A bright, confident and healthy smile not only looks good, it helps to improve your overall health. Your mouth is a key indicator of your general health. Poor dental hygiene can lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and lung infections. Therefore, to have spotless teeth and gums, you need to follow a consistent and scientific routine.
By including these professional dental hygiene tips into your daily routine, you’ll be able to avoid tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and keep your natural teeth looking brilliant.
1. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day
Brushing your teeth may seem like an easy task to do, however millions of people fail to do this properly. How you brush will determine the health of your teeth and gums.
- Two minute rule: Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time – one in the morning and one before bed. Split your mouth into 4 sections and brush for 30 seconds.
- Modified Bass Method: Angle your toothbrush at 45 degrees to your gums. Gently move your toothbrush in short vibratory movements or in small circles. Do not saw your toothbrush across your teeth as this will damage your enamel and recede your gums.
- Brush all sides: Brush the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of your teeth.
- Brush at night: Always brush your teeth at night as your saliva levels drop greatly whilst you sleep. This will leave your mouth vulnerable to acid producing bacteria.
2. Floss Daily
The bristles on your toothbrush will never reach the space between your teeth. This is where almost half of your plaque and tiny food particles will build up. Therefore 40% of your mouth will go brushed.
Brush your teeth with floss daily. Ideally do this before your evening brush. Take a piece of floss (18 inches) and gently push it between each of your teeth. Curve it around your tooth in a C shape and gently push it slightly under your gums.
Inter dental aids: If floss proves difficult to use due to dexterity issues or tight fillings, try using inter dental brushes, water flosses or rubber tip simulators.
Don’t worry if your gums bleed slightly when flossing regularly. This indicates that you have gingivitis. As your gums heal they will stop bleeding very quickly.
3. Choose a Toothbrush and Toothpaste
The toothbrush and toothpaste you use will make a huge difference to keeping your teeth healthy. However it can be overwhelming choosing what to use.
- Brush with a soft bristled toothbrush. Never use a medium or hard bristled toothbrush. This will cause damage to your enamel and cause your gums to recede.
- Consider getting an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes have sonic and oscillating rotating heads. Studies show that electric toothbrushes remove much more plaque and reduce gingivitis.
- Choose a toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps strengthen weak enamel.
- If you suffer with sensitivity, choose a toothpaste with potassium nitrate or fluoride. These help block the tiny nerves to your nerve ending.
4. Look After Your Tongue and Soft Tissues
Your teeth and gums aren’t the only things you should look after in order to have a healthy smile. There are many bacteria inside your mouth which can cause bad breath and tooth decay.
- Scrape your tongue daily. Use a tongue scraper or soft bristled end to your toothbrush and gently scrape your tongue from back to front. This will remove millions of anaerobic bacteria causing chronic bad breath.
- Check the inside of your cheeks and roof of your mouth. Look out for any unusual sores, white/red patches or sore spots.
- Stay hydrated. Saliva is a natural defense. It helps remove food particles, neutralize damaging acids and provides proteins to fight infection. So drink lots of water throughout the day.
5. Limit Sugar Intake
What you put in your mouth will affect the balance of chemicals in your mouth. Foods high in sugar and acidic drinks will encourage harmful bacteria growth.
When harmful bacteria feast on refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, they produce damaging acids which cause minerals to be stripped from your enamel. This causes cavities.
- Avoid eating sticky foods. Sticky foods such as sweets, dried fruits and chewy foods stick to the grooves of your teeth. This causes the bacteria to feed.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking water is the best thing for your teeth. After eating, swish some water around your mouth to remove any remaining food and neutralize any acidic pockets.
6. Avoid Acidic Foods
Even if you have perfect oral hygiene, acidic foods can cause damage. It’s important to know what affects your smile.
Citrus fruits, tomatoes, vinegar dressings, fizzy drinks, sports drinks and shop bought fruit juices are all highly acidic. This causes your enamel to soften.
- Never brush your teeth straight after eating acidic foods. Your enamel will have softened and brushing will cause your enamel to be stripped away. Rinse with water and wait 30 minutes before brushing.
- Use a straw. When drinking iced coffees, fizzy waters or fruit juices use a reusable straw to avoid your front teeth coming into contact with the liquid.
7. Protect Your Smile
If you play any contact sports such as basketball, soccer, rugby or martial arts then wear a mouth guard. This will prevent your teeth from breaking, your jaw from breaking and your soft tissues from tearing.
Many people suffer with teeth grinding whilst sleeping. This causes your enamel to severely flatten, your cusps to crack, jaw pain (TMJ) and headaches. Speak to your dentist about getting a night guard.
Avoid using your teeth for anything. Don’t use your teeth to open packaging, crack nut shells, bite your fingernails or chew on ice cubes. This puts incredible pressure on your teeth and can cause them to chip unexpectedly.
8. Visit Your Dentist Every 6 Months
No matter how good your oral hygiene is at home, visiting your dentist will make a difference. They will remove tartar and identify problems early.
Visit your dentists every 6 months. This will give them the opportunity to carry out a preventative check up and professional cleaning. They will remove the hardened tartar from your teeth.
Visiting your dentist regularly will help them identify any problems early. This includes cavities between your teeth, faulty fillings, deep pockets in your gums and early signs of oral cancer.
Your hygienist and dentist will give you individual advice on specialist products to use at home, changes to your brushing and diet depending on the bacteria in your mouth.
Top Tips for Daily Oral Hygiene
- Brush your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes using a soft bristled brush and a fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss between your teeth using floss, water flosses or inter dental brushes daily.
- Gently scrape/brush your tongue daily. This will remove bacteria.
- Drink plenty of plain fluoridated water. This will help your saliva glands produce more saliva.
- Limit sugary snacks, sticky sweets and acidic drinks.
- Wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after eating acidic foods.
- Wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports. If you suffer with teeth grinding wear a night guard.
- Visit your dentist every 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I brush my teeth before or after breakfast?
Dentists recommend brushing your teeth before breakfast. This will leave a fluoride coating on your enamel and remove the bacteria from the night. If you would prefer to brush your teeth after breakfast, rinse your mouth with water and wait 30 minutes.
How often should I change my toothbrush/ electric toothbrush head?
Change your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every 3-4 months. Or if the bristles start to fray. Old bristles will be stiff and won’t clean the plaque. Also change your toothbrush after you’ve been ill with a virus such as flu or strep throat.
Will whitening toothpastes damage my enamel?
Many whitening toothpastes contain abrasives such as silica. If you brush too harshly and use a hard bristled brush this can cause damage to your enamel and increase sensitivity. Ask your dentist about safe whitening options.
Why do my gums bleed when I floss? Should I stop?
Bleeding gums when flossing is usually an early sign of gingivitis. This is caused by plaque building up along your gum line. You shouldn’t stop flossing. Gently floss daily to remove bacteria, reduce inflammation and stop your gums from bleeding permanently in a week or two.
Conclusion
Creating a bright and healthy smile can be a rewarding experience. By following a consistent routine, brushing correctly and making smart food choices, you’ll be able to keep your teeth healthy for life. By focusing on brushing techniques, flossing daily, protecting your teeth and seeing your dentist regularly you’ll have a healthy smile.