When you are young and shining that is the best to develop positive dental care habits. Many dentists opine that is actually the time when the first tooth comes in. Taking care of each tooth is crucial and care must be taken inside out. When your teeth and the gums are in sound condition you enjoy good oral health. It is no more a secret that our overall physical health and wellbeing is often affected by our oral health. It is crucial for almost everyone learn the basics of oral care at home. Here are a few tried and tested tips shared by some of the top notch dentists in London.
Your dental care tips to follow at home
- Make the habit of brushing the teeth twice every day
The British Dental Association or BDA strongly recommends brushing the teeth twice every day. Each time brush just for two minutes which breaks down to 30 seconds for each quadrant of your mouth. You should brush once in the morning and then at night before retiring to bed. Furthermore you should always make use of a toothbrush that has soft bristles. An NHS dentist in Wimbledon suggests you have to brush properly in the correct way to effectively clear away harmful plaque build-ups.
- Always use fluoride toothpaste
Dentists all over the world have a common recommendation when it comes to selecting your toothpaste. They recommend using any fluoride toothpaste which prevents cavities and fights tooth decay. The range of products is equally suitable for everyone including young children and older adults. The quantity of toothpaste should also vary with age; for example tiny ones who are below 3 years a rice-size amount is sufficient whereas for children above the age 3 should use a pea size quantity the dentists suggest.
- Brush the teeth in the proper way
Every time you brush the teeth, just brush for 2 minutes on the whole and you should never brush vigorously. Always use gentle pressure of the hand while brushing. This way your effort proves more effective in clearing away harmful plaque build-ups from the teeth. You should hold the toothbrush at an angle of forty five degrees with the teeth and move it in tiny circular motions and cover all the three surfaces of the teeth while brushing.
- Every time while brushing the teeth, you should clean the tongue
Every time you brush the teeth you should also clean the tongue. In fact a toothbrush is ideal to clean both the teeth and the tongue. However you may also make use of a tongue scraper if you want to apply a little more effort in cleaning your tongue. Harmful plaque build-ups also form on the tongue as well as on the teeth. According to a busy NHS emergency dentist in London when you maintain your tongue clean and plaque-free, your breath becomes fresh and you can also keep a number of oral health problems at a safe distance.
- Regular flossing is as important as brushing the teeth
In order to maintain optimum oral hygiene you must floss your teeth once daily. Flossing is as crucial as brushing the teeth every day to keep a number of oral health issues at a distance. Ideally you should floss the teeth at night while brushing the teeth before going to bed. The bristles of a toothbrush fail to reach every nook and corner of the mouth and especially the areas between the teeth. Flossing is meant to clean those areas to help you maintain an overall disease-free mouth. Regular flossing also stimulates your gum tissues and keeps them healthy.
- You should always use your teeth for biting on and chewing foods
When you have to open a bottle please make use of a bottle opener and when it is time to open a package, you should make use of a pair of scissors. Please stop using your teeth as a tool to get such works done. The teeth are only meant to help you eating like biting on, chewing and breaking down of food. The teeth become easily susceptible to damage and injury when you use them for other purposes.
- Cut down on your consumption of acidic drinks
Excessive indulgence in acidic drinks usually leads to wearing down of the natural enamel structure of the tooth. The enamel is the outermost protective coating of the tooth. When the enamel coating wears down your tooth becomes easily prone to a number of a number of oral health issues including decay or cavities. Typical examples of acidic drinks include soft drinks, soda, packaged fruit juices, cordials, coffee and others. If you want to have any such drink once in a long while then that is alright but still to be on the safer side you should swish the mouth with plan water immediately after finishing the drink, suggests a busy NHS dentist in Wimbledon.
How often should you replace your toothbrush?
Apart from following the tips mentioned above you also need to replace your toothbrush from time to time to maintain sound oral health. The question is how often do you need replacing your toothbrush? Ideally you must replace a toothbrush as soon as its bristles become frayed. That usually takes about three to four months on an average. Once the bristles turn frayed or worn out, the toothbrush becomes much less effective cleaning your teeth and the overall mouth.
Is an electric toothbrush a better investment over a manual one?
If used correctly then an electric toothbrush is much more effective in clearing away plaque build-ups from the mouth as well as preventing gum disease. Most of the range of products have inbuilt timers which ensures you brush exactly for two minutes as dentists recommend. The device also offers different brushing modes. But if you can manage a manual toothbrush properly and use it in the right way as it is supposed to then the manual tool is no less superior in clearing away harmful plaques from your mouth to keep your teeth and the gums healthy and free from diseases.
How important is using mouthwash to maintain optimum oral hygiene?
When maintaining optimum oral hygiene is concerned, mouthwash is certainly not essential like brushing and flossing although it is helpful in its own way. Qualified and experienced dentists working at the renowned SW19 Confidental Dental Clinic in London explain the advantages of mouthwashes as following –
- It provides an extra layer of protection against harmful bacteria in the mouth
- Freshens your breath
- Offers additional fluoride to strengthen the protective enamel structure of the teeth