When it comes to improving the condition of your oral health, there are actually a couple of things that you need to bear in mind. Good oral health is achieved not just by brushing and flossing, taking a regular trip to your dentist is also important. Apart from these, there are also proper home care habits that you can observe to provide your teeth and gums the care they deserve. Your oral health and condition is something that you cannot just rely on your dentist, you have a bigger responsibility in order to be able to achieve optimum oral health.
An effective oral hygiene is what you need in order to attain a beautiful and healthy smile. When you brush and floss, it is important that you do them while following the proper techniques because these are the core of a good oral routine.
Here are some tips you can bear in mind to improve the condition of your teeth and gums and your oral health as a whole.
- Proper brushing. Brushing means more than just literally “brushing”. It means that you have to make sure that it’s done with care and done properly. Before anything else, choosing the right toothbrush is vital to make this habit effective. You have to choose a soft bristled toothbrush so that you can avoid causing damage to your gums. You also have to choose the one that fits well in your mouth so that you can reach the back of your permanent teeth especially the chewing surfaces that easily trap food. If you use a toothbrush that is too large for your mouth, you may have a difficulty reaching all the areas of your teeth that need cleaning, thus increasing the risk of tooth decay. When you use soft bristled toothbrush, you can clean the spaces in between your teeth so that you can remove the food particles that are stuck in between.
It is important that you replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months especially when you begin to notice that its tips or ends have already flattened out. If your toothbrush bristles are already worn out, your cleaning will no longer be as effective and that will result in the development of plaque in the end.
- Use fluoride toothpaste when brushing. Fluoride is effective when it comes to providing your teeth the protection they need against cavity causing bacteria. It slows down the decay and the development of cavities which is why your brushing will be more effective when you do it with the help of a fluoride toothpaste.
- Use a mouth rinse before brushing but make sure that it does not contain fluoride. This might be the first time you have heard about this because most people are used to using mouth rinse after brushing. The reason behind this is that when you use mouth rinse (with no fluoride content) can loosen all the food particles stuck in your teeth and which can make brushing easier. Another reason why the mouth rinse should be done before brushing is because this will enable you to retain the fluoride that your teeth got from the fluoride toothpaste.
- Brushing should be done at least twice a day. Every time you eat, plaque can easily form on your teeth surfaces especially when you are not able to brush for long hours. And if plaque lingers on your teeth longer, it can eventually lead to the formation of tartar which will be more difficult to remove and this will give way to the development of decay and cavities.
It would be much better if you brush your teeth after every meal but if this is something that cannot always be possible, you can wash your mouth with water so that you can rinse off the food particles stuck in your teeth as well as the cavity causing bacteria.
- Do not forget to floss, although this is a habit that many people have already been taking for granted. Flossing can help you clean the tiny spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush cannot reach. This can help you avoid decay, cavities as well as gum problems.
For more information on maintaining good oral hygiene, you can call Stamford Dental Spa at (203) 628-2077, or visit us at 124 Broad Street Stamford, 06901.