Here are 7 tips to maintain oral health.
Did you know? Your oral health gives hints about your overall health. If your mouth isn’t healthy, your body’s health is also affected. Your mouth is an entry passage to your body, and digestive and respiratory tracts are directly connected to it. If harmful bacteria are teeming in, they can proceed in these tracts, infect the body, and can cause diseases.
Everyone craves a healthy body, fitness, body in shape, and does everything in their might to maintain good health. But amidst such “health consciousness” have you ever thought about an important part of being health conscious? It is oral health – something more important than you have realized. It is also known as dental care.
So, here are some of the best practices for healthy teeth and mouth.
What is the connection between oral health and overall health?
The route to your overall health goes through your oral health. Whatever you eat or drink to nourish your body, get energy, and stay healthy has to pass through your mouth. If your mouth is unhealthy, your healthy food will be contaminated too. There are a plethora of bacteria in your mouth that might cause infections like gum disease and tooth decay to name a few.
With good oral care, bacteria and their growth can be checked. To make people aware of the importance, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated every year on 20th March. In 2021, World Dental Federation (FDI) unveiled the three-year theme (2021 – 2023),’ Be Proud of Your Mouth’ for WOHD. The theme is to encourage people to be cautious about the cleanliness of their mouths and overall well-being.
What is Oral Hygiene?
The way we keep our mouth clean and germ-free is through oral hygiene. This is the best and the foremost approach to keep cavities (dental caries) at bay. Maintaining good oral hygiene also prevents dental disorders, periodontitis, bad breath (halitosis), and gingivitis.
By keeping your mouth clean, your general health is positively affected and your quality of life is improved. Poor oral hygiene can lead to various problems and even serious diseases.
So, scroll down to know how to improve your oral hygiene.
Top 7 Ways to Maintain Oral Health
Now you know how seriously we should take our oral health care, here are simple tips that explain to you how to maintain dental health. If you aim for your complete dental care, your mouth will be automatically taken care of. So, get hold of what is a good oral routine with smart tips below –
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Brush Twice Every Day
Since our childhood, we are being told to brush twice a day – first after we wake up in the morning and the second before going to bed. Use soft bristles toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Pay attention to your gum line because it is the place where plaque forms.
Set your brush at an angle of 45 degrees, focusing on gums. Brush for a total of 2 minutes, 30 seconds in each quadrant of your teeth. It helps strengthen your teeth and gums against decay.
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Don’t Skip Flossing and Mouthwash
Flossing is among the top 5 ways to improve your overall dental health. Several toothbrush advertisements claim to clean between the teeth, don’t fall for it. The tiny spaces between your clean can’t be cleaned better than interdental brushes or floss. It is designed particularly for such nooks and crevices. Using floss prevents bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay.
And don’t forget the power of a mouthwash. Do give a thorough rinse to your mouth with a mouthwash after you are done with brushing and flossing. Mouthwash makes your mouth super-clean.
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Clean Your Tongue
Hold your toothbrush on the tongue and gently move it forward and backward. Spit out saliva that comes up while brushing your tongue. Rinse your mouth well as well as the toothbrush with warm water. Clean your tongue as often as you brush your teeth.
You can also use a tongue scraper instead of a toothbrush to clean your tongue. Stick out your tongue as much as possible. Put the tongue scraper on your tongue, press it, and rub it forward and backward. Make sure you prevent gag reflex. Spit out the saliva, rinse your mouth, and scraper
4. Avoid Random Snacking
Try to limit your eating schedule only to three times a day. Keep snacking at a minimum. Random snacking results in the formation of more plaque acid in the mouth. Consequently, the tooth surface becomes vulnerable to decay. This is an underestimated but important point among the 6 tips to maintain oral health.
At times, dental problems occur not because of what we eat but how frequently we eat. Allow your mouth to have some time in between meals. In this period, it will get the chance to recover from every acid formation that results from biting, chewing, and swallowing. If you have to gorge on some mid-time meals, try changing it to juice, milk, cheese, or any light food.
5. Change Your Toothbrush Regularly
You must be using various items in your daily life that are worn out with time and you have to replace those with new ones. The same goes for your toothbrush. Make it an integral part of your oral health care plan to change your toothbrush every three months.
So, keep changing your toothbrush on a regular basis once it starts wearing off is the thumb rule. Because then it doesn’t work as effectively as it should. So, as soon as the bristles of your toothbrush begin losing their shape and look worn out, change it.
6. Quit or Limit Smoking
One of the main causes of gum disease is smoking. As you start with this play of smoke, which is usually considered an alarming sign for your lungs, you don’t realize that it is equally harmful to your gums. So, if you want to know how to have healthy teeth and gums, the first step is to limit or even better, quit smoking.
By smoking, you attract lots of toxins that are known to disguise normal signs and symptoms of gum disease. And your tartar can be more aggressive because of these toxins. Thereby, it attacks your teeth tissue to destroy your teeth. It works much faster on the teeth of a smoker than non-smokers.
7. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Even after you follow all the above steps religiously; it is important to visit your dentist at regular intervals. Go for dental check-ups and cleaning. So, if you are wondering how can I improve my oral health, this is an important approach to it.
You will be checked for any dental issue and its way to cure if any is found. They might also monitor it well as well as suggest to you the remedies if your teeth need fillings or something of that sort. Your dentist will suggest tips or ideas to maintain your home care the best way.
How to Maintain Oral Health?
By following the aforementioned approaches, you can maintain your oral health and have your teeth for a lifetime. Along with those approaches, simply follow the steps below to maintain a healthy mouth and strong teeth –
- Don’t use tobacco products. Quit smoking if you do. Start with limiting your smoking sessions and gradually decrease to zero.
- Limit your alcohol consumption to the minimum possible.
- If you are a diabetic, control the disease as it decreases the risk of other health complications, gum disease being one of those. By getting treatment for your gum disease, your blood sugar level can be brought down.
- Another way for the best oral health care is that if you are on any medication and it causes a dry mouth; consult with your doctor so that the condition is not repeated.
- Combat dry mouth by drinking plenty of water, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and chewing sugarless gum.
- In case of sudden changes in taste and smell, immediately see your dentist or doctor.
- Have protein-rich food.
- If possible, help others to brush and floss their teeth properly. More importantly when they can’t do these activities by themselves.
In Conclusion
In a nutshell, these 6 tips to maintain oral health will be instrumental in having healthy teeth, a healthy mouth, and eventually a healthy body. Practice these tips and any problem related to your teeth and gums will be history or will never pop its head.
