About 90% of adults over the age of 20 have had at least one cavity in their lives, resulting from poor oral hygiene.
Many people neglect their dental health in various ways; some people don’t clean their teeth as often as they should, whereas others have bad eating habits.
Whatever the case may be, learning about proper dental care practices will help you avoid several health issues.
We’ve put together this guide that outlines everything you need to know about oral hygiene so you can get your health together. Soon, you can develop a few habits that’ll aid you throughout life.
Read on to learn all about the importance of oral hygiene.
Table of Contents
Why Practice Proper Dental Hygiene?
Dental hygiene is one of the most important things to invest in if you want to live a long and healthy life, but why is it important?
If you practice proper dental hygiene, you can avoid several long-term health problems that’ll reduce your quality of life. You’ll also feel more confident, which will make handling various things easier.
Here are some of the main reasons to practice dental hygiene:
Reduce Risk of Tooth Decay
Tooth decay happens to be quite destructive, and it occurs when the hard surface or enamel of your teeth gets damaged by bacteria. This bacteria builds up throughout the day and interacts with sugar to create acid, which then starts attacking your teeth.
Prevent Yellow Coloring
Yellow coloring is another problem many people face, but few people know how to handle it.
Teeth naturally have a yellow hue, but extremely yellow teeth are the result of food stains. As you age, enamel tends to thin, which can also make teeth turn yellow.
With the right dental care procedure, you can keep your teeth whiter for as long as possible. However, you may face some inevitable yellowing as you get older, though it won’t be that bad.
Avoid Gum Disease
Like tooth decay, gum disease is destructive and life-altering, though you can avoid it. Gum disease is an infection that occurs when you leave plaque on your teeth for too long. Plaque is full of bacteria and will irritate your gums if you don’t remove it fast.
Dental Hygiene Tips
Now that you know about the importance of dental hygiene, you’ll need a few tips to help you avoid all of the mentioned problems.
Fortunately, practicing proper dental hygiene is as simple as using a toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Don’t Brush Hard
When brushing your teeth, you should focus on brushing gently. As long as you can remove plaque, there’s no reason to press the toothbrush hard against your teeth.
Pressing a toothbrush hard against your teeth can destroy your enamel. It can also harm your gums, which can result in bleeding and recession.
Visit a store and buy a few different toothbrushes to experiment with until you find one that’s soft enough to get the job done. You can also ask a dentist for recommendations.
Use Floss and Mouthwash
Aside from brushing gently, you should use floss and mouthwash.
Floss is crucial because it removes food from between your teeth that can harm your gums, and it strengthens your teeth.
You may notice some bleeding when you floss for the first time, which is the result of inflammation from bacteria. When flossing becomes a habit, the bleeding will go away, and your gums will feel firmer.
Mouthwash will remove bacteria from your mouth with a variety of ingredients, though you don’t need to use it several times a day. To get the most out of mouthwash, you can use it when you wake up or before going to bed.
Clean Your Tongue
Although you may focus on cleaning your teeth, you can’t overlook cleaning your tongue. Far too many people neglect their tongues, but the tongue can be a breeding ground for bacteria if you don’t clean it.
Clean your tongue with a toothbrush after brushing your teeth, and try to avoid spitting out toothpaste before you start. The toothpaste will remove some of the bacteria, making mouthwash more effective.
When you use mouthwash, don’t rinse your mouth out with water. You can spit out the mouthwash, but rinsing your mouth will make it harder to maintain fresh breath.
Avoid Sugary Foods and Drinks
The last oral health tip we’ll give you is to avoid sugary food and drinks.
Sugar, while delicious, does no good for your teeth or overall health. Because of this, try to avoid it as much as possible, even if it means giving up foods that you enjoy.
It’s okay to have sugar once in a while, but it shouldn’t be something that you consume in large amounts every day.
If you do end up having sugar, brush your teeth shortly after consuming it. However, don’t brush immediately after having something like a soda because this can damage your enamel.
Start Improving Your Oral Hygiene
Now that you know the reasons to improve oral hygiene start implementing these practices into your daily routine. If you feel like the process is too much, something as simple as using mouthwash can help you get on track.
We also encourage you to shop for a new toothbrush whenever you can. If your teeth ever hurt when you brush them, your toothbrush may be the problem.
Check out our other articles to learn more about oral hygiene facts and dental problems.
