Did you know that you could be doing a LOT more to keep your teeth clean?
We see it all the time: people come in, adamant that their teeth are in impeccable condition… only to then require 8 fillings. And a crown.
There’s more that you could be doing to take care of your teeth. In fact, we’re willing to bet that you’ve not been cleaning your teeth as effectively as you could be.
Are you flossing?
Do you use a good mouth wash?
Are you scraping your tongue? Do you know why you should be?
FYI: If you don’t floss when you brush your teeth, you could be missing a significant amount of the tooth’s surface! We’ll look into JUST how much you’re skipping further on in the article.
So, are you ready to find out how you can change your diet to nutritionally benefit your teeth?
Do you want to learn some insider secrets on the best ways to clean your mouth?
Maybe you’re just looking for some tried-and-tested tricks and tips.
Don’t worry: we’ll teach you everything you need to know. Let’s jump right in.
Nutrition
You might not think it, but nutrition is very important when it comes to oral health.
How important?
Well; your diet can directly impact the long-term strength and durability of your teeth.
Certain foods are better for your teeth, whereas some (such as sugars) should be avoided as much as humanly possible.
Here are just a few nutritionally beneficial suggestions:
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- Vitamin-C, found mostly in citrus fruits
- Calcium, which can be obtained from salmon, nuts and dairy
- Phosphorus, from fish, eggs and beans
If you want to know just HOW these foods can impact your dental nutrition, all you need to do is read on.
Brushing
How do you brush your teeth? Do you brush twice a day? Or do you only brush in the morning and simply tell the dentist that it’s twice a day… because believe me, we can tell.
Contrary to popular belief, there is a right way to brush your teeth. A simple 30-second sweep just won’t cut it.
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- Don’t use excess toothpaste
- Brush the inside of your teeth, too
- Use a soft pressed, circular motion
These are only a few ways that you can improve your tooth-brushing game. You can read more here.
Teeth cleaning
Teeth cleaning? Isn’t that the same as just brushing your teeth?
Not quite.
Sure, brushing your teeth is a part of keeping your teeth clean, but there’s a LOT more that goes into it.
You also need to use mouthwash.
And floss.
And rinse with water.
Nutrition is also a fundamental aspect of maintaining great oral health.
Keeping your teeth clean is absolutely essential if you want to:
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- Eliminate the risk of cavities and cracks
- Keep your breath smelling fresh
- Save money on dental bills
- Have a sparkling, Hollywood smile
Flossing
We touched on this one at the start: if you don’t floss, you could be missing up to 40% of the tooth’s surface area. Yep. Nearly half.
Brushing simply isn’t enough. It might help on the surface level, but without flossing – you’re just not doing a good enough job.
Flossing can prevent the build-up of potentially harmful bacteria.
It can help you to prevent gum disease.
If you want to learn more about why you should be flossing, we’ve got a whole article about it here.
Tongue scraping
You won’t believe how many people just don’t bother scraping their tongue!
Have you ever noticed that your breath still might smell, even after brushing?
That’s because the bacteria that cause the smell resides mostly on the surface of your tongue.
That’s not all.
Maybe now you’ll think twice about scraping your tongue…
Rinsing with water
Don’t get me wrong: rinsing with water is an important part of brushing your teeth. You shouldn’t, however, be rinsing out your mouth IMMEDIATELY after brushing. Toothpaste uses a chemical called fluoride to help keep your teeth clean, and when you rinse with water straight after brushing, you’re making it dramatically less effective.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash can be found in most bathrooms around the world – usually full and still sealed!
The thing is; mouthwash is an integral part of maintaining your oral hygiene.
When you brush, you’re simply cleaning the surface of your teeth; for the most part, it doesn’t remove any harmful bacteria in your gums.
If you regularly use mouthwash, you won’t just be preventing tooth decay, you’ll be:
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- Strengthening the enamel of your teeth
- Preventing gum disease
- Preventing the risk of infection
Maybe it’s time to finally unscrew that Listerine cap!
In summary
Dental care, without a doubt, is incredibly important.
There are a lot of important factors that go into taking care of your teeth. Are you doing all of them?
When you take care of your teeth, they’ll take care of you. No more fillings, infections or cracks.
Trust us: no one wants an exposed nerve.
If you’d like to check the condition of your teeth, or maybe even make some cosmetic enhancements, feel free to get in touch today.
