Your teeth make a big difference in your appearance and your confidence, so it is important to have a healthy oral hygiene routine. Part of this routine includes understanding what a healthy smile looks like. Healthy gums are pink and do not get sore or bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. If your oral health is good, your teeth feel clean, not “fuzzy” and you don’t constantly have bad breath.
A Healthy Routine for Optimal Oral Health
Most people understand that brushing and flossing are critical aspects of ideal oral health, but there are additional techniques that need to be incorporated.
Brushing Your Teeth
- Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle pointed towards the gum line
- Brush your teeth for 2 minutes, spending 30 seconds in each quadrant of your mouth
- Brush all the surfaces of your teeth, tops, and sides
- Brush your teeth twice a day
Flossing Your Teeth
- Use about 45 centimeters of floss and wrap each end around each of your pointer fingers and gently slide it between your teeth
- Follow the curve of your teeth to avoid damaging your gums
- Floss your teeth at least once a day
- Make sure to floss your molars as well
After brushing and flossing it is helpful to finish off with mouthwash. Sip a small amount of mouthwash and swish it around in your mouth for 30-40 seconds then spit it out. It is also a good idea to clean your tongue with either your toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Make sure to finish off by rinsing your mouth with plain water.
Each time you perform your cleaning routine examine your mouth to make sure there are no abnormalities. If you do see something, contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Regular Dental Visits
Visiting your dentist on a regular basis is an important part of your ideal oral health program. Routine cleanings remove hardened plaque and allow your dentist to see any beginning signs of decay. Catching any potential threats to teeth early on makes correcting the problem much easier on you physically, and financially. A small cavity takes very little effort to fix and is much less expensive than having root canal therapy, an extraction, or receiving a dental implant.
Nutrition Matters
Crisp fruits and vegetable and plenty of plain water contribute greatly to ideal oral health. Avoiding sugar is also important as it is the number one food source for the bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease.
Chewing sugarless gum promotes the production of saliva, which necessary to prevent dry mouth, a condition that can speed up both gum disease and tooth decay.
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