Teeth are a pretty sensitive part of the human body. They are easily prone to damage by a number of factors including unhygienic practices and changing food habits, etc. If you want to enjoy life to the rim, you must achieve sound oral health and for that you have to take proper care of your mouth consistently. It is a sad truth that a one of every three adult Britons does not possess sound oral health as they suffer from typical issues like tooth decay or gum disease (usually gingivitis – the early stage of the dreadful problem). According to some leading and experienced dentists in London the major reasons that lead to poor health are habitual smoking and consumption of alcohol
Poor oral health or poor oral hygiene is dangerous as it makes one prone to a number of major health conditions including stroke, blood sugar or diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and much more. The basics of achieving sound oral health include proper brushing and floss the teeth every day. Along with that you should follow a few more tips diligently every single day to keep your teeth, gums and the overall mouth healthy, strong and free from diseases.
In the following sections of this post let us explore few such tried and tested strategies to make life easier and more colourful for you.
Brush the teeth properly twice a day
The first step to achieve a healthy mouth free from diseases is to brush the teeth properly twice every day. Brush the mouth thoroughly once in the morning before starting your day and at night before retiring to bed. Many dentists even recommend brushing the teeth after each meal to keep the mouth clean from harmful plaques and food particles that may remain stuck between the teeth. Ideally your toothbrush should have a small head to cover the entire mouth easily along with soft bristles suggests a prominent Wimbledon dentist so that it is possible to avoid any kind of damage to the soft tissues in the gums or the natural enamel structure of the tooth.
On the other hand your toothpaste must contain a fluoride base. You should hold the toothbrush at an angle of forty five degrees with the teeth and apply gentle pressure of the arm while brushing. You should never ever brush vigorously thinking that way you better clean your mouth. Always move the toothbrush in small circular motions along the teeth to make your brushing more effective in cleaning out harmful plaques and food debris. Brush in smaller sections and make it a point to cover all the three surfaces of the teeth. Every time you brush the teeth you should clean the tongue too. Just scrape the tongue with the bristles of the toothbrush to remove harmful plaque build-ups. When you clean your tongue regularly, your breath becomes fresh and you have lesser chances of developing typical oral health issues like cavities and gum diseases.
Once the brushing is over you should rinse the mouth thoroughly with plain water. Every time just brush the teeth for a couple of minutes. In other words you spare not more than just half a minute or 30 seconds to clean each quadrant of the mouth. Once the bristles of your toothbrush starts wearing down, you should replace the toothbrush with a new one. Usually this takes about 3 to 4 months.
Floss the teeth once daily
Flossing every day is another basic step to achieve sound oral hygiene. Brushing the teeth is not sufficient to achieve excellent oral hygiene. The bristles of any toothbrush fail reaching into every nook and corner between the teeth to bring out harmful plaques and stuck food particles. This is where regular flossing proves relevant in maintaining excellent oral hygiene. You need an 18 inches long floss ribbon; wrap it around your fingers of both the hands. However you have to leave a few inches for flossing explains a busy dentist in Wimbledon. Now start flossing around each tooth using both upside down and back and forth movements of the fingers. The index finger and the thumb are most effective to carry out this activity.
While flossing the teeth it is important to clean the gums too. Make use of a newer section of the floss while cleaning each area of the mouth to avoid reinsertion of the harmful bacteria and plaques into different sections of a tooth.
Build the habit of rinsing the mouth well after every meal
You should rinse the mouth thoroughly with plain water after completing each meal. This helps clearing away food debris stuck between the teeth to a large extent. These stuck food debris often leads to issues like tooth decay and gum disease. It is indeed necessary to clear away these tiny bits of food from the mouth without any delay. Rinsing the mouth thoroughly with a mouthwash is also a great idea to maintain sound oral hygiene. This proves even more helpful when you consume a lot of sweetened or acidic foods or drinks.
It is better to use a mouthwash that contains chlorine dioxide or Listerine explains a renowned Wimbledon dentist. Daily use of mouthwash helps maintaining good oral hygiene up to some extent or the other for those who cannot brush or floss the teeth properly. Some of the basic advantages of using a mouthwash are as following –
- Reduces acidic environment in your mouth which is harmful for your teeth and the gums and converts it to alkaline
- Provides re-mineralisation of the teeth to fight cavities and other diseases better
- Provides deeper clean to the areas where the bristles of a toothbrush or a dental floss cannot reach
- Provides you with a fresh breath instantly
Follow an all-round balanced diet
Calcium and phosphorous are utmost helpful for the teeth to remain healthy strong and free from diseases. Vitamin C – on the other hand – is necessary for proper gum health. Re-mineralising of the teeth is necessary from time to time which is done by sufficient consumption of foods that are rich n calcium and phosphorous. Dairy products that are low in fat content are your best bet to provide the necessary calcium supply to your body.
Typical examples include cheese, milk and yogurt. Additionally there are options like greenie, leafy and crunchy vegetables, canned salmon, lentils, beans, almonds and others. Dentists at the widely trusted SW19 Confidental Dental Clinic in Wimbledon London suggest regular consumption of eggs, fish, lean meat, nuts, beans and dairy items provides you with sufficient phosphorous. Vitamin C comes from citrus fruits, tomatoes, spinach and other fresh and juicy fruits. Maintaining a balanced diet is necessary to ensure sound oral health in the long run they suggest.
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