5 Effective Dental Tips for Better Oral Care
The nursery rhyme may go “to keep your teeth healthy here’s the truth, you gotta brush each and every tooth”, but grown-ups should know better than to believe you can ensure good oral health just by brushing the teeth every day and night.
In order to achieve optimal dental health, you will need to be acquainted with proper brushing techniques, maintenance of the toothbrush, and all the other things that make the path to a beautiful and healthy smile. Here are five things that will put such a smile on your face in no time.
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Brush your teeth properly
When in a hurry, we are all tempted to give our teeth just a quick wash. However, that will never be enough to get rid of all the food particles. If you want to give your teeth a thorough cleanup, use the technique recommended by the American Dental Association:
- The toothbrush should be placed at a 45 degrees angle to the gums.
- Move it back and forth in short strokes, but be gentle with your gums.
- Brush each tooth thoroughly (the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces).
- Clean the inside surface by tilting the brush vertically and making up-and-down strokes.
Choose the right brush and take care of it
Not all brushes are made the same. The most efficient ones are those with small bristles and heads because they can reach into the crevices of your molars where most of the particles remain hidden.
Once you find the right brush, make sure you rinse it well after every use and leave it to air-dry. However, regardless of how well you maintain it, you should change your toothbrush every three to four months.
Use the right flossing technique
Flossing is a necessary addition to oral hygiene, but it is imperative to do it properly so that you can actually reach and banish all the germs stuck in between your teeth.
Ideally, you should use a piece of floss up to 18 inches in length and use a different area of the floss every few teeth, so that you don’t reinsert the bacteria you’ve previously cleaned. When cleaning, form the letter ‘C’ by wrapping the floss around each tooth.
Scrap your tongue
Oral hygiene is a wider notion than dental hygiene, and it also implies cleaning the tongue. This requires us to go back to the choice of your toothbrush – another feature you should look for is a ridged tooth-scraper on the back. You can use that to scrape your tongue, which will not only get rid of the bacteria but also help you freshen up your breath.
Make regular dentist visits
Regardless of how well you are taking care of your oral hygiene, you should still visit your dentist on a regular basis. It is possible that a sneaky cavity has found its way to some of your teeth without you even noticing – well, your dentist will not leave that unchecked.
Also, if you are concerned with some long-delayed problem like crooked teeth or an improper bite, you should definitely pay a visit to an orthodontic. Many people think that, at a certain age, they’re too old to fix such issues, but take it from the Australians. Sydney orthodontics is becoming more popular with each passing day with fully grown men and women – it is never too late.
A beautiful smile unlocks many doors, and proper oral hygiene will save you from a lot of worries in the future. So don’t wait any longer and make these five lessons a part of your routine.