If you are trying to maintain your oral hygiene, well there are some ABC’s you should be aware of. It is brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and adequately rinsing your mouth, but this is only the beginning of keeping with good hygiene. To have those dazzling pearly whites will take a little more than just squeezing your tube of toothpaste before bed and every morning, avoiding coffee and tea, ditching candy, and saying goodbye to your packet of cigarettes.
Below are simple ways of keeping your teeth healthy for longer.
1. Make a date with your dentist.
You need to ensure you visit your dentist at least twice a year; these frequent visits will help in catching those tooth decay, any gum disease, or cancer, early on when treatment is much more comfortable. You might think the frequent visits will be costly but have you thought of the cost of treating a tooth that is almost dead. But with regular visits, you can catch and treat this early on, which will cost much less. Don’t wait any longer and get a healthy smile with the dentist in midtown now.
2. The young and the old should also book an appointment.
Visiting the dentist applies to every individual; this is including the toddlers and the elderly in your household. Children should make their first appointment as early as one year, an excellent time to also incorporate a brushing routine. As for the elderly, they also have their oral problems that need to be attended to.
3.Cut back on the sugar.
If you have a sweet tooth, well this is a habit you need to cut on if you want to keep your pearly whites for longer. Sugar is the biggest culprit of tooth decay as it easily fuels acidity and bacteria in your mouth. And this is how plaque easily forms and slowly eats away your gums and enamel. As you can see, the sweet tooth has nothing good to offer; you are hit with about 20 minutes of acid production for every sweet treat you get to enjoy.
4. Smoking, another culprit to tooth decay
Nicotine and tar slowly turn your pearly whites to an unpleasant shade of yellow and also slowly eat away your gums. Therefore, that cigarette creates a very ripe environment for bacteria to roam and explore your teeth and gums, and the exploration is not in a good way. It slowly degrades the bones holding your teeth, harms the tissue around, increase the risk of tooth loss, basically the bacteria destroys anything on its path.
5. Get the right toothbrush.
After cutting back on the unwanted commodities, you need to ensure you have the right tool for the job. Get the perfect brush; one with soft bristles. And the proper technique is also required to keep your teeth nice and clean. With every good tool, it will need replacement over time due to wear and tear; thus, a toothbrush should be replaced every two to three months. When you notice there some bent bristles, then it is time to change it.
6. Brush twice a day the right way
Brushing your teeth twice a day or after every meal is not enough. It would help if you incorporated the right technique with your routine. Ensure you have your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle pointed towards your gum line. Once in this position use short, gentle circular motions. For effective cleaning, ensure you have cleaned each tooth about 10 to 15 times. Be gentle because being aggressive does not mean cleaner; you will end up damaging your teeth.