5 Dental Hygiene Tips your dentist didn’t tell you

We hear all the time how important it is to take care of our teeth. Unfortunately, not all of us actually follow this advice as well as we should. We may even think that we are doing just fine with our teeth, only to find out later that there is a problem, something that could have been avoided if we had taken better care of them. Taking care of your teeth isn’t simply brushing them once a day and moving on. There are a lot of things you can be doing to ensure that your entire mouth is well taken care of. Here are a few areas that you should be focusing on if you want the healthiest mouth possible.

Brushing Your Teeth – This is probably the most important one. While most people brush their teeth regularly, a lot of us don’t brush them enough, or in the correct way. To have the healthy teeth, you should be brushing them at least twice a day. You should also be taking your time while brushing, and not rushing through it – make sure you do a thorough job. It is also important to have a decent tooth brush, and the right toothpaste. If you are unsure if your equipment is up to par, consult with a dentist.

Mouthwash – Besides brushing your teeth, it is a good idea to rinse it out often as well. A good mouth wash can rinse out all of the bacteria that your brush couldn’t get to. There are a lot of misconceptions about what mouthwash is actually good for (it isn’t great at removing bad breath, for example), but it is still a good idea to use it every once in a while. Mouthwash is vital to keeping your teeth and gums healthy, so be sure to mix some into your daily hygiene routine.

Flossing – Not too many people enjoy flossing, but it is important to do it anyway. Your brush can’t reach in between your teeth, so you need to get in there and clean it out. Flossing once a day will keep not only your teeth healthier, but it will make your gums stronger as well.

Eating Right – It is not enough to simply brush away the food you eat at the end of the night. You have to be careful about what you are putting into your body. Too many sugary foods, or things like soda, can be corrosive to your teeth. If you have been trying to lose weight, but couldn’t stick with your diet, maybe knowing that it is helping your teeth as well will give you added motivation.

Drink Water – Lastly, staying hydrated is very important for good oral hygiene. When your mouth dries up, it allows the bacteria to stick around in your mouth. Drinking the recommended amount of water each day keeps your mouth nice and moist, and prevents bacteria from piling up throughout the day. There are so many benefits to drinking water all day, and now you can add keeping your mouth healthy onto that list.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to start taking care of your mouth. So many future problems can be avoided if we simply take care of our gums and teeth while we can. Most of the things mentioned above are not hard to mix into a daily routine. Once you turn them into a habit, they will become like second nature to you. Your mouth, and your future self, will thank you for it.