In early ages, kids are not conscious of how important it is to maintain a good care to keep a proper oral health, in consequence, they can start developing some oral issues as they grow up. Is important to teach kids about oral care and its importance, but it is also primordial to intensify that knowledge during the adolescence, a stage where more awareness is acquired. The Following Oral Care Tips For Teenagers will help you maintain a good oral health during adolescence.
- Hygiene habits: keeping a good hygiene is primordial for the oral health in all life stages. Don’t forget to brush your teeth properly twice a day and to floss at least once. Avoid consuming sugared snacks or beverages to prevent the apparition of cavities. Visit your dentist regularly and follow its recommendations.
- Dental Braces: the use of braces is most common during the adolescence. These orthodontics devices are used to align the teeth and improve the smile. If your orthodontist recommends you to use braces, make sure to clean them properly brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and using interdental brushes and floss after every meal to remove the food that gets stuck in the brackets. Your orthodontist will also recommend you to avoid hard, crunchy or sticky foods that can get stuck or cause any damage to the braces. Popcorn, caramels, ice, hard crusty bread, are some of the foods that can lead to the loss of brackets and that get stuck in the braces, boosting the buildup of plaque.
- The wisdom teeth or third molars, commonly come into the mouth around the age of 17-21. These molars, need to be extracted in most cases, as they do not have enough space to grow or they’re in a bad position. In some cases, wisdom teeth don’t need an extraction. To see what the situation with your third molars is and if they need to be removed or not, you must visit your dentist regularly so he can monitor the growth of your wisdom teeth.
- Mouth Jewelry: the use of mouth jewelry is a common trend among the teenagers, but before piercing your tongue or cheeks you should know about the damages that mouth jewelry can cause to your health. A piercing may look cool, but it can also bring millions of bacteria and cause infections and swellings in the mouth. You could also crack a tooth by biting the piercing.
- Smoking: smoking or chewing tobacco is very harmful to your oral and overall health. This habit can lead to bad breath, oral cancer, gum disease and stained teeth and tongue.Teenagers can start smoking because they want to look cool or due to the social pressure that some peers can have over them. Smoking is a very harmful habit to the oral and overall health and not a decision to take lightly.
- Nutrition: teenagers are prone to be affected by eating disorders due to physical, social and emotional issues. Eating disorders are a threat to oral health as the organism doesn’t receive the necessary nutrients to work well. Bleeding gums and chronic dry mouth are some of the oral issues that can be caused by nutritious disorders. It’s important to seek help if you suffer from an eating disorder.