Preventative Dental Care: 6 Tips to Improve Your Overall Oral Hygiene

It’s important to take care of your teeth and gums if you want to avoid cavities, gum disease and other serious dental problems. Maintaining good oral hygiene should be a priority in your life, and you might need to modify your routine to get better results. Following these six oral hygiene tips can improve your overall dental health.

Brush Using the Proper Techniques

Brushing your teeth twice a day using the proper techniques can clean your teeth and gums more thoroughly. Your toothbrush should be held at a 45-degree angle to the gums as you brush. To avoid irritating the gums and damaging tooth enamel, try brushing using short and gentle strokes. Your toothbrush should be held in an upright position as you clean the inner surfaces of your teeth using an up-and-down motion.

Floss Correctly

Regular flossing can remove the food particles that get caught in between teeth. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association recommends winding an 18-inch piece of floss around each middle finger and pinching it with each thumb and index finger to hold it securely in place as you floss. A gap of about one to two inches should be left between your hands so that you have enough string to get in between each tooth. Use a zig-zig motion to get the floss in between the teeth and wrap the floss around the side of each tooth. You can then clean in between your teeth by going up and down against the surface of each tooth below the line of the gums.

Replace Your Toothbrush Regularly

The bristles on your toothbrush will eventually fray and become weak, which makes them less capable of cleaning properly. It is generally recommended that you throw out your old toothbrush and start using a new one every three months. If you find that your toothbrush’s bristles are wearing down sooner than three months, you might be brushing too vigorously.

Use Mouth Rinse

There are mouth rinses that you can use before and after you brush to give the inside of your mouth a more thorough cleaning. Certain rinses that are used before brushing are formulated to break up plaque deposits and kill more germs. Mouthwash is great to use after you brush and will make your breath smell fresher. Certain products contain alcohol, which may cause dry mouth and other problems, but you can find some mouth rinses in stores that are alcohol-free.

Chew on Sugarless Gum

Contrary to popular belief, chewing on gum can actually be goof for your oral health. The act chewing causes your mouth to salivate more, which helps in neutralizing acids that are known to be harmful to teeth. It’s important that the gum you chew doesn’t contain any sugar that might cause cavities.

See Your Dentist for Checkups

Your dentist will examine the inside of your mouth to identify any problems. Your dentist can also administer preventative dental care treatments to keep your teeth and gums healthier. During your checkup, you can even get a thorough teeth cleaning with specialized instruments that are designed to polish the surface of each tooth.

Adopting a good oral hygiene routine can greatly benefit your oral health. By making a few simple changes, you’ll be able to enjoy healthy teeth and gums for life.

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top