Good dental health and regular visits to your dentist are what keep your teeth in order and stop small problems turning into expensive ones. It takes a little vigilance, the right oral care products, consistency, and some care over what you eat and drink. Healthy teeth take more than brushing twice a day. You also have to brush properly, quit smoking, and ditch the soda.
Here are the practices worth building into your routine.
1) Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year
If you are one to avoid making dental appointments, you are in plenty of company. People stay away for all sorts of reasons: phobia, cost, or simple neglect.
Seeing your dentist regularly, twice a year according to the American Dental Association, means problems such as gum disease, tooth decay, oral cancer and trauma get caught at an earlier stage, when they are easier and cheaper to treat.
2) Brush Properly
Brushing is more than squeezing paste out of a tube. The way you brush matters more than the fact that you did it. Some dentists will tell you that brushing badly is close to not brushing at all. Take your time, and move the brush in gentle circles to lift the plaque off.
Plaque that is left behind hardens, and that leads to early gum disease (gingivitis). Use a brush with soft bristles, and throw it away once the bristles start to splay, because a worn brush will damage your teeth and gums. Do not overdo it either. Aggressive brushing wears down the gum line and the enamel.
3) Flossing Matters Too
Flossing gives you healthier gums and cleaner teeth. As with brushing, there is a technique to it. Flossing too hard creates friction that damages the gum line. Use a fresh section of floss for each tooth, and keep the floss pressed against the side of the tooth as you work the plaque away.
4) Use Mouthwash for Better Results
Mouthwash supports brushing and flossing by reducing the amount of acid in the mouth. It reaches areas around the gums that a brush struggles with, and helps remineralize the teeth. Ask your dentist which type suits you. Some are formulated for sensitive teeth, others for young children, and your dentist may recommend a prescription mouthwash.
5) Special Care for Small Children
Small children need proper mouth care as much as anyone else, and it usually falls to a parent to make sure they get it. Children should see a dentist by their first birthday. They will also need help brushing until they have the coordination to do it properly on their own, which is roughly the age at which they can tie their own shoelaces.
6) Older People Need Good Oral Healthcare
Older people often let dental care slide at exactly the point they can least afford to. In later life, arthritis can make flossing and brushing awkward, so the routine gets shortened or skipped. The mouth also produces less saliva with age, and a dry mouth is a breeding ground for tooth decay and discomfort, particularly for anyone wearing dentures.
7) Avoid Sugar
Sugar is a major contributor to tooth decay. It fuels acidity in the mouth and creates the conditions bacteria need, which lets plaque form and eat away at your gums and enamel. Sugar turns up in most drinks, from sweetened tea and coffee through to ice cream, so a great many adults in the United States are already at risk of decay.
If you have just treated yourself to something sugary, floss and brush afterwards.
8) Ditch the Soda
Soda is an easy way to wash food down, but it tends to contain two corrosive ingredients: citric acid and phosphoric acid. Between them they wear away the surface of your teeth, softening the enamel and leaving it open to cavities. Switch to water instead. If you want some flavor, add crushed berries, mint leaves, or sliced citrus. It tastes good, it is healthy, and it does not harm your teeth.
9) No More Smoking
The tar and nicotine in cigarettes turn teeth a dull yellow and destroy the gums over time. Smoking also creates ideal conditions for plaque and bacteria to build up along the teeth and gum line. It gets worse than that: smoking damages the soft tissue, weakens the bone that supports your teeth, and eventually leads to tooth loss.
At its worst, tobacco use leads to oral cancer, which is both painful and difficult to treat.
10) Drink Plenty of Water
No drink comes close to water for general health, and the same is true of your mouth. If you are not producing much saliva, drinking water cuts your risk, because saliva is your mouth's first defense against tooth decay.
Drink water after a meal. It rinses away what is left of your dinner along with any sugar still clinging to your teeth. Better still, drink fluoridated water, which strengthens the teeth and helps prevent decay.
11) Eat Foods That Are Good for You
You are what you eat, and we have already covered the damage sugary foods do. Replace them with a diet that supports your oral health: leafy greens, yogurt, cheese, fruit and almonds. Eating fresh, crunchy produce also produces saliva, which rinses food and bacteria away.
12) Stop Grinding Your Teeth
Clenching the jaw and grinding the teeth can start at any age. It usually happens unconsciously during sleep, though it can happen while you are awake. Sorting it out starts with a full checkup, after which your dentist will recommend a treatment plan, which may include a night guard or changes to habits that make it worse.
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