10 oral hygiene tips usually taken for granted

A lot of people think that they can be authorities in taking care of their teeth. How many of you do actually practice good dental hygiene? Below are some simple dental hygiene practices we often take for granted:

1. Do floss. Flossing is one of the most essential practices anyone should do. It is the best initial cleaning for your teeth and gums. The proper “C-shape” up and down motion of the wax strip or tape is just integral to get rid of small debris left in between the tooth and gums after a meal. As you develop this into a habit (may not be that easy to clear the debris for the first time), your teeth and gums will definitely become stronger. Without flossing, brushing your teeth is sub-optimal and may even be deemed useless. Floss after every meal, before brushing your teeth. There are even new inexpensive electric flossers (WaterPik) that make flossing almost effortless.

2. Brush your teeth properly. Be sure to brush gently and thoroughly with a circular motion. We suggest you use a soft bristled toothbrush held at a 45-degree angle to clean between your gum and teeth. Your toothpaste should have fluoride, which will kill bacteria and fight cavities. The fluoride actually takes time to effect and is absorbed by the tooth at least 2 minutes. That simply means we have to brush our teeth at least two minutes with toothpaste every time. Be sure to have full coverage of toothpaste over your teeth before even starting to brush them. Give 30 seconds for one quadrant before moving on to the next one. Brush your teeth with toothpaste at least two to three times a day or ideally after meals.

3. Visit the dentist. Though flossing removes most of the debris in between your gums and teeth, you can’t really clean it 100 percent. You need to go see your dentist, who will use a special tool (a Cavitron). This is a tool that uses high frequency sound waves to clean teeth which goes into your gum and kills bacteria and removes tartar around your tooth. Your dentist should check the condition of your tooth and gum every 6 months. This period is the usual length of time that a cavity starts to develop.

4. Clean your tongue. Starting to clean your tongue on a regular basis can be the single most beneficial treatment for halitosis or bad breath. A toothbrush or a specialized tongue brush can be used to clean your tongue. To do so, start as far back as possible and then make brush strokes outward, toward the front of your mouth. You need to use some pressure but of course not enough to cause irritation to your tongue. Many people find that scraping their tongue with a tongue cleaner is more effective.

*to be continued…