Dental Hygiene Tips

Read more about the article How Can Your Dentist Help You With Oral Hygiene?

How Can Your Dentist Help You With Oral Hygiene?

Oral hygiene is as important as physical hygiene and should be started right from an early age. Overlooking oral health can lead to multiple dental issues requiring several dental treatments.

Some people visit their dentist only when they experience a dental problem, but it is recommended that you visit your dentist at least twice a year for oral checkups. Moreover, the in-house dental care is also an integral part of your oral hygiene, so make sure to complement dental check-ups with your own personal care regimen.

Practice proper oral hygiene regularly

For a healthy mouth, you need to dedicate all the attention it requires to stay healthy. Brushing twice a day isn’t the only way to keep your mouth germ-free. Do it correctly, do it regularly. Daily preventative care can help you avoid serious dental conditions such as gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, etc. There are some steps that we can take to reduce the risk of oral disease such as –

Brushing twice a day: Use the right technique to brush and floss your teeth as suggested by the American Dental Association (ADA) – Tilt your brush at a 45 degree to your gums and stroke the brush back and forth across the sides and top of your dental arch. Then, use short back and forth strokes to gently clean the inside, outside and chewing surface of your teeth. Brushing correctly can help minimize plaque and tartar buildup in between teeth and gums.

Flossing daily: Supplement brushing with flossing. Although brushing helps you clean your teeth, but there are certain areas that the bristles of your brush can’t reach. Dental floss provides in-depth teeth cleaning as it cleans the areas beyond the reach of your brush, which is it removes food particles stuck between teeth and gums. Consult your dentist to know the proper use of dental floss.

Avoid junk food and eat healthy: A healthy diet means a healthy mouth. The most common reason behind tooth decay is consumption of sugary food items such as sweetened drinks, sugar-filled sodas, unhealthy snacks, etc. Diet on healthy, nutritious food to maintain the wellness of your mouth. Even your dentist will recommend you to snack less on unhealthy stuff as junk food not only affects your physical health but also deteriorates oral condition.

Use mouthwash: For additional hygiene, consider adding mouthwash to your daily care regimen. Mouthwash can help keep your mouth clean and smell fresh and nice. But before that, consult your dentist and do what he/she suggests you to.

Change your brush often: Brush bristles start to fall apart over time and this may not be doing the job anymore. It is recommended to change your brush every three months and use the one suggested by your dentist.

Maintaining good oral hygiene prevents periodontal disease and keeps your mouth healthy. Make sure to visit your dentist frequently and he/she can better guide you to follow good oral habits for a long-lasting, healthy mouth.

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Read more about the article What is a Dental Floss?

What is a Dental Floss?

When it comes to your teeth nothing is more important than proper dental health and dental hygiene. Without proper oral hygiene your teeth can break down and decay causing many problems including tooth loss. Flossing is such an essential part of dental care. There are several health benefits to maintaining proper dental care and flossing. Without proper flossing, your teeth will a buildup with plaque which leads to tartar and several types of gum disease. Not flossing can also cause an increase of cavities in the areas your tooth brush cannot reach. Without flossing your teeth can start to stain which keeps your teeth from looking bright, white and clean.

Dental floss is a tool you should use daily to remove food and bacteria build-up from in-between your teeth. Floss, which is commonly made out of plastic or nylon, is a thin thread that you place between your teeth and pull in order to clean the gaps. As you pull on the thread, you remove food and debris.

Benefits of Flossing:

  • Remove plaque

  • Prevent gum disease

  • Prevent cavities

  • Better smelling breath

  • Whiter teeth

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Read more about the article How Your Diet Can Impact Your Oral Health?

How Your Diet Can Impact Your Oral Health?

Your body is a complex machine. The foods you choose and how often you eat them can impact your general as well as your oral health. If you consume too many sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks or non-nutritious snacks, you could be at risk for tooth decay. Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, but the good news is that it is entirely preventable.

Foods that contain sugars of any kind can contribute to tooth decay. To control the amount of sugar you eat, read the nutrition facts and ingredient labels on foods and beverages and choose options that are lowest in sugar. Common sources of sugar in the diet include soft drinks, candy, cookies and pastries. Your physician or a registered dietitian can also provide suggestions for eating a nutritious diet. If your diet lacks certain nutrients, it may be more difficult for tissues in your mouth to resist infection. This may contribute to gum disease. Severe gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Many researchers believe that the disease progresses faster and is potentially more severe in people with poor nutrition.

For good oral hygiene, keep these tips in mind when choosing your meals and snacks:

  • Drink plenty of water

  • Eat a variety of foods from each of the five major food groups including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein (e.g. lean beef, fish, dry beans, peas), low-fat and fat-free dairy products

Avoiding following types of foods is a way to maintain good oral hygiene:

  • Carbohydrates – Refined carbohydrate-laden foods (chips, bread, pasta, crackers, etc.) can be as harsh on your teeth as candy.

  • Chewy, sticky foods such as raisins, jellybeans, caramel, honey etc.

  • Sugary snacks

  • Candy and gum

  • Carbonated soft drinks

  • Fruit and vegetable juices

  • Sports drinks

Limit the number of snacks you eat. If you do snack, choose something that is healthy like fruit or vegetables or a piece of cheese. Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm to teeth than eating lots of snacks throughout the day, because more saliva is released during a meal. Saliva helps wash foods from the mouth and lessens the effects of acids, which can harm teeth and cause cavities.

Remember to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings – typically twice a year.

For good dental health, always remember to brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss daily and visit your dentist regularly. With regular dental care, your dentist can help prevent oral problems from occurring in the first place and catch those that do occur in the early stages, while they are easy to treat.

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Read more about the article How Much Toothpaste Should an Adult Use?

How Much Toothpaste Should an Adult Use?

As little as we think about it, toothpaste is an essential item that we use every day. But, a good question is “How much toothpaste should we be using?”

Most adults tend to think that it is necessary to cover the entire brushing surface of a toothbrush because of the way toothpaste is advertised on television. Liberal use of toothpaste is far too much; it is only necessary for adults to use an estimated pea sized dab of toothpaste to properly clean their teeth.

Besides toothpaste, fluoride can be found in a variety of products, including mouth rinses, supplements in tablet form and drinking water, if community water is fluoridated. Other products, such as juice boxes and soda pop, may contain fluoride, depending on their water sources. For example, if the bottler for a soda pop company is located in a community where fluoridated water is present, fluoride will be present in the product. Some people also receive topical fluoride treatments during a routine dental visit.

So, in summary,

  • The right amount of toothpaste is the size of a pea.

  • We can get fluoride from the sources other than our toothpaste.

Regular visits to the dentist are important because dentists can help if you or your child is not receiving enough fluoride.

Remember, only a dentist can diagnose your dental problems and offer the right treatment plan for you. Get connected with a dentist in Calgary today.

 

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Read more about the article Tips for Fresh Breath

Tips for Fresh Breath

Everyone suffers occasionally from bad breath. Bad breath is most commonly caused by conditions in your mouth, such as the food you eat, and how often you clean your teeth, gums and tongue. This is a dental problem, which you can probably fix yourself.
Read these tips on how to keep your breath fresh:

  1. Floss and brush your teeth, gums and tongue daily to prevent bad breath. Clean as far back on your tongue as you can, as that’s where bacteria often collect. If you don’t clean your mouth, any remaining food particles will attract bacteria, which cause bad breath and contribute to tooth decay.

  2. Brush and floss your teeth after eating. If you can’t do a thorough cleaning, drinking water or chewing sugar-free gum are good options.

  3. Use fluoride mouth rinse for fresher breath. Not only can decayed teeth hurt, they may have an awful odor. Tooth decay can be prevented with fluoride toothpaste and proper dental care.

  4. Be aware that certain foods — such as garlic, onions and some spices — can contribute to bad breath for up to 72 hours after eating.

  5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

  6. Keep your nasal passages free. Blowing your nose and making sure you are breathing through your nose rather than your mouth will contribute to fresher breath.

  7. Stop smoking.

  8. Eat more fresh, crunchy fruits and vegetables. The act of chewing on raw, healthy foods enhances saliva flow and also pushes food debris out from between teeth and spaces between the gums and teeth.

  9. Bad breath can also be an early symptom of periodontal or gum disease. Gum disease is an infection that affects the gums and jawbone, which can lead to a loss of gum and teeth. If left alone, the bacteria will build up on your teeth and irritate the gums. Flossing helps removes food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line. Be sure to also visit your dentist for periodic cleanings and exams.

  10. Dry mouth leads to bad breath. Saliva inhibits the growth of bacteria that contribute to bad breath by cleansing the mouth and removing odour-causing food particles. Dry mouth is also caused by some medications, alcohol and breathing with your mouth open. Drink plenty of water or chew sugar-free gum or candy to keep your mouth moist.

Chronic bad breath however, can be a visible sign that something is not right. If bad breath persists, schedule an appointment with your dentist. It can be an indicator of gum disease or dry mouth. If it is due to an oral condition, your dentist can develop a treatment plan to help eliminate it.

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