Oral habits are something that have to be maintained if you wish to maintain those teeth for long. As such, we have asked our dentists in Los Algodones about what habits can be picked up in order to increase their longetivity. After all, we all would like to keep our natural teeth , as well as take proper care of the artificial ones!
So without further ado, we will review what you should do and avoid:
Brushing is important
With this comes many topics that are worth talking about. You see, brushing is like our first line of defense when it comes to proper mouth care. If done efficiently it does amazing to our teeth, but if done poorly, it can bring complications. So among the habits, this is the most important:
- Every dentist agree that you must brush your teeth at least twice a day, for at least 2 minutes each time. Typically once in the morning and once again before you hit the bed.
- With brushing everyday and such, it is important to say that it has to be gentle. We want to get rid away of plaque and food remains, and they do not require much force. For this reason, if you brush too hard, you might even be tearing away your own tooth enamel. Soft and gentle brushes are what we need!
- Of course, you have to make sure you have the right tools. There are many toothpastes and toothbrushes to choose from at the store. As long as you get a toothpaste with fluoride and a toothbrush with soft bristles, then you are in the right path.
- Tilt your toothbrush slightly, about 45 degrees, when brushing your gums. This will help the bristles to reach under them and clean them from hidden plaque.
Many tools and ways to improve your oral habits
It is good to pair up a good brushing with flossing and mouth rinse, as these will cover the many places the toothbrush cannot simply get to.
Flossing might be something a bit tricky to get into, but with enough practice it becomes natural:
- If you are new, we recommend one that is waxed, as it will also help not breaking while you get the hang of it.
- Wrap the floss around your middle fingers and guide it with your index fingers and thumbs. This way it will be easy to guide the thread as you clean each of your teeth.
- As an extra tip, you can curve the thread in order to reach under the gum line.
- It does not really matter if you floss after or before brushing, as long as you do it.
As for mouth rinses, it serves as a great addition to your habits, as it wor ks in many scenarios:
- Depending on your needs, you may pick one that battles bad breath, gingivitis or even tooth decay.
- It is best to use your mouth rinse after 30 minutes of brushing. This is because the chemicals between the toothpaste and mouth rinse might cancel each other out.
- The recommended time to swish your mouth is of about 60 seconds.
- Gargling together with the swishing greatly improves its effectiveness.
Habits to avoid
As there are good things to bear in mind, there are also others to avoid:
- Do not use your teeth to cut and/or open things. This includes tape, bottle caps, and so on.
- Likewise, grinding and clenching your teeth is not good. This is called bruxism and it wears down your teeth greatly. The same goes for biting your nails.
- The use of cigarettes and tobacco products are bad habits, as they really affect your oral health.
- In case of children, sucking their thumbs is a natural habit, but if it persists, it is a source of concern!