Tips for Improving Your Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene is a keystone to your overall health. By taking care of your mouth, you can avoid serious health issues down the road and save money by not requiring costly medical or dental procedures to correct issues. Everybody has heard that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day, and floss every night, but is this enough? Let’s take a look at some of the other ways that you can be at the top of your game when it comes to dental hygiene.

Keep a Toothbrush On-Hand

Sometimes, life gets in the way of keeping your teeth clean. If you work in an office and end up with a lunch that sticks in your teeth, it is great to have a toothbrush there with you to get rid of any food particles. You may end up having to work late or spend the night somewhere unexpectedly. Keep a toothbrush in your briefcase or somewhere else that you have easy access to. You should keep a cover on this toothbrush to prevent dust, germs, or other outside elements from accumulating.

Correctly Floss

When you are flossing, you should be removing any food particles that get caught in your teeth and gums. Your toothbrush is unable to reach about 40% of the surface of your teeth, so you need to floss to get the surface area that you are missing. You need to go into your gums while flossing. C shape flossers can make the whole process very easy. You should not have to use too much pressure, or you may damage your gums if you are not careful.

Once you are done flossing, you should also give your mouth a quick rinse with water. The floss will remove debris and germs from between your teeth, but it will not remove them from your mouth. By rinsing your mouth, you are flushing out anything that the floss knocked loose.

Use Electric Toothbrushes

Electric toothbrushes are a great way to make sure that you are taking proper care of your mouth. The vibration created by an electric toothbrush can help break up and remove food particles stuck in your teeth. Many electric toothbrushes have a built-in timer that will let you know when you have been brushing your teeth for two minutes, taking the guesswork out of how long you need to keep brushing.

Electric toothbrushes require less effort than traditional brushes, which require you to move your brush in small circles over your teeth to thoroughly clean them. Instead, electric toothbrushes can effectively clean your teeth with less pressure and effort. Just guide the toothbrush around your mouth and let it work its magic.

Keep Your Tongue Clean

Everyone cleans their teeth when they brush, but not everyone remembers to give their tongue some attention. Your tongue is home to bacteria that can cause plaque buildup or halitosis if you do not get a handle on them. Gently give your tongue a brush when cleaning the rest of your mouth to get rid of some of these bacteria. You can also utilize mouthwash to help keep your tongue clean.

Conclusion

All in all, dental hygiene is extremely important. By following these tips and tricks, you should be able to take your dental health even higher and avoid future dental problems. Take care of your mouth and it will take care of you as well!

Some people seem to believe that orthodontics treatments are purely cosmetic and only serve to generate a more beautiful smile. While a nice smile (and the positive self-esteem boost that goes along with it) is certainly a major benefit of orthodontics, looks are far from the only reason to undergo orthodontics treatments. In fact, straighter teeth have a wide range of health benefits and will greatly impact the quality of life you experience as a result. While some of these involve oral health, the impacts may be farther ranging than you expect.

Hygiene Routine is Easier with Straighter Teeth

The key to a good oral hygiene routine is the ability to clean all the nooks and crannies and space in between the teeth by brushing and flossing. When you are dealing with crooked or overlapping teeth, it can become immensely more difficult to properly clean your teeth. Without proper hygiene, you have a much higher plaque buildup, which can cause numerous problems, including bad breath and gum disease. Beyond oral health, there is also a correlation between plaque buildup and heart disease, so the health benefits are wide-ranging.

Your Daily Life Can Also Be Improved

There is also a major benefit to your quality of life by having straighter teeth. Poorly aligned teeth place added stress on the jawbone and gums that they aren’t properly prepared to handle. This additional wear and tear on these essential support structures actually can cause chronic headaches, as well as overall face or neck pain. In addition, the adjustments you make to eating food with the out-of-alignment teeth can exacerbate this strain and pain. There are substantial and noticeable benefits to your everyday life that come with having straighter teeth.

Don’t Underestimate the Benefits of Self-Esteem

As mentioned before, orthodontics treatment will give you a nicer looking smile – and that is more than cosmetic. Often, with a nicer smile, you can notice a boost in confidence and self-esteem, both of which can have positive personal and health benefits. A boost in these factors will generally include a somewhat decreased stress or anxiety level. When stress levels are lowered, there are various stress-related conditions that benefit, including cardiovascular health. So, while it may not be a direct effect of the orthodontics treatment, the move to straighter teeth can have wide-ranging effects.

Appearances are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many reasons to get orthodontics treatment. The health benefits to straighter teeth are concrete, noticeable, and absolutely worthwhile.

We look forward to serving you! Contact us to get your appointment scheduled and begin your journey to a more confident smile.

Posts