Why do healthy teeth matter?
Oral health and hygiene is the window to your overall health. This is why having healthy teeth is important. The primary reason is the control of bacterial load in your mouth. When there is excessive bacterial growth in your mouth, it damages not just your teeth and gums, but your overall health. This is because an increased bacterial load in your mouth can easily enter your digestive system and cause complications.
Healthy teeth are essential for good health. However oral health problems are inevitable unless you take the right measures to protect them with utmost care. Here are a few tips to keep your teeth healthy –
Following the Oral Care Regime
Brush your teeth twice a day
The simplest thing that dentists recommend for good oral hygiene is brushing your teeth, twice day. Spending 4 minutes (2 minutes at a time) brushing your teeth every day can help you escape the majority of dental issues. Especially before bed, make it a point to brush your teeth. An effective toothpaste should do a good job of remineralising the teeth and is able to remove stains without damaging the enamel. Choose a toothpaste that doesn’t contain any strong abrasives or toxic ingredients like Titanium Dioxide, Triclosan, Sodium Saccharin, etc. Ideally, a toothpaste that uses a fluoride substitute like Nano Hydroxyapatite is highly recommended and is quite effective. Electric Toothbrush is beneficial in holistically cleaning the teeth as one need not apply unnecessary pressure on teeth and timed brushing avoids under or over brushing.
Tongue Cleaning
Along with your gums and teeth, pay some attention to your tongue as well. Recently brushes come with a tongue cleaner, which is not so efficient. Cleaning your tongue using a tongue cleaner can help prevent bacterial buildup to a great extent. Leaving your tongue uncleared is known to be a major reason for bad breath. Sometimes, it is also recommended to brush your tongue mildly to keep it free from bacterial buildup.
Floss
In addition to brushing every day, flossing is extremely beneficial for oral hygiene. Flossing is usually difficult with the nylon flosses available in the market. People spend a lot of time and still end up with an uncleaned mouth. The best alternative is to use a smart water flosser.
Mouthwash
A mouthwash helps to prevent bad breath and helps to remove plaque. Rinsing with mouthwash is the easiest way to ward off bad breath and keep your mouth fresh after every meal. An alcohol free mouthwash is highly recommended as it is mild and has no burning sensation.
Things to take care of:
Drinking sufficient water
The human body is made up of more than 70 per cent water. Drinking water after every meal is a must to wash off the residual food and its effects. Especially after eating sweet or acidic food, drinking water can neutralise and clear up the food that remains. Usually, it is this food that remains that the bacteria thrive and cause damage in. Drinking water can thereby reduce the chance of bacterial buildup.
Eating Crunchy Food
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are crunchy doesn’t just add fibres, but also makes sure that your jaws work fine. This is essential for people at a very young age. Crunchy food while chewing also helps to remove plaque deposition to some extent. This can also help you in escaping cavity and bacterial film formation.
Avoid Sugar
Higher consumption of sugar and acidic food is the main reason for dental cavities. The sugar in the food we consume gets converted to acids. These acids wear the enamel down exposing the nerves on the teeth. This is the reason behind sensitive teeth. Beverages like tea and coffee can also cause corrosion in the enamel of your teeth.
Regular Dental Check-Up
Just like a master health check-up, a regular oral check-up is also mandatory for healthy teeth. Visit your dentist at least twice a year. This can help you identify problems in your oral health at a very early stage. Also, a dentist visit includes flossing and regular clean up. This makes sure that the plaque deposited is cleaned and stops further bacterial growth.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking is one of the root causes of gum diseases. Smoking usually weakens the immune system and causes delays in healing. Just like every other wound, gums and teeth are also prone to injuries and wounds. Smoking increases complications and delays the healing of damaged gums. Further, it also causes yellowing of teeth and bad odour which is a sign of bad oral health.