Good dental hygiene plays a significant role in quality oral health. Consider it preventive care for your teeth and gums.
If your teeth decay too much, it will be lost for good. The molars are of particular concern as these are your chewing teeth. While you might have impacted wisdom teeth to blame, the molars rot from poor hygiene in most cases. As most food gets stuck back there, these teeth are often the first to go.
No one wants to experience the pain, discomfort, and inconvenience that follows these dental emergencies. Therefore, it’s clear that you should follow the best practices for oral hygiene and dental health.
Related: 5 Top Benefits of Having a Regular Dental Cleaning
What is Dental Hygiene?
Dental hygiene is a term that encompasses your self-care approach toward keeping your teeth, gums, and tongue clean. Brushing your teeth is of the utmost importance. But regular flossing is also essential to clean in between the teeth.. Furthermore, some changes in your diet and lifestyle can significantly improve your dental hygiene.
Why is Dental Hygiene Important?
The eyes and smile are where people connect and relationships form. An unattractive set of teeth puts people off and shoots down your confidence. However, the real reason that dental hygiene is essential is that our dental health means everything. Many dental patients seek a checkup or treatment and find underlying abscesses and infections. If left untreated, these problems can become potentially fatal as it may develop into “dental sepsis” in some cases, Remember that a dental abscess e is one of the dental emergencies and should not be taken lightly. It often starts with a minor dental problem such as tooth decay or gum disease. You must intervene to prevent them from getting too serious.
How to Maintain Your Good Dental Hygiene?
Some habits make a significant difference in your dental hygiene. If you want to improve yours, make sure to follow the tips listed below. Consult with your dentist at your next checkup for the best practices based on your current oral health status.
Brush Regularly
Brush every morning and night instead of once a day.. Ensure you only brush an hour after you eat and consume sugary or acidic beverages. Make sure you don’t become a “casual forgetter,” which means doing all you can to avoid skipping days. For some people, the best method to ensure regular brushing is to schedule reminders on your phone.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride helps the teeth fight decay and is an integral part of good dental hygiene. Fluoride supplementation is not advised. Instead, get your fluoride through regular consumption of tap water and via the use of fluoride toothpaste. If you’re wondering about your child, children aged six and up can use adult strength instead. Meanwhile, toothpaste is a no-go for any child under 18 months of age.
Floss Daily
Daily flossing is the most effective way to minimise damage to your teeth. Flossing removes food debris in between the teeth where it cannot be reached by tooth brushing alone. It seems like a hassle, but it’s an essential practice if you want optimal dental hygiene. Limit Sugary and Acidic Foods
Frequent intake of sugary and acidic foods and drinks is responsible for developing dental caries. Maintaining good dental hygiene is nearly impossible if you regularly consume foods or drinks that are acidic or sugar-rich. Look at your diet and consider what you can change for the better. Furthermore, avoid sugary and acidic foods at least two hours before bed.
No Smoking
Smoking is detrimental to maintaining good oral health and oral hygiene. It affects your breath, supports gum disease, and causes various other complications. The risk of infection, such as dry sockets, especially after a dental procedure, is much higher for the smoking population.
See Your Dentist Regularly
A regular dental checkup is essential. You want to keep an eye on how your teeth and gums are doing “behind the scope.” Prevention is always better than cure and good oral health and oral hygiene can be easily maintained by regular dental check up. It is often advised to attend your dentist every 3, 6 or 12 monthly basis so that any dental hygiene treatment or necessary dental work can be commenced appropriately to avoid more complex or costly dental treatment in future.
Signs of Poor Dental Hygiene
Do you think your dental hygiene is not appropriate at the moment? Consider whether you are experiencing any of these three common signs of poor oral hygiene.
Schedule a Checkup or Cleaning to Boost Your Dental Hygiene
Keeping your dental hygiene in check is very important. Undoubtedly, it’s challenging to keep your diet perfect and always brush and floss at the correct times of the day. But, you must do your best to keep your dental health good.
Your best first step is to come in for a checkup appointment. Figure out the current health status of your teeth, gums, and hygiene. Then, determine if any general dentistry services are needed to treat underlying issues that block you from having good dental hygiene.
Need a checkup or cleaning done? Book at our clinic today!