Oral hygiene is an essential aspect of maintaining overall health and wellness. It may sound like a mundane task, but taking good care of our teeth and gums can have a significant impact on our lives. Think about it – have you ever tried to enjoy a meal with a throbbing toothache or speak confidently in public with bad breath? Not pleasant experiences, to say the least.
That’s why oral hygiene should be a top priority for everyone, from kids to adults. It’s not just about having a dazzling smile; it’s about keeping the harmful bacteria in our mouths under control. Poor oral hygiene can lead to cavities, gum disease, and even more severe health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
But what does good oral hygiene entail? Firstly, it involves brushing our teeth at least twice a day, preferably with a fluoride toothpaste. Secondly, flossing is crucial to clean between our teeth and prevent plaque buildup. Lastly, don’t forget to visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups.
Taking care of our oral hygiene doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a relaxing and even enjoyable ritual that we can do to take care of ourselves. Play some calming music, light a scented candle, and give your teeth the love they deserve. Trust us, your smile (and body) will thank you!
Contents
Oral Hygiene Tips
Oral hygiene is important for healthy and clean teeth.
Keeping mouth and teeth clean and healthy and keeping away plaques is called oral hygiene. Daily brushing of teeth can prevent plaque, cavities and other food debris. For this, along with regular brushing and rinsing, cleaning of the tongue is also necessary.
Good oral hygiene make your teeth Strong:
Oral Hygiene Tips: Oral hygiene is important for healthy and clean teeth.
1.brush daily
Brushing Your Teeth: Plaque accumulates like a sticky layer between our teeth and gums. This happens due to not cleaning the mouth properly after eating anything. This layer contains germs which spoil the teeth and gums and cause cavities and inflammation (gingivitis). Many times, even if brushing is not done properly, this layer does not get removed and starts becoming solid, which is called tartar. For this, brush regularly in the morning and evening.
The brush should be of small or big size.
When we have too many options in front of us, it becomes difficult for us to choose the right brush. In such a situation, many times we choose the brush after seeing the advertisement. But experts believe that the brush should be such that it can easily reach every corner inside the mouth. In such a situation, smaller sized brushes are better.
Electric or manual brush is better
Dental experts recommend both types of brushes. He believes that whichever brush you can use better is right for you. Just keep in mind that they should not be hard and harsh.
How long to brush
The American Dental Association recommends everyone to brush for two minutes twice a day, in the morning and evening. Talking about the correct technique, you should divide your teeth into four parts and rub each part for 30 seconds. If you are a diabetic patient, then say NO to these fruits and vegetables, know which ones to include in your diet.
Take care of these things
Never brush immediately after eating acidic food. These can damage the upper layer of teeth.
One should not eat or drink anything within 30 minutes of mouth wash, this can cause cavity problems.
Never dig teeth with a tooth pick.
To keep teeth healthy, drink plenty of water and take special care of mouth oral hygiene.
2.Flossing
Flashing Mouth: Apart from teeth and gums, there are many places in the mouth where brushes cannot reach. Flossing is a great option for cleaning these areas, reaching between the teeth and removing plaque, cavities or other food debris. Many times dentists also recommend interdental brushing for cleaning teeth because it not only cleans between the teeth but also strengthens the gums.
Types of mouthwashes :
There are two types of mouthwash:
1. Cosmetic Mouthwash
Cosmetic mouthwash has no medical benefits. They only temporarily control the problem of bad breath and people use it because of having a nice fragrance. They are used regularly and are easily available in the market.
2. Dental mouthwash
Medicinal mouthwashes contain certain active ingredients that can relieve problems like bad breath, gingivitis and plaque accumulation.
Chlorhexidine digluconate (0.2%) is the most widely recommended mouthwash clinically. These may be prescribed by the dentist to maintain proper oral hygiene. Apart from this, it is also advised to use medicinal mouthwash after dental surgeries like braces and flap surgery (gum surgery).
3.Tongue cleaning
Oral hygiene does not end only at cleaning teeth, but cleaning the tongue is also important. Tongue cleaners are easily available in the market and sometimes the back of the toothbrush also has a raised design which helps in cleaning the tongue. Below is explained how the tongue should be cleaned:
Open your mouth and take your tongue out of your mouth as far as possible.
Most of the dirt is found in the back part of the tongue. Use tongue cleaner on the dirty area.
Apply slight pressure to the tongue cleaner to flatten the tongue.
Now slowly bring the tongue cleaner out of the mouth.
Clean off the mess with the tongue cleaner under the water tap.
Keep these things in mind in oral hygiene
Apart from cleaning teeth, it is important to pay attention to small things to maintain oral hygiene. As-
Reduce the amount of sugar in food.
Make sure to rinse after eating.
Avoid consuming too much chocolate, caffeine.
Soda drinks also cause cavities, stay away from these also.
Do not smoke and consume tobacco to maintain oral hygiene.
Avoid brushing too fast and forcefully, this increases the risk of sensitivity in your teeth.
Visit the dentist twice a year. And get your teeth checked.
For oral hygiene, take special care of internal cleanliness of the mouth after eating.
Clean the tongue with tongue cleaner.
Remember to use only a soft brush for brushing.
For good health of teeth, include calcium and protein rich food in the diet.
If you cannot brush your teeth after eating anything, then rinse with plain water. This helps in cleaning the teeth.
Right diet for good oral health
It is very important to floss and brush regularly to maintain oral hygiene. But, to maintain oral health, a healthy and balanced diet is also necessary. Data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) from numerous research conducted around the world shows that there is a strong link between eating a healthy diet and maintaining good oral hygiene health. To maintain oral health, include the following foods in your diet-
Foods rich in fiber have natural cleaning properties of teeth and oral hygiene mucosa. Therefore, include salad, vegetables, raw fruits etc. in the diet.
Prebiotics in the mouth like chenna, curd etc. keep teeth and gums healthy by replacing bad bacteria with good bacteria.
Include fluorine, calcium, magnesium, potassium etc. as food items in the diet. These minerals are essential for the health of teeth.
Include anti-oxidants in the diet. Anti-oxidants increase the production of collagen in the mouth making it more safe from infection.
Include lean protein in your diet. By consuming it, oral health remains good.
How to teach children to brush properly?
When the child starts brushing, stand with him and teach him the technique of brushing. Teach them that the toothpaste applied on the brush has to be applied on the joint of teeth and gums and spread evenly up and down.
While brushing, divide the teeth into 3 parts, from top to bottom, right to left and also clean the back part of the teeth.
People often ignore cleaning the teeth present in the corners of the mouth. Teach children to clean their teeth by taking the brush there.
Similarly, the surface of the teeth from where food is chewed and eaten. Get that cleaned thoroughly too.
Teach children to brush with light hands only, and not by rubbing. Brushing with too much pressure can cause injury to the gums.
Talk to your dentist to choose the right brush and paste.
Tongue clinic i.e. tongue cleaning is also a part of oral hygiene. Teach children that along with brushing teeth, the tongue should also be cleaned.
Oral hygiene and risk of other diseases (Poor oral hygiene linked to other health problems)
Heart attack
Heart Attack: If there is infection in any part of the body, it directly causes heart infection. Similarly, if there is rot and swelling in the gums (Gingivitis) due to bacteria, then the germs affect various organs along with the heart tubes through the blood, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Periodontal gum disease not only weakens the cells of the teeth and gums but also causes rheumatoid arthritis.
Weak immune system
Weak Immunity: Due to toothache, a person is not able to chew food properly. In such a situation, due to lack of proper amount of food in the body, there is deficiency of nutrients.
Oral cancer
Oral Cancer: Drinking tobacco or alcohol can cause oral cancer which can gradually spread to any part of the body and prove fatal.
Take care (Dental Care Tips)
While cleaning the teeth with a brush, keep in mind that the brush should be soft. Without applying too much pressure on the gums, rotate the brush at a 45 degree angle in the mouth.
Apart from lightly cleaning the gums with a brush, you can massage them with eucalyptus or peppermint oil. This keeps the gums healthy.
Press the upper and lower teeth together. By doing this, blood circulation will improve and gums will become stronger.
After brushing and flossing, the mouth should be cleaned with mouthwash daily. It is an antiseptic which destroys the bacteria present in the mouth and removes bad odor.
Sugar enters the mouth and causes tooth decay along with bacteria. Due to this, the gums start bleeding and the gums start rotting along with cavities. Apart from this, carbohydrate-rich beverages melt the enamel layer of the teeth. Therefore, it would be appropriate to avoid them.
Adopt these home remedies to maintain the strength of teeth
1. Wheat Grass Water
To avoid dental cavities, consume wheat grass water. The anti-oxidants and chlorophyll present in it benefit the health of teeth. The properties found in it are capable of stopping the growth of bacteria growing in the teeth.
2. Use of toothbrush
Datun has been used for cleaning teeth for centuries. People often use Datul of Neem, Plum and Acacia. This provides relief from mouth bacteria. Apart from this, those people who are troubled by bad breath also get relief. Used as a natural mouth freshener, Datul is also effective in strengthening the gums.
3. Turmeric, salt and mustard oil
Mustard oil is used everywhere from cooking to hair massage. This oil, rich in anti-microbial properties, removes bacteria. To get rid of mouth infection and tooth decay, prepare a solution by mixing turmeric, salt and mustard oil and apply it on all the teeth once a day. You can apply it on your teeth like toothpaste. With this, the yellowness of the teeth will go away and pain and swelling will also go away.
4. Salt water
Gargling with salt mixed with lukewarm water relieves the problem of sensation present in the teeth. The problem of feeling hot and cold while eating food goes away. If you gargle with salt water twice in your routine, all the dental problems start going away.
5. Guava Leaves
Guava leaves contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. To keep teeth healthy, wash and chew guava leaves. Apart from this, boiling them in water and gargling with them also strengthens the teeth. Also, dental hygiene is maintained. The white layer on the teeth starts releasing on its own.
6. Clove Oil
Rich in anti-inflammatory properties: If you are troubled by toothache, then apply a few drops of clove oil on a cotton pad and apply it on your teeth. Apart from this, dip a small sized cotton ball in clove oil and hold it between your teeth for some time. This provides immediate relief from toothache. Apart from this, keeping whole cloves pressed in the teeth also relieves the pain.
7. don’t smoke
Smoking damages the body’s immune system, making it difficult for the body to heal pimples, including those in the mouth. The CDC named smoking a risk factor for Hamsudd’s disease, while the ADA warns that people who smoke may experience slowed healing after a dental procedure.
Smoking also causes bad breath, which causes pain in the teeth and tongue and can cause bad breath.
8. Use fluoride-free toothpaste
Fluoride is a harmful chemical that can cause fluorosis as well as many adverse side effects. You can learn more about the effects of 7 toothpaste ingredients you should avoid in our article.
Similarly, avoid toothpastes containing whitening agents, as they may
Abrasive on teeth. If you are looking for a whiter smile, ask us
team about our friendly teeth whitening treatments. 11. chew sugar-free gum
The sugar-free gum promotes the production of saliva that is rich in teeth-strengthening minerals. If you suffer from dry mouth, gum is a great way to increase saliva and promote healthy teethAdditionally, when brushing teeth after meals or snacks is not an available option, gum becomes a great alternative. This is because chewing gum will increase the flow of saliva which will dilute the acid and help remove food debris and bacteria from the teeth and gums.
9.Lemon and orange peel
Lemon and orange peel can be effective in maintaining the whiteness of teeth. Along with consuming it regularly, you can rub your teeth with orange peel and lemon peel. After this wash your mouth with plain water.
Conclusion:
Oral hygiene is essential to maintain proper dental hygiene. Make a habit of brushing your teeth twice a day. And never ignore mouthwash. Use sugar free gum.
Teeth are porous in nature and they can gain or lose beneficial minerals. The main thing is to make sure they are gaining more minerals than they are losing. If possible, eat mineral-rich food which is beneficial for the health of teeth.
Sugar is the main food source for the bacteria that produce harmful acids on our teeth. Additionally, it is undoubtedly a contributing factor to many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Therefore, to keep teeth healthy, remove it from your daily routine.
