10 Tips for healthy teeth!

Oral hygiene is one of those boring things we need to do every day in order to secure our natural sheen.

Our daily habits can make our break our glimmering grin.

The right habits though, can be easy and straightforward enough, to adopt and keep for life.

For example:

1. Less sugary and acidic foods

Acid tends to erode the enamel of your teeth.  This erosion ultimately leads to the oral cavities, we so despise. Sugar is converted to acid inside your mouth causing the same thing. Less sugar, better teeth.

2. Avoid using your teeth for anything other than chewing

Using your teeth to open nutshells, beers or any use, other than chopping down that food of yours, may result into chipping, or even breaking your teeth.

3. Floss your teeth

Flossing should be a daily ritual as sometimes food gets stuck in between teeth and a toothbrush may be ineffective for these areas. Incorporate flossing into your daily routine, to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis. Wrap the floss tightly around your finger and insert in the space between your teeth. Gently slide it up and down under the gumlines two to three times. If bleeding occurs, this is most likely due to gingivitis or gum disease. When flossing daily, the bleeding associated with mild to moderate gingivitis usually stops after about two weeks.

4. Use a fluoride toothpaste

Fluoride has been controversial about its impact on other areas of health, however when it comes to oral health, is king. Fluoride hardens the enamel of the teeth and fights germs that lead to tooth decay. Use a toothpaste with at least 1450 ppm fluoride. Do not swallow, but don’t rinse your mouth thoroughly. You want some of that fluoride to stay on your teeth.

5. Drink more water.

Drinking water after every meal, will help wash away acidic or sticky food and help us freshen up a bit.

6. Brush at least twice a day

Once is definitely not enough. Twice is good considering you’re brushing your teeth in a proper manner (see 8).

7. Frequent dental visits

As an average, we should visit our dentist twice a year but that really depends on the status of your oral cavity health. This could mean that a rather troubled mouth may have to go for a dental check up every 3 months, whereas for a healthy one, once a year will suffice.

8. Brush thoroughly but with proper technique.

Proper brushing doesn’t just mean scrubbing that toothbrush hard against your teeth. Move the toothbrush in a gentle, circular motion to remove plaque. If plaque is left intact, it will harden overtime leading to gum disease.

9. Use a mouthwash, but timing matters

A mouthwash right after brushing may not be ideal as it may wash away all that precious fluoride from the toothpaste. But as a standalone, it reduces the amount of acid in the mouth, cleans hard-to-brush areas in and around the gums, and re-mineralizes the teeth!

10. Try a Sugar-free chewing gum!

Your gum-chewing habit may come in handy for a healthy grin. Chewing gum increases saliva flow and washes out food particles and acid from the mouth!