Poor overall health is often associated with issues that may arise from your mouth. Surprised? In fact, serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes can be triggered depending on how you maintain your teeth.
Understanding simple practices that can help you keep your mouth in tip-top shape is instrumental for staying on the right path. Read our 8 best practices below to help you have a bright and healthy smile.
1. Don’t Go To Bed Without Brushing Teeth
Brushing your teeth is the most important action that you can do to maintain a great oral health. Keeping your teeth clean especially before you go to bed, is necessary because it’s the prime time where your mouth holds the most germs.
During your day, excreted waste from bacteria hardens on your teeth, which turns into plaque if not brushed off. Once it turns into plaque it becomes difficult to remove with daily flossing and brushing techniques and would require a dental hygienist to clean it out.
If you brush your teeth in the night, it will eliminate the possibility of plaque build up while you are asleep.
2. Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is an important additive that can improve the strength of your teeth if used consistently. This ingredient is also natural and it’s widely used because it prevents cavities and tooth decay.
You can find fluoride in toothpaste and in the public water supply – That’s right!
Every time you drink your tap water, you’re helping your teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, community water fluoridation is 1 of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. This plan is successful because it has lowered the tooth decay rate by 25% in adults and children since implemented.
3. Drink More Water
Drinking sports drinks or soda may help to quench your thirst, but they also have negative effects on your oral health. These types of drinks contain high levels of sugar that bacteria on your teeth thrive on. As a consequence, the bacteria leaves its residue on your pearly whites which lead to tartar buildup and gum disease! Also, some sugary drinks have acid in them that erodes away the tooth’s enamel.
On the other hand, water cleans your mouth and washes away any food residue off the teeth, keeping them in great shape. Water is also great at keeping your mouth refreshed and the saliva flowing, removing the possibility of dry mouth. Next time you reach for a thirst quencher, grab water instead. Your teeth will thank you!
4. Floss Your Teeth
Brushing your teeth is great for removing the grime from the surface of your pearly whites, but flossing goes in between the teeth and gums. If you want to maintain healthy gums and remove the risk of gum disease, then you should incorporate flossing into your daily dental hygiene routine.
The American Dental Association recommends flossing your teeth once a day because it will help prevent cavities and gum disease.
5. Go To Your Dentist
Going to your dentist every 6 months is important for maintaining great oral health. When you visit your dentist it allows you to keep track of any dental issues. During your dental exam, your dental professional will examine your gums, teeth and any other oral concerns.
This is followed up by in-depth teeth cleaning. Your dentist will then come up with a plan to correct oral health issues. You will return in 6 months to discuss your progress and to have a general maintenance exam.
6. Consume More Vitamins and Minerals
There are many vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to take if you want to maintain a great overall health as well as dental health. Below you will find a list of vitamins and minerals that you should consume to keep your teeth healthy.
This mineral is important because it produces blood in your body. If you don’t have enough iron in your diet it can cause your tongue to be inflamed and the production of sores in the mouth.
Calcium is consumed to keep your bones healthy. Your teeth are mostly made of calcium. If you do not consume enough calcium in your diet, you run the risk of developing a bone deficiency, gum disease, and tooth decay.
- Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps keep the saliva in your mouth flowing and the mucous of your gums and cheeks less susceptible to disease. This vitamin also helps your mouth heal faster.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C not only helps your immune system stay strong but it also protects your teeth. In fact, this vitamin strengthens your gums and prevents gingivitis. This vitamin also helps prevent your teeth from loosening and offers protection from gum disease.
Foods such as oranges are rich in vitamin C. Is a great way to ensure that you get enough Vitamin C.
- Vitamin K
Vitamin K is valuable to your oral health because it assists in blocking substances that break down the bone in the body. This vitamin also allows your body and mouth to heal itself faster.
7. Clean Your Tongue
Brushing your tongue has many useful benefits that will help your dental health. First, cleaning your tongue every day will help you fight bad breath and eliminates bacteria are lingering around the tongue. Second, this technique can help remove the particles that may turn into a fungal infection.
In addition, you can prevent strep throat if you brush your tongue. If you’re starting to feel a tingling feeling in your throat due to an upcoming sickness, brushing your tongue can help prevent a cold.
8. Drink Green Tea
Green tea has many beneficial bioactive compounds that improve bodily health by lowering the chances of developing cancer. The great benefits that this drink has on your teeth is that it kills bacteria that may develop in the mouth and it also lowers the risk of infection. Another added benefit to drinking green tea is that it lowers the risk of bad breath.
Your oral health is important because it’s is the doorway to your overall health. Our dentists and staff at Perio NYC are dedicated to providing exceptional dental care to all of our patients. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.