain.
That’s the reason why you have to know everything about maintaining your oral health. If your main concern is the budget that you are about to produce, that’s something that you should not be afraid of. With just minimal spending, you will be able to execute the right oral hygiene techniques to protect your teeth and gums from any bacteria build-up. Follow the effective oral care methods we have prepared for you below!
How to Take Care of Your Oral Health?
For Your Teeth
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
When brushing your teeth, you should not use a random toothpaste ingredient that will just freshen your breath, instead choose the one with fluoride which serves as the best tooth whitener for your dental health. The use of fluoride will avoid tooth decay and stop the growing numbers of bacteria in your mouth. Your enamel is the target layer of bacteria, it gets weakened causing cavities or even creating a hole in your teeth. But fluoride strengthens the enamel so that there will be no room for plaque and tartar in your teeth. Remember that when tartar is not treated right away it will result in tooth decay.
Fluoride has no harmful side effects so both adults and children can use this type of toothpaste. In fact, it is the most important therapeutic substance used in toothpaste according to a dental study. If you are not using fluoridated toothpaste, it is now time to switch in order to achieve good oral health.
Limit Consumption of Acidic and Sugary Foods
Acidic and sugary foods are the first thing that you have to avoid if you want to maintain a beautiful set of teeth. The acid in the food and drinks that you consume will wear away your tooth enamel, and when the enamel gets thinner, it is now prone to bacteria causing tooth decay. People would often neglect this because they think that after toothbrushing, the acid will be removed from the mouth, however, when you have tooth decay, the bacteria will transfer to the tooth next to that until it invades your whole mouth.
Next in line is the consumption of sugary foods and drinks like ice cream, soda, and many others. It is really hard to avoid these foods because they do taste sweet and delicious. However, the sugar converts acid in your mouth which will also destroy your teeth’ enamel. You don’t have to cut these types of food and drinks in your diet but it is good prevention against tooth decay. Just limit your consumption and follow the oral care routine presented in this article.
Utilize Your Teeth by Chewing Food Only
If you are used to using your teeth in opening a wrapper or cracking nuts, it is time for you to stop doing these things because doing so will only damage your teeth. Your teeth are only meant to chew the foods and sometimes you avoid foods that are hard to chew, afraid of teeth tear down, so there is no way you can use them for other things because they are more than the capacity of your teeth. If you avoid doing these things, the bigger is the chance to keep your teeth stronger than ever and making them last longer.
Use Soft Bristle Toothbrush
The quality of your toothbrush says a lot about your dental health. It may be ideal to use a hard-bristled toothbrush because you think that it will scrub away the food debris stuck in your teeth, but the reality is that it will only damage the enamel of your teeth. Most especially if you use a hard type of toothbrush 3x a day. The use of a soft-bristled toothbrush is very much needed because according to a medical study conducted by dental practitioners it is the safest type of toothbrush that avoids wearing out of the enamel as well as avoiding tissue injuries in your gums. Also, don’t forget to replace your toothbrush every 2-3 months.
Brush Your Teeth Properly
This type of oral care has been discussed since when you are young, so this may sound too cliche to you. But knowing how to brush your teeth is very important because this is the start-up of cleaning your teeth. And yes, there is a proper way of brushing your teeth not the same as the usual brushing technique you once indulge yourself into.
- Brush your teeth the moment you wake up and before you take your breakfast.
- If you like to brush your teeth again, wait for another 30 minutes after breakfast.
- Grip your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle towards the gum line.
- Move the brush in a circular motion on the outside and insides surfaces of your teeth.
- Repeat smooth brushing for each tooth 10-12 times.
- Make sure to spit out all the toothpaste after brushing.
For Your Gums
Quit Smoking
You probably have heard this before through dental advertisements because smoking can make your teeth yellowish creating plaque and tartar. We listed this one under the gum section because not everyone is aware that nicotine in tobacco can eat away your gums. The bacteria will reach your gum line and weaken it causing your teeth to fall off. Moreover, you won’t be able to achieve good oral hygiene if the nicotine makes your gum reddish or darkish. Having a white smile but dark gums is something that you can never be proud of.
Moreover, there is a serious issue that may fall on the habitual smoking and this includes oral cancer. If you often experience canker sore and takes longer to heal than the expected 2-week tissue restoration, you better stop smoking now and have your mouth problem checked by dental professionals.
Chew Sugar-free Gum
A dry mouth can trigger bacteria to grow causing gum disease. In this way, a wet mouth is very much needed for your oral health and the only product that can help you with this is chewing gums. But you need to be careful with the type of gum you will use because most of the gums sold in the market today contain sugar that triggers the growth of cavities in your mouth. Look for sugar-free gums or the ones with xylitol as its ingredient because it stimulates saliva in the mouth without destroying your teeth.
It is time for you to set your mind and not only chew gum after every break if you haven’t brush your teeth yet. Instead, chew gum whenever you want to because the more saliva in your mouth, the less you will be prone to gum disease such as gingivitis and periodontal. The production of saliva also maintains the pH balance in your mouth so that the acid from the foods you eat will not erode your tooth enamel.
Rinse with Salt Water or Mouthwash
The use of oral rinse is not just for your teeth but also for your gums. When you gargle, you will be able to reach and clean your gum line and the insides of the cheeks without much effort. However, some mouthwashes contain alcohol that may kill all bacteria in your mouth including the good bacteria that are needed for healthy oral care. That’s why we have found an alternative way of oral rinse that is very beneficial for your gums.
The use of saltwater as an oral rinse has been proven effective because the natural antiseptic of salt heals whatever wounds you have in your mouth. It can also kill bacteria that are the main cause of tooth decay and oral cavities.
Here is how you can make your own salt water as an oral rinse:
- Boil one cup of water.
- Stir in half a teaspoon of salt and wait until it dissolves.
- Sip the salt water and hold it in your mouth. (Make sure that the temperature of salt water is not too hot.)
- Gargle or swirl the salt water around your mouth for 15-30 seconds.
- Spit out the salt water.
For Your Tongue
Scrape Your Tongue
Cleaning your tongue should be part of your oral hygiene routine. Most of these bacteria that reside in your tongue cause bad breath when not catered to. However, by scraping your tongue, it will be easy to remove these bacteria from your tongue because tongue scrapers are soft and flexible specially designed in order not to damage your tongue while removing the unwanted bacteria. You can put a small amount of toothpaste on the scraper and scrape your tongue slowly from the back up to the front. Your tongue has soft tissues too so make sure that you don’t overdo the scraping because it may lead to canker sores.
Notice the Color Changes of Your Tongue
Look in the mirror and see how the color of your tongue is different from a healthy tongue. If you have a healthy tongue it should be pink with a white coating if the color is beyond that, there is an underlying health problem. Get your vitamins now if your tongue looks pale. If it’s red, you might have an infection in your body or a serious heart problem. So by checking your tongue, you won’t just take good care of your dental health but also for your overall health.
For Your Overall Oral Care
Stay Hydrated
Water is the best drink you can give to yourself to quench your thirst. Luckily, it is also a drink that will do no harm to your mouth. It is not only beneficial for your dental health but also for your body. Drinking 8 cups of water per day will avoid dryness in the mouth avoiding bacteria build-up that causes tooth decay. Moreover, it can be used as an oral rinse with salt according to the methods we have presented above. Water will wash away all food debris and bacteria that are already present in your mouth after eating. Remember that a hydrated mouth is the healthiest mouth you can have for your dental health.
Attend Dental Check-ups
We know we have mentioned above that everything about oral care listed here will only take you minimal spending, so when we say attend dental checkups, this does not mean every week or month. You can visit a dentist twice a year or every 6 months because professional advice and cleanings will help you protect your teeth and gums in the long run. Most especially, if you think that you constantly feel discomfort in your mouth, it is best to visit your dentist right away.
Your dental health is very important and visiting your dentist twice a year won’t cost you a lot. If you follow the methods we have recommended in this article, the only work your dentist will do is to polish your teeth and gums for them to be fully protected from any bacteria and diseases.
Water Floss Your Teeth and Gums Daily
If you are used to using regular dental floss, it is now time to switch to water floss. Using the string is not easy because if you are not going to calculate the pulling motion to remove debris in between your teeth, there is a big chance that you will damage your teeth most especially your gums. It is necessary for your oral care technique to be safe most especially if it creates contact with the soft tissues in your gums.
Water flossing is 2-in-1 prevention for teeth and gums. It can clean the deepest part of your teeth that the usual dental flosser can’t reach. Your gums should never be neglected in your oral hygiene list because these soft tissues are the ones holding your teeth. Once damaged it will result in gum disease such as periodontitis that will trigger your teeth to fall off uncontrollably. Getting a water flosser now for your whole family is never a waste of time and money because it is also proven effective as the best tooth whitener as it can remove tartar and plaque build-up. If you are curious about how water flosser works, check out the video below.
Conclusion
Now you know the ways to take good care of your oral health, there’s nothing stopping you from maintaining a healthy white smile and fresher breath, not even bacteria build-up or cavities! However, if you want to go the extra mile for your oral care, you can always rely on the benefits of getting a dental sealant for your teeth. The coating will protect your teeth from tooth decay which would last for a decade or more!
Disclaimer:
The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen. The author and publisher do not take responsibility for any consequences resulting from the information provided in this article.