5 Tips To Maintain Great Oral Health
Maintaining your oral health isn’t only beneficial for your mouth, but it also plays a critical role in improving your physical and mental wellbeing. Neglecting your oral hygiene can lead to a multitude of dental and medical problems, including tooth decay, gum disease and even heart disease. You can read more about the wider effects of poor dental hygiene in our blog ‘How Does Your Oral Health Affect Overall Health – What Dentists Say?’.
Our Banbury dental practice has put together a short guide that will highlight some of the problems caused by poor dental hygiene in greater detail, as well as ten of our top tips for maintaining good oral health. If you’d like to learn more, then keep on reading.
What Are The Effects Of Poor Oral Health?
As already mentioned, poor oral hygiene can cause a number of problems for your overall health and well-being. By looking after your teeth better from a young age, you will be significantly minimising the risk of tooth decay, tooth loss and gum disease, as well as more serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or respiratory complications. What’s more, people who suffer with worsened oral health, will often need to undergo the following dental treatments:
Poor oral health may not be something that people consider day-to-day, but it is of great importance to avoid health complications further down-the-line, especially if you have another underlying health issue that is likely to worsen as a result.
Our Banbury Dental Practice’s Top 5 Tips For Better Oral Health
Now you’re aware of the harm poor oral hygiene can cause, you may be wondering how to properly maintain your teeth and gums, to avoid any greater harm. We have put together our top ten tips to better oral health, many of which can be easily integrated into your daily routine.
1. Brush And Floss Regularly
Brushing and flossing regularly are two of the best ways to keep your teeth clean, but a lot of people forget to do so too often, for example when they are in a rush in the morning, or after staying out late.
Our Banbury Dental Practice always advises our patients to brush their teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and floss once daily, to prevent the build up of plaque, as this can be a common cause of tooth decay and unhealthy gums. We have also touched on this in our blog ‘How To Maintain Healthy Gums – Tips From Experts’, if you’d like to learn more.
In addition, consider transitioning from a regular manual toothbrush to an electric one. Electric toothbrushes offer several benefits compared to traditional ones, such as increased effectiveness in removing plaque, improved brushing technique, and easier access to difficult-to-reach areas.
2. Use A Toothpaste & Mouthwash With Fluoride
The NHS have highlighted the efficacy of mouthwashes containing fluoride in promoting healthier teeth and gums. Fluoride works to fight against dental plaque, a thin film of bacteria that builds up on the surface of teeth and can cause cavities when not removed. Furthermore, fluoride is known to reduce the amount of acid produced by bacteria in the mouth, which helps to protect tooth enamel from decay.
As such, individuals should strongly consider using toothpaste and mouthwash with fluoride as part of their oral health routine.
It is recommended to use products containing between 1,350 to 1,500 ppm of fluoride, as these have proven to be more effective. Additionally, individuals should wait at least 30 minutes after using a fluoride-containing product before eating or drinking anything else to give the best results.
3. Maintain A Balanced Diet
Moreover, nutrition plays an essential role in the health of our teeth and gums. Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of vitamins and mineral-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, will contribute to better oral hygiene. It is also crucial to limit your intake of sugary, acidic and over-processed food and drink, such as fizzy drinks, sweets and starchy fast food.
These practices are not only important for adults, but also for children, as they can be more susceptible to dental problems whilst their teeth are developing. Consuming nutritious foods at regular intervals throughout the day helps to reduce the risk of tooth decay as well as provide energy for physical activity.
4. Quit Smoking & Vaping
Not only is smoking one of the biggest causes of serious health conditions such as cancer, heart and lung disease, as well as strokes, it can also be detrimental for your oral health. Also, short-term, oral-related issues caused by smoking include tooth discolouration, bad breath and reduced sense of taste. Quitting isn’t always straightforward, so here are some of our recommendations:
- Avoid triggers that encourage smoking, such as stress or certain people, places, or activities.
- Take steps to reduce cravings, such as exercising more often or deep breathing techniques.
- Replace the habit of smoking with healthier activities
Given the many short-term and long-term benefits associated with quitting smoking, making the decision to do so will significantly improve overall wellbeing and quality of life.
5. Visit The Dentist Regularly
Regular dental visits are an integral part of maintaining great oral health. It is important to go for an oral health check, which is a comprehensive examination of your teeth and gums, at least twice a year. Also worth mentioning is that if you have children, regular checkups are crucial for minimising dental anxiety from a young age.
The examination helps to identify any potential problems early on, allowing for prompt treatment and prevention of further damage. Regular dental check-ups also give the patient an opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have with their dentist, as well as receive advice on proper oral hygiene techniques.
Choosing the right dental practice can often be tricky, so have a look at our recent blog ‘The Ultimate Guide To Choosing A Private Dentist In Banbury’ for further advice.
Look After Your Oral Health With Our Banbury Dental Practice
If you would like to know any more about the problems associated with poor oral health and how to prevent them, or require further information about any of our general dentistry treatments, please do contact our dental team today on 01295262008 or email us at info@41southbar.com.