10 Great Tips to Maintain Healthy Teeth and Gums

It is important to practice good dental hygiene habits for maintaining strong teeth and healthy gums. It is about some habits such as brushing two times in a day, flossing daily, using a mouthwash and seeing a dentist for routine checkups. But your oral health can lead to teeth cavities and gum disease.

According to research, there is a relation between your dental health and overall condition. Without undergoing any treatment, tooth decay or gum problems may cause extreme pain, tooth loss and problems with confidence level. These problems may cause speech concerns, malnutrition and other challenges in your personal or professional life. Make sure you take proper care of your dental health at home and in the dentist’s clinic. Here are some tips for healthy teeth and gums.  

1. Brush regularly but not forcefully – You should brush teeth twice daily for getting rid of bacteria and plaque and keeping teeth clean. But brushing is effective only when people select the right technique. You need to brush in small and circular motions to brush front teeth, back teeth and top of each tooth. The process takes nearly 2 to 3 minutes and you should not brush in back and forth motion.

Brushing extremely hard or with a hard-bristled toothbrush can cause damage to the tooth enamel and the gums. The effects include tooth sensitivity, gum erosion and permanent damage to the protective teeth enamel. Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and people should change toothbrush in every 3 months or when the ends get frayed.

2. Use fluoride containing toothpaste – By using fluoride toothpaste, it can avoid cavities and is an ingredient in mouthwash and toothpaste. Some dental products do not have fluoride in them and people don’t use it at all. Having lack of fluoride may cause tooth decay even when you take care of teeth. Brushing and flossing do not prevent from getting cavities if they don’t use fluoride.
3. Flossing/interdental brushes daily – Flossing can help to eliminate bacteria and plaque from between the teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach. It can also prevent the problem of bad breath by removing food particles and debris which get trapped between the teeth. Dentists suggest pushing floss gently all the way down to the gum line in upward and downward motions. It is necessary to avoid snapping floss up and down between the teeth, which leads to pain and won’t remove plaque effectively.
4. Visit a dentist regularly – You need to see a dentist once in every 6 months for routine check up and mouth cleanings. The hygienist cleans your teeth and removes tartar and plaque. He will check for any signs of cavities, mouth cancer, gum disease and other dental health concerns. They may sometimes use X-rays to check for the presence of cavities.

As per studies, children and adolescents need to visit a dentist in every 6 months to avoid cavities. But adults who have the habit if practicing good dental hygiene daily and lower risk of oral health concerns may see a dentist less frequently. You need to speak with the dentist about how often you require a checkup. The answer may vary based on the health condition, age and dental health of a person. But anyone who notices change in their mouth should see a dentist.

5. Quit the habit of smoking – Smoking causes harm to the immune system of your body which makes it difficult for the body to heal tissues in the mouth. Having cigarettes is a risk factor for developing gum disease while people who are addicted to smoking might experience slow healing after undergoing a dental treatment. Smoking affects the appearance of your mouth, causing yellowing of the teeth and tongue and gives your breath bad odor.
6. Use a mouthwash – Mouthwashes might be beneficial for your dental health and using a mouthwash with chlorhexidine means an antibacterial ingredient that controls gingivitis and plaque. You can ask the dentist for suitable mouthwash.
7. Restrict the intake of sugary foods and drinks – Consuming a lot of sugar can be the reason for mouth cavities. According to studies, sugar has a vital role in your dental health which causes adverse results, when it is consumed in excess. Candies and desserts are common culprits though processed foods also have added sugar in them.

It is suggested to restrict the intake of sugar as much as possible. This may lessen the risk of developing cavities and other oral concerns. Taking starch-based foods such as bread, crackers, chips and pasta can be the reason for tooth decay. Some of these foods linger in your mouth and they break down in the form of sugars on which the bacteria feed and the acid leads to tooth decay. You should eat lots of fiber-contained vegetables, fruits and dairy products without the added sugar.

8. Drink sufficient amount of water – Sugary beverages are the main source of added sugar in your diet. You may sip on juice, soda or other sugary drinks, causing greater risk of cavities. Drinking unsweetened tea or water during the day and drinking sugar-sweetened drinks in the meal hours can be beneficial to prevent the problem of tooth decay and cavities.

You need to book regular dental check up at smile 4 u today and take care of your oral health.

Smart tips for your kids

The primary teeth of your kid, also called baby teeth, are important like permanent teeth. With baby teeth, your kid can chew and speak properly and they get replaced with the permanent teeth in future. If your child loses a baby tooth due to decay, this may cause disruption to the space in your mouth and make it difficult for adult tooth to develop correctly.

You need to introduce good dental care habits to your kid during infancy.

• Wipe your baby’s gums with warm and wet washcloth daily before they have any teeth. This will eliminate sugars from the gums and help your baby to get familiar with cleaning teeth.
• Babies and toddlers should not go to bed with sippy cups or bottles. Milk and juice have sugars which causes tooth decay when they stay on the teeth for extended periods.
• When your baby is 1 year old, get them used to sippy cup. Try to stop giving bottles by their first birthday.
• Allow kids to drink water from sippy cups between the meals.
• Once your kid has teeth, brush teeth two times a day by using soft baby toothbrush. Use small amount of fluoride toothpaste for cleaning teeth.
• Parents should brush kid’s teeth till they learn to clean all the teeth properly without help. Monitor them to see they spit out the toothpaste.
• Keep toothpaste out of kid’s reach when not in use.
• Take your kid to a dentist within 6 months of their first tooth appearing or when they are one year.
• Parents should not share eating utensils with the kid or clean pacifiers inside the mouth. Both actions can pass adult’s cavity-causing bacteria to the kid.

Practicing good dental care habits from infancy to adulthood can help you to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Brush and floss daily, quit smoking, take healthy diet, and go for routine dental checkups to prevent cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems. It might be beneficial for your overall health.