The Complete Guide to Great Oral Health
02.07.2024
Curious about the steps you can take to achieve incredible oral health? This is great news. There is so much you can do at home that will help to enhance your oral health and allow you to keep your natural teeth healthy.
If you want to avoid wearing dentures or investing in dental implants when you get older, you need to pay close attention to your oral health throughout your life. While this cannot guarantee your teeth remain healthy, it’s the best option available to help safeguard your natural teeth and keep your mouth healthy.
Here is our complete guide to oral health and the steps you need to take to protect your teeth and gums for a lifetime.
Why is taking care of your teeth important?
You only get one chance with your teeth. Once your adult teeth arrive, you have to take care of them or deal with the consequences. Poor oral health has widespread implications for your wider health. For example, those with poor oral hygiene are more likely to suffer from chest infections.
Excess plaque on your teeth has been linked to lots of cardiovascular issues. Despite the plaque being different to the plaque that can build up on your arteries, there is clearly a link between oral health and your wider health.
If you lose your natural teeth, your diet may suffer as you’ll be limited in what you can eat. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
As you can see, the health of your teeth has widespread implications for your overall health. So, if you want to take good care of your teeth, make sure you’re doing the following…
Brushing and flossing
Most people know they need to be brushing their teeth twice a day, but flossing is often a neglected task. It’s also possible you could be brushing your teeth twice a day but missing areas, using the wrong toothbrush, or hurting your gums by brushing too hard.
To help ensure your teeth are cleaned correctly every time, you should set a time for two minutes and vary your brushing style as you brush. To get all surfaces, you need to brush the front, back and top of your teeth. You’ll need to switch between back and forth motions and circular motions.
To make life easier, you could consider upgrading to an electric toothbrush with a timer. This will ensure you are brushing your teeth for the minimum required time and will also ensure you are getting complete coverage.
Make sure you replace your toothbrush every three to six months, or when the bristles start to bend.
And finally, you should also make sure you are flossing at least once a day. Floss helps to remove plaque and food debris from the hidden surfaces of your teeth that brushing cannot reach. Flossing regularly will help to ensure you have fresh breath.
Dental checkups
Small dental issues can quickly become much more serious if they are left untreated. To help get an expert’s opinion, you should commit to dental checkups every 6-12 months. During a routine dental checkup, your dentist will examine your teeth and gums for signs of issues.
They will also take X-rays to detect issues that cannot be seen from the surface. If you require more extensive dental cleaning or a fluoride treatment, your dentist will let you know. You may need to book a dental hygienist cleaning to help remove all traces of plaque and tartar from your teeth.
This is also an ideal opportunity to ask questions about your oral health and taking care of your teeth and gums at home. If you are clearly missing areas when you brush your teeth, your dentist or dental hygienist will be able to point out these issues.
Dietary changes
Your teeth will come into contact with everything that you eat, so it makes sense that your dietary decisions will have an impact on your wider oral health. There are some things that you will want to avoid entirely if you want to protect your teeth, and other things may be enjoyed in moderation.
Some of the worst items for your teeth include sticky sweets like caramel, very crunchy foods like unpopped popcorn kernels, and irregular habits like chewing on ice cubes. We would recommend avoiding these entirely if you want to protect your teeth.
Anything acidic should be avoided if possible, or enjoyed in moderation if you really want to enjoy it. Examples of this include fruit juices, fizzy drinks, alcohol and citrus. Cutting out fizzy drinks in favour of water is one of the simplest ways to protect your oral health.
It’s also a good idea to stop grazing between meals and stick to three meals per day. When you eat a full meal, your salivary glands are activated to produce acid neutralising saliva. This helps to protect your teeth from damage from the food you are eating.
If you snack between meals, you’re more likely to have food buildup on your teeth. And if your snacks are carbohydrate-rich, then you’ll put your teeth at increased risk of decay. So, skip the mid-morning biscuits if you want to protect your teeth.
Dental treatments
When you do face dental issues, it’s a good idea to take action to put things right rather than ignoring the issue. Examples of potential dental treatments that could help to safeguard your oral health include:
Fillings will help to address dental decay and will help to stop the issue from spreading further or returning. If you lose a filling, it’s important to get this replaced to help protect your teeth.
Orthodontics will help to align your teeth so that they can function correctly. Straight teeth are much easier to care for as there will be fewer hidden surfaces to worry about. Correct jaw alignment can also protect your teeth from uneven wear.
Bridges will replace missing teeth and help to protect the remaining teeth. If there is a gap in your smile, your remaining teeth could shift out of alignment. To help prevent this, always close gaps in your smile following an extraction.
Too much of a good thing
While taking care of your teeth is recommended, it’s possible to take some things too far. Overuse of some dental care items could have the opposite effect. For example, over whitening your teeth can leave them dehydrated and sensitive. It can also damage the enamel and leave your teeth more exposed to damage.
Brushing too hard can also damage teeth, as can using very abrasive toothpaste. Some home remedies for teeth whitening could lead to enamel damage and should be avoided. This includes using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide or activated charcoal as a natural remedy for teeth whitening.
Final thoughts on achieving great oral health
Remember that your oral health needs may change as you get older. This is particularly true for women as their hormones will have a big impact on oral health. While it’s good to get into a routine, make sure you review your routines regularly to ensure that it is still working for you.
Regular trips to the dentist will help you to assess your oral health and ensure that you aren’t doing more harm than good with your dental health habits. If you have any specific concerns, you can discuss these with your dentist to determine the best way forward.
If you’re ready to start taking your oral health seriously, book a routine checkup with our team. We can help you to get your oral health back on track.