A beautiful smile is something we all love to possess. Healthy teeth are the most essential ‘ingredient’ of a beautiful smile. It is at home that tooth care should be done. If proper care is taken at the right time itself you can effectively check cavities and save yourself from the dentist’s drill. Dental care involves daily brushing, proper flossing and regular checkups.
Taking good care of teeth helps in the prevention of plaque, the thin film that sticks to our teeth. Plaque is a fertile ground for bacteria since sugar gets deposited on it. Bacteria act frantically upon sugar and break it down into acids. These acids destroy the tooth enamel and the result is holes, that we call tooth cavities. Gingivitis is another gum disease caused by plaque. The symptoms of gingivitis are sore, swollen and reddened gums.
People realised the importance of tooth care long back. Earlier, before the invention of toothpastes, as people got older, their teeth would just decay and would cause them extreme pain. Gradually people learned how important was teeth care. The predecessors of toothpastes were ground-up chalk or charcoal, lemon juice, tobacco mixed with honey etc.
Teeth should be brushed properly twice a day. Ample time should be allotted in your daily routine for brushing. Ensure that your toothbrush has soft bristles. Brush should be changed once in every three months. Many people brush only their front teeth. This is not a wise step. All teeth should be cleaned. However, while brushing keep the brush away from gums. It is also important to visit your dentist twice a year for routine check up. This will check attacks from destructive bacteria in time. Sweets are enemies of good teeth. Bacteria flourish on tooth enamel, which is not cleaned properly after eating sweets. Including more fruits and vegetables in the diet, rather than eating a lot of sweets will certainly help teeth maintenance. If you cannot overcome your obsession for sweets, make sure that you brush your teeth every time you eat sweets.