A Guide to Perfect Oral Health
Getting enough exercise and maintaining a healthy diet are probably the first things you think of to maintain good health. While these are both crucial to a balanced, healthy lifestyle, taking care of your oral health is equally important. Poor oral hygiene doesn’t just lead to issues such as gingivitis or periodontal disease, but it can also put you at a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. This is why a good dental routine is crucial, and below is the best guide for perfect oral health.
Register with a Dental Clinic
While a lot of your oral hygiene routine will take place at home, it is still important that you see a dentist for check-ups, ideally every six months, but at least once a year. They will be able to help spot early signs of any oral health problems that might be developing, as well as offer more thorough cleaning to get rid of plaque build-up, removing surface stains, and x-rays should you need them. For a good example of what you should be looking for in a dental clinic, look at DentEssential.
Use an Electric Toothbrush Twice Daily
You make it routine to always brush your teeth once in the morning and again before you go to bed, and while a manual toothbrush is OK to use, an electric toothbrush will be much more effective. It can provide a deeper clean of your mouth and is better at removing plaque build-up. Make sure that you’re not applying too much pressure when you brush your teeth, no matter what type of toothbrush you use, as this can irritate your gums. For optimum cleaning, it would be best to brush your teeth for about two minutes each time, and most electric toothbrushes have a timer function to help you know when to stop.
Flossing
Brushing your teeth will help to keep your mouth clean, but they don’t always reach difficult areas such as between your teeth. Flossing is brilliant for getting rid of plaque in these hard-to-reach areas. You can floss twice a day, but even doing this once in the evening can make a big difference to your oral health. If you would prefer, you can floss after each meal to get rid of bits of food that are stuck between your teeth quicker.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash is the perfect finishing touch to any oral health routine. Use it twice daily to help remove any excess toothpaste or bits of food that might still be in your mouth after brushing. It will help to keep your mouth fresher for longer and protect your teeth and gums.
Avoid Smoking and Sugary Foods
Foods that are high in sugar are perfect for bacteria to thrive and produce plaque, which will rot your teeth. While indulging in some sweet treats on occasion is OK, if you want to maintain good oral health, don’t make these foods part of your daily diet. If you smoke, you might also want to think about kicking this habit, not just to reduce your risk of cancer and other health issues, but for better oral health, too.
Good oral health is essential to a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and the above steps are the perfect routine you should get into to achieve this.