Good oral hygiene is an absolute essential to keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Aside from keeping your teeth looking bright and sparkling, good oral hygiene is vital in preventing dental issues such as cavities, gum disease, sensitive teeth and cracked teeth.
Whilst most of us are probably convinced that we practice healthy oral hygiene habits, chances are there are more things one can do to improve on their dental health.
In today’s article, we look at 4 dental habits to inherit in 2020, so read on to find out more!
1. Regular Dental Checkups
You’ve probably heard it before – regular dental checkups are something that all of us should be doing.
Unfortunately, the majority of people tend to slack on dental checkups and head into the dentists clinic only when things go awry. Regular dental check ups are important as they keep your gums and teeth healthy.
A qualified home care packages would advise that everyone should aim for a visit once every six months.
This allows for your dentist to give your teeth a good clean, suss out any potential issues that you may be facing with your gums and teeth and remove any plaque build up which could lead to cavities, bad breath and even more serious issues such as abcessed teeth or periodontitis.
2. Three Times A Day
Brushing three times a day may sound excessive to some, but in reality, it makes complete sense.
Most of us consume three meals a day, meaning that food and bacteria can get stuck between our teeth after each meal. Dentists recommend that everyone brushes their teeth three times a day in order to remove plaque, reduce bacteria and keep teeth clean.
It is extremely important that you brush no just frequently, but also with correct technique. When brushing your teeth, you should do so in small circular motions, taking care to brush the front, back, top and bottom of each and every tooth.
This process of brushing should take you between 2-3 minutes, and you should always avoid brushing in a sawing motion. As always, it is important to remember to brush your teeth before you go to sleep.
Brushing your teeth too hard or with a hard-bristled toothbrush can often cause bleeding and damage to gums and tooth enamel. This is why most people should use either a medium or soft bristled brush and brush gently but firmly.
Toothbrushes should also be replaced once every three months, or when bristles start to look frayed.
3. Pay Attention To Your Diet
Sugary sodas, fast food, candy and coffee are all convenient, on the go foods that many of us indulge in.
Unfortunately, they are also the same foods that affect our dental health for the worse. Sugar converts to acid in the mouth which can cause the enamel on our teeth to erode. Acidic beverages such as juice, carbonated sodas, coffee and tea can also wear down our enamel over time.
Aside from causing enamel to erode, sugar foods and foods high in starch content have been linked to causing cavities. Because these foods break down into simple sugars that linger in the mouth, they highly increase the risk of bacteria build up which can cause tooth decay.
Dentists recommend that people eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, limit sugary or acidic foods and encourage the consumption of high calcium products such as yoghurt, milk and cheese to strengthen teeth.
4. Don’t Neglect Interdental Cleaning
Whilst most of us are great with brushing our teeth a number of times a day, many people tend to forget about interdental cleaning.
Interdental cleaning refers to flossing your teeth at least once a day, in order to remove any food debris that may remain in between each tooth. There are many nooks in the dental structure of our teeth that make it impossible to 100% clean with just a toothbrush.
This is why flossing is so essential, as it helps us remove remains of food and plaque that toothbrushes alone cannot get rid of. If you encounter bleeding while flossing, don’t panic.
Bleeding gums during flossing are simply a sign of an even greater need to floss your teeth. Continue flossing even if you find out that your gums bleed, and over time, you will find that frequent flossing actually assist in preventing bleeding gums.
We hope that this article has given you some useful information about dental health and how you can go about improving on your dental habits in 2020.