Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene or oral health is all about keeping your teeth, gums, and mouth clean. It is essential that you understand the importance of dental hygiene in order to keep your mouth and gums healthy. Yet, many of us tend to give our teeth less importance as compared to other parts of our bodies. However, you should know that poor dental health can lead to various health issues that can take a toll on your well-being and happiness.
To give you a better idea, let’s shed light on the consequences of poor oral health before taking a look at some crucial dental health tips that will help you in the long run.

Consequences of Poor Dental Hygiene

If you are unable to maintain your oral health, it can lead to a number of dental problems. Some of these may include tooth decay, bad breath, periodontal disease, gingivitis, and so on. Additionally, research has been done on the connection between oral health and heart diseases. While researchers haven’t found absolute answers, it has been identified that poor dental hygiene can lead to a bacterial infection in the blood. This, in turn, can damage your heart valves, which means people with artificial valves are at a higher risk. The consequences of poor oral health make the importance of dental hygiene clearer.

How to Take Care of Your Teeth?

Practicing dental hygiene tips isn’t a one-time thing. No matter what your age is, incorporating these practices into your life will be beneficial to your oral and dental health:

Brushing

While brushing is something that you do regularly, there is a high chance you are not doing it correctly. Therefore, it is crucial to learn some basic brushing techniques that will get the most out of your routine:

• Brushing your teeth once a day is not enough; you need to brush at least twice a day.
• While brushing your teeth, make sure you scrub your tongue as well to get rid of bacteria and food particles from it.
• Make sure that you brush your teeth for two minutes. If it is difficult for you to keep track of time, you can even set a timer. It may seem a bit difficult at the start, but you need to brush for two full minutes.
• Fluoride is good for your teeth as it prevents cavities. It would help if you started using fluoride toothpaste.
• When buying a toothbrush, try to get one that has soft bristles. Hard bristled toothbrushes can hurt your gums.
• It is necessary to find the right angle; you need to brush your teeth with your brush being slightly tilted to touch your teeth and gums.
• If you find it difficult to adjust the position of the toothbrush or if you have reached an age where it can be difficult to concentrate, you can always switch to an electric brush.
• Last but not least, you need to rinse your brush correctly before and after brushing. By doing so, you will know that the cleaning device itself isn’t contaminated.

Flossing

While brushing is still commonly practiced, many people do not floss their teeth regularly. Flossing can be daunting and tiresome, especially if you are exhausted and want to sleep. But flossing is absolutely necessary. Brushing does clean your mouth, but it cannot reach the gaps in your teeth properly. Hence, it is imperative to try your best and make flossing a part of your life before it’s too late.

Additionally, keep in mind that while flossing your teeth, you should not do it very harshly as it can harm your gums. Be gentle with your movement and get yourself floss that is at least 18 inches long. By doing so, you can ensure that you have an excellent grip on the floss and still have enough on your end to complete the process properly.

Use Mouthwash

The common perception regarding mouthwashes is that they can help prevent bad breath. However, mouthwash is also essential for your oral hygiene. As stated above, fluoride can be beneficial to your teeth and several types of mouthwash contain fluoride. A mouthwash also contains an antiseptic; it is useful in killing bacteria that may reside between your teeth and on your tongue. Thus, it is helpful in keeping your oral hygiene in check because of its antiseptic properties.

Water Intake

We have all heard how we should increase our water intake to live a healthy life. You will be happy to know that water is just as beneficial to your dental health as to your overall physical health. Since it does not contain acidic or sweet components, such as that in soft drinks, water acts as a purifier for your mouth. If you don’t have access to your toothbrush and can’t brush your teeth after eating, rinsing your mouth with water can help eliminate at least some bacteria from your mouth.

Eating Habits

Eating food that requires you to chew instead of gulp is good for your oral health. In contrast to that, too much snacking can affect your oral and dental health, especially if you brush your teeth at night and then feel like munching afterward. You will certainly go to sleep without brushing your teeth again, and the process will have an adverse effect on your overall hygiene.

Issues Concerning Your Teeth

A huge part of oral hygiene is never to ignore any issue about your teeth, gums, or mouth. From teeth sensitivity to swollen and bleeding gums, if you suspect that something is wrong with your teeth, mouth or gums, you need to consult with a dentist immediately.

Regular Dental Checkups

Consulting with a dentist, only when there is an issue, is not sufficient. You should visit your dentist in Dubai at least twice a year to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Your dentist can detect any serious disease at an early stage if you consult with them on time. You may think that there are no problems, but only a full dental checkup can guarantee that.

By following the above-mentioned dental hygiene tips, we are optimistic that you will live a life free of dental issues for as long as possible. However, if you ever face any difficulty or are concerned about your oral health, you can always give us a call or book an appointment and we will be happy to help you out.