10 Simple Dental Health Tips to Maintain Oral Hygiene

A good oral hygiene is what you need to keep your mouth, teeth, and gums healthy. Good dental hygiene helps you prevent tooth decay, bad breath, and gum disease. Untreated oral health problems can lead to a plethora of health problems such as heart disease, stroke, memory loss, cancer, even pregnancy complications.  Here, we’ll be giving you ten simple tips to improve your dental health.

Choose the right toothbrush

Softer medium bristles are best for cleaning up the teeth as they do less damage to the tooth’s enamel than hard bristles. Children’s brushes are smaller to fit in kid sized mouths so you could go for specific kids electric toothbrush. For adults, you can pick between manual and electric toothbrush based on your personal preferences.  If you decide on electric, rotating and oscillating heads work best. There are a best electric toothbrush and orthodontic electric toothbrush available in the market.  Whatever you choose, don’t forget to change your toothbrush or toothbrush head at least every two to three months.

Choose the right toothpaste

Toothpaste is coming in paste, powders or gels, as for the ingredients, most commercial toothpastes include fluoride to help fight cavities. Some specifically target plaque and tartar build up while others protect sensitive teeth. To make sure your teeth stay clean and bright, there are many whitening kinds of toothpaste on the market. Natural ingredients are also an option for health-conscious consumers.

Brush correctly

Make sure to brush correctly, there is a right way to brush your teeth. Brush at least twice daily, once in the morning and once before bed, however brushing more than three times a day can harm your teeth’s enamel. You can also damage the enamel by brushing too hard. Make sure to brush for at least two minutes and to get to every part of your mouth that includes hard-to-reach places like the back of your teeth and your tongue that will help fight bad breath.

Floss every day

You can also prevent bad breath and plaque buildup by flossing once a day. Like toothbrushes and toothpaste, you’ll find a variety of different types in your dental care aisle. Unwaxed floss is great for those with evenly spaced teeth but if your teeth are close together waxed floss glides more smoothly. If you have wide spaces try tape floss, flavored floss can help mask bad breath.

Use all the tools at your disposal

Aside from the basics, there are more advanced tools available. Choose a mouthwash based on your needs. You’ll find breath fresheners, gem killers, plaque fighters, whiteners and more on the market. Of course, don’t forget to pop some sugar-free gum in your mouth if you can’t brush your teeth.

Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet will go a long way to keep your mouth healthy too. Celery and apples are ideal choices because they can clean between your teeth after a meal.  Dairy products like cheese and yogurt contain calcium and other ingredients that strengthen your chompers and nuts are chock full of healthy ingredients too.  Your drinks of choice should be water, milk and unsweetened tea number.

Foods to Avoid

Don’t eat foods which are unhealthy for your teeth. Too much sugar or acid can be grade your enamel and foods that stick to your teeth are especially bad. This includes candies, bread, potato chips and even bananas. Of course, soft drinks are a big no-no as are drinks that are full of acid like lemonade. Avoid such foods to keep your mouth healthy.

Keep your teeth white

Keep your teeth white aside from expensive whitening products. You can ensure your smile is bright with the right habits and foods. Fruits and veggies that scrub your teeth are great choices like carrots broccoli and cauliflower while strawberries and oranges polish the surface. Avoid beverages like coffee tea and red wine to reduce the opportunity for stains. if you must drink them try using a straw so the liquid bypasses your teeth.

Home Remedies

Try some home remedies, your kitchen and bathroom cupboards are full of things you can use for your teeth. You can rinse daily with an equal parts mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water for a brighter smile.  Try making your own toothpaste from baking soda and water or you can gargle with apple cider vinegar as a whitening agent.  Some people even think gargling with warm sesame oil can prevent gum disease.

See Your Dentist

Nothing beats the professionals, so in addition to a great daily dental hygiene routine, be sure to visit your dentist at least once every six months. He or she can keep an eye out for tooth decay gum disease or other oral problems and can clean and all the hard-to-reach places you might be missing.

This brings us to the real bottom line that you must take care of your dental health. Adding years to your life and life to your years is your responsibility because oral health is critical for overall good health and only you can make these things happen.

Further Reading: The Connection between Oral Health and Overall Health