Bad dental hygiene is linked to more than 130,000 emergency room visits in the United States every year. This is because bad dental hygiene can cause a severe infection called periodontal disease that affects your gums and bone tissue surrounding teeth. When left untreated over an extended amount of time or if it is not caught early enough, this condition could lead to tooth loss.
Moreover, bad dental hygiene can also trigger oral cancer, gum disease, and cavities. With that in mind, it is of utmost importance to take care of our teeth and regularly visit a dentist clinic like DentalX Clinic for checkups. This article will give you tips on how to improve your dental hygiene routine.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day
Brushing and flossing are the most basic steps of good dental hygiene. They will prevent plaque from building up, which can then lead to tartar buildup, cavities, or gum disease if not taken care of on time. Brushing is essential since it works as an exfoliant, removing the top layer of plaque from your teeth. Moreover, brushing will remove any sort of food particles or other debris stuck in between your gums and tooth surfaces that could lead to inflammation if not taken care of quickly. Flossing is just as important because it cleans out bacteria build-up below the gum line. Remember to pull the floss gently away from the gum line so as not to hurt them or cause any bleeding.
Use a mouthwash at least once per day
A regular mouthwash will help you get rid of the bacteria that is caused by poor dental hygiene. Mouthwashes are great to use after brushing or flossing, which helps clean out your entire oral cavity and improve its overall healthiness. If a mouthwash has alcohol in it, then make sure you spit it out since alcohol can cause tooth sensitivity and other dental problems if left in the mouth for a long time. If you are sensitive to alcohol or cannot use alcohol-based mouthwash, then there are other alternatives you can use. Some of these include antiseptic mouth rinses that contain chlorhexidine or cetylpyridinium chloride as the active ingredient. You can also opt for a natural alternative like oil pulling, which has been said to be effective in cleaning out your teeth naturally by removing bacteria from them. Oil pulling involves taking about one tablespoon of coconut, sesame seed, or sunflower oils and gargling it in your mouth for 10-20 minutes daily to remove bacteria from the teeth and gums.
Brush your tongue daily for fresh breath and a healthier mouth
The type of bacteria that grows on the surface of our tongues is different from those found in other parts inside our mouths. Therefore it requires a specific form to get rid of them as well as bad breath. Brushing one’s tongue 2-3 times daily will help reduce the number of bacteria on your tongue and improve overall oral health. Brushing one’s mouth can be especially helpful for people who suffer from dry mouth since it will increase saliva flow, which is essential to keeping one’s teeth and gums healthy and giving a fresher breath smell.
Rinse out your mouth with a saline solution after drinking alcohol
Drinking alcoholic beverages can lead to bad breath and increase the number of bacteria found in our mouths. Therefore, it is good practice to rinse out one’s mouth right after having one or two drinks as this helps prevent tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. Make sure you use a non-alcohol-based mouthwash or have some water handy to help rinse out the alcohol from your teeth and mouth.
There are also other practices you incorporate into your daily life to improve the health of your mouth. For example, not smoking cigarettes, cutting back on the number of sweets and snacks you eat, and limiting how much coffee or tea drinks that one consumes can be beneficial in reducing plaque buildup.
By doing these simple steps, you can improve the condition of your mouth and its overall healthiness. It is worth mentioning that even though brushing, flossing, and other oral hygiene methods work great to prevent tooth decay, cavities, or gum disease, it does not completely protect one from getting them in general. For this reason, it is important to keep up with routine visits to the dentist as well. If you do get a bad toothache or experience any sort of dental problem, make sure you visit your local dentist’s office immediately so they can help alleviate pain and provide treatment.
