At-Home Oral Healthcare Tips
In the US, many of the most common healthcare problems are oral issues: tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease. In particular, gum disease affects around half of all US adults and is a major cause of adult tooth loss. Fortunately, all of these issues are largely preventable by practicing good at-home oral healthcare and seeing your dentist a couple of times a year.
Include these tips in your oral health care regimen at home, and you’ll benefit from improved oral health for a lifetime.
Daily Oral Care: Brushing, Flossing, and Mouthwash
Having a reliable routine is the single most important thing you can do for your oral health. Adopt a thorough regimen that includes regular brushing, flossing, and mouthwash use. For best results:
- Brush after every meal. If this isn’t possible, aim to brush twice a day—after breakfast, and at night.
- Floss once a day, to remove food particles between teeth, that brushing can’t easily reach.
- Use an antiseptic mouthwash once a day, to help reduce bacterial activity.
Adopt a Mouth-Healthy Diet
Your diet has a significant effect on your oral health because the food you eat doesn’t just feed you but it also feeds the bacteria that live in your mouth. In these terms, sugar is public enemy number one, because the oral bacteria that are responsible for tooth decay feed on sugar. These bacteria metabolize sugar into plaque acids, which they deposit on teeth. If the plaque isn’t removed it hardens into tartar, which leads to the beginning stages of gum disease and tooth decay.
Fortunately, there are several ways you can modify your diet to protect your oral health. And these modifications are great for your general health too!
Limit dietary sugar, and if possible brush your teeth after eating sugary food or drinks. If brushing isn’t possible, chew sugar-free gum. This stimulates saliva production, which helps protect your teeth from plaque acids.
Add more crisp, crunchy fruits and veggies to your diet. High fiber crunchy produce is great for your oral health because the crisp textures help to scrape plaque off your teeth. Moreover, the bonus, these foods are rich in nutrients and fiber and are good for your whole body.
Avoid Bad Habits
Certain habits aren’t great for your oral health, while some can affect the appearance of your smile. For instance, chewing ice—which seems harmless—can cause your teeth to break or fracture. This can be very painful and may require dental treatment to fix the tooth.
Then there are the tooth-staining beverages, such as tea, coffee, and red wine. Drinking these beverages can lead to heavy tooth staining. Whitening treatments can work wonders, and cutting down on these drinks can help prevent further staining.
Finally, smoking and tobacco products, which are definitely not good for your general health, but they affect the health of your teeth and gums too. Tobacco stains the teeth, and tobacco products increase your risk of developing severe gum disease. To safeguard your oral health, giving up tobacco is a great step forward.