Any conversation about oral health has to include at least a mentioning of the two pillars that it stands on: oral hygiene and preventive dentistry. These are two very simple aspects of your dental wellness that require little more than some discipline and consistent effort. That’s why your dentist in Dublin has taken the time to discuss 5 easy ways to maintain excellent oral hygiene at home. Keep reading to learn what they are.
5 Tips for Excellent Oral Hygiene
Here are 5 simple oral hygiene tips that will make your next visit to your dentist one to be proud of:
- Proper Brushing – Proper brushing includes technique and frequency. You should be using a toothbrush with soft bristles and making sure that each session done manually goes for at least 2 minutes. This gives you enough time to remove a majority of the bacteria that are hiding out. Be sure to brush at least twice a day to sweep away any of these cretins that collect between meals.
- Flossing – Flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth because it gets into the areas that your toothbrush can’t, removing more hidden bacteria and food particles.
- Use Mouthwash – Other than leftover food debris and sugar, bacteria love a warm, dry area. So it’s important to take steps to keep the balance of moisture. A great aid is mouthwash. It wets the mouth while removing and flushing away bacteria. This is great to use as a supplement to brushing and flossing.
- Change Your Toothbrush – If used too long, your toothbrush will become a petri dish for bacteria to grow. Therefore, you should discard it and begin using a new one every three months. And whenever you get sick, you should get a new toothbrush regardless of how long you’ve been using your current one.
- Eat Healthy – A final tip is to monitor what you eat. The healthier the food choices you make, the less acidic your mouth will be. Furthermore, your saliva will coat your teeth with anti-cavity properties.
Improves Overall Health
Your oral hygiene has deeper implications than just your dental health. It also impacts your overall wellness, because the same blood that flows through your mouth also is transported throughout your body. That means that if you get an oral infection and allow it to fester for too long, it will eventually spread to other parts of the body and cause even greater problems, like heart attack and stroke.
But when you practice excellent oral hygiene and work in concert with your local dentist, by maintaining semi-annual preventive dentistry visits, you can be sure to enjoy the fruits of total health.
This is your year to flourish!
About the Author
Dr. Eric Buck received his undergraduate degree in zoology from Miami University. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. A member of the American Dental Association and several other professional organizations, Dr. Buck practices at Distinctive Smiles of Dublin and can be reached for more information through his website.