Consistent care is required to maintain healthy teeth and a beautiful smile. Even if everyone around you is telling you that you have beautiful teeth, it is still important to take proper precautions to avoid complications such as tooth decay and gum disease.
Oral health means more than cavities as it relates to your overall health as well. In addition, if left unchecked, oral health issues can lead to pain, tooth loss, and lower self-confidence. By the time you're reading this article, you probably already know the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
These basics of dental care will help you reduce the time you spend at the dentist and make your appointments more enjoyable. It also saves you time and money on costly procedures.
What causes tooth decay?
You may not like the sound of it, but your mouth is a thriving ecosystem with large communities of bacteria that feed on the sugars in the foods and drinks you consume. The main purpose of brushing your teeth is to remove plaque, which is the biofilm made from these bacteria that builds up on the surface of your teeth along the gumline and below the gumline.
The bacteria that form this plaque release acids that eat away at the protective enamel and lead to cavities. These acids also irritate the gums, making them red, tender, and prone to bleeding. This can also lead to gum disease. The gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets. These pockets can fill with bacteria and become infected. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to bone and tissue loss. Your teeth may come off or need to be removed.
If you don't remove this plaque regularly, over time it will mix with minerals from your saliva, harden, and become tartar. You can't remove tartar just by brushing. At most, you can floss it off a little, but you will have to go to a dentist to have it professionally removed. If you've noticed tartar on the back of your teeth or along the gums, find a dentist near you and make an appointment. For example, you can simply google the dentist in Blackburn and read the reviews.
Don't go to bed before brushing your teeth
You have most likely been told to brush your teeth after every meal. You don't have to do it right away, but if you can, try within 30 to 60 minutes of eating. And while ideally after every meal, twice a day may be enough as long as you don't eat a lot of starchy and sugary foods.
It is especially important that you brush your teeth before bed so you can remove the plaque that has built up over the course of the day rather than several hours to multiply and produce the harmful acids mentioned earlier . You should also keep in mind that saliva production decreases during the night, which allows the bacteria to multiply better.
Use the correct brush technique
The way you brush your teeth is just as important as the frequency. So don't rush. It should take about two or three minutes.
You want to apply a pea-sized swab of fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a mineral made of fluorine and prevents cavities. Use a soft-bristled manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush to avoid damaging your gums while brushing your teeth.
Place your toothbrush against the gumline at a 45-degree angle. This makes it easier for the bristles to reach the plaque between your teeth. Move the toothbrush in a circular motion. Don't press too hard, as this will change the angle of the bristles, making the brush movement less effective and potentially damaging your gums.
You'll also want to clean the inside of your lower and upper front teeth by angling the toothbrush and brushing in small circles with the bristles on top. Plaque has a very soft consistency so you don't have to scrub it away. These gentle movements are more than enough.
Don't forget to clean your tongue as well, as this will help remove some bacteria and freshen your breath. Again, use gentle motions and don't scrub.
Since the toothbrush bristles wear out and are less effective, you'll need to replace them every three or four months.
Flossing is just as important as brushing
Even with the best brushing technique, your toothbrush cannot reach the plaque in the narrow spaces between your teeth. Therefore, you need to floss at least once a day before bed.
To use floss properly, you should break off about 18 inches of floss. Wrap most of this around the middle finger of one hand and a little around the middle finger of the other hand so you can stretch a small section of an inch in between. This is the section you will use for flossing. As you move from one field to another, unwind the floss you used on one middle finger and fresh floss on the other.
As you slide the floss between your teeth, press it up with your index finger while making a rubbing motion. Don't press it too hard or it will snap against your gums and injure them. After sliding the floss up to your gum line, curve it against a C-shaped tooth. Now all you have to do is rub the side of that tooth with an up and down motion.
If you find flossing difficult, there are some alternatives like water silk.
Go to the dentist regularly
You should go to the dentist every six months. This gives you the opportunity to professionally clean your teeth and remove tartar that may have built up on the gumline to help prevent gum disease. Also, your dentist can check for cavities or other problems before they get more serious.
You should also make an appointment if:
- You have noticed an unusual sensitivity to heat and cold
- Your gums seem to be peeling away from your teeth
- Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth
- The gums are red, puffy, and tender
- It hurts when you chew
- You have persistent bad breath