Are you doing justice to your oral health? Do you overlook it saying you are blessed with good teeth and gums? Take a moment to think about your own  dental health. Developing good hygiene methods and maintaining them is not expensive, time-consuming or difficult but can lead to so many worthwhile benefits for the mouth and our overall well being.

Here is a simple guide to follow on your way to a life of good oral hygiene….                                        

Brushing

Brushing is the most significant and first line of defense against plaque, tartar, stains, gum disease, and tooth decay. It should go without saying but, if you want to maintain good dental hygiene, you need to brush twice a day. Twice a day is recommended as a reasonable minimum. Brushing your teeth before going to bed is the most important as your saliva flow is reduced when you sleep, so it can’t help to wash away food debris. 

According to the best dentists of Mumbai, it doesn’t matter how often you brush, but how well you brush is what determines whether you’re killing those tooth-destroying bacteria or not. 

Want to brush correctly? Pay attention to these four checkpoints-

1. How long do you brush: The best dentists in Mumbai recommend brushing for two minutes. 
2. How thoroughly do you brush: Waking up in the morning and quickly running the brush over your teeth won’t work. You have to make sure you take the brush to the outer, inner and chewing surface of each tooth. Moreover, If you use an electric toothbrush,it will be a good idea to let the bristles rest over each tooth for at least four to six seconds.
3. How do you move the brush: A manual toothbrush needs to be angulated towards the gums and moved in circular motion over each tooth. Clean the entire surface of every tooth. Pay attention to moving it on the chewing surface, the cheek side, and the tongue side.
4. Which toothbrush do you use and when do you replace it– Pick a soft brush with rounded bristles. There are lots of different shapes and sizes available in the market. You should choose the one that lets you reach the teeth at the very back of your mouth or ask your dentist to suggest the best one for you. Consider replacing your toothbrush every three months.

Interdental cleaning

Why is interdental cleaning so important to maintain good oral hygiene, you may ask? Doesn’t improve your pearly whites, doesn’t remove nasty stains and  doesn’t freshen your breath. What it does do is remove plaque and bacteria that cannot be taken care of with tooth brushing alone. 

When food particles get stuck between your pearly whites, they tend to breed bacteria and create plaque. Eventually, if that plaque is not cleaned, it hardens into tartar, which will inflame your gums and eat away at your teeth. All of this leaves you with periodontal disease, receding gums, tooth decay, and, eventually, tooth loss.

The best dentists in Mumbai recommend cleaning between your teeth at least once a day, either with dental floss,  dental floss pick, interdental brushes or an electric water flosser, to ensure that plaque never gets the chance to harden into tartar between your teeth and you have good oral hygiene.

Are you simply putting the dental floss between your teeth and yanking it out? No, that’s not enough. Go through our blog ‘Floss like a boss’ to know the correct technique.

Avoid Sugar: Your Teeth’s Biggest Enemy  

There’s nothing new if I say sugar is bad for your teeth, and how eating sweets almost always leads to cavities. Let’s look at but how exactly does this happen?

We all have bacteria in our mouth, more than the people on Earth. These bacteria act like a magnet for sugar. Bacteria thrive on these sugars and produce a great deal of harmful acids that damage the teeth and ultimately cause cavities. This is the reason why dentists always advise to cut down on sugar: the more you do, the less chances these bad bacteria have of harming our teeth.

It doesn’t stop there, though. There are plenty of other ways to improve your oral care efforts and combat tooth decay and other dental problems.

1. Stay away from sticky foods.
2. Do not sip sugary drinks for long.
3. Swap out soda with water.
4. Reduce snacking; which helps reduce the production of acid in the mouth.
5. Reduce the consumption of sugars-sweetened beverages.       
6. Visit your dentist regularly

Do you think your teeth are in good health? Yes or no, it’s smart to see a dentist twice a year. It is important to understand that dental problems never get better on their own, but they can be surprisingly quick and painless to fix, so don’t put off finding an excuse.

In the beginning, a little cavity can be managed with a simple filling. A big cavity becomes a big problem. Later, it can cause suffering and swelling.  Regular checkups with your dentist allow you to catch cavities before they turn into bigger problems. 

Another vital part of maintaining good dental health is getting regular professional cleanings. 

The Takeaway

Once your oral health is gone, it’s difficult to get back. No matter how healthy your teeth and gums are presently, it’s worth making an effort to ensure that they stay the same way. Investing just a few minutes a day in your oral hygiene will definitely give good returns in the long run.

Want more good tips?

At The Dental Bond, we do everything we can to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. Eventually, that can mean the difference between good dental hygiene and a lifetime of  dental problems. Want more tips and tricks for keeping a healthy mouth? Visit our website www.thedentalbond.com