Published 12:22 IST, October 16th 2019
Dental hygiene:Tips for healthy teeth and need for oral hygiene
Dental health and oral hygiene are very important. Take efforts to keep your teeth healthy and strong. Read below to know the tips to maintain your teeth.
- Lifestyle News
- 3 min read
Who doesn’t like healthy and strong teeth that are camera-ready at any point of time? However, it has become exceedingly necessary to ensure that you have healthy and strong teeth, not just for the camera but also for your overall dental health. Maintaining oral hygiene and dental health is a huge responsibility. Here are some of the expert-recommended tips on how to maintain dental hygiene.
1. Brush your teeth twice a day
Brushing your teeth in the morning as well as in the night is very important. Brushing at night helps eliminate plaque, bacteria, and germs that have accumulated on your teeth throughout the day. Brushing twice and brushing properly is equally important. Brushing in circular motions and brushing in the front, back, and on top of every tooth is very important. Brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush and changing your toothbrush every three months or when the bristles start fraying is highly recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA).
2. Floss your teeth
Flossing your teeth once a day is necessary in order to get rid of plaque and bacteria. Flossing helps reach the areas of the teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing helps in removing particles of food that have been stuck in your teeth. Plus, it also prevents bad breath. The ADA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend flossing your teeth regularly.
3. Restrict the intake of aerated drinks and sugary foods
Aerated drinks contain phosphorous, which is good for the teeth, however, not in a large proportion. Aerated drinks contain a high level of sugar, and the consumption of sugary foods can cause cavities in your teeth. World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends people to restrict sugar intake in their daily calories to below 10%. The ADA recommends eating high fibre foods and drinking water or unsweetened tea instead of aerated drinks or sugary juices.
4. Don’t Smoke
Tobacco stains your teeth and also increases the risk of oral cancer. According to the CDC, smoking puts your gums at a risk for gum diseases. ADA states that the healing process after a dental procedure is slowed down by smoking. It affects your mouth and maybe the reason behind having bad breath. It also leads to teeth staining or yellowing of the teeth.
5. Visit your dentist
Experts claim that it is very important that you visit your doctor at least twice a year, that is ones in six months. During the check-up, the dentist will remove hardened tartar and free your teeth from any plaque that has been accumulated. A recent dental study recommends that children and young adults must see their dentist every six months. This will ensure that you don’t have any visible signs of cavity, oral cancer, and that your dental hygiene is maintained properly.
Updated 16:08 IST, October 16th 2019
