Taking care of your oral health likely isn’t something that’s high up on your list of priorities. There are so many other things grasping for your attention, and looking after your teeth easily takes a back seat. However, it’s actually an essential self care step that you must make an effort to consider, and it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might expect to take great care of your oral health. Luckily, there are just a few key steps that you can follow to maintain a perfect set of pearly whites for as long as possible, and it couldn’t be simpler to get started today. So, read on to uncover some of the best tips and tricks that you can make the most of now.
By Team Savant
Image: Diana Polekhina
Say Goodbye To Sugar
Sugar is one of the worst foods that you can consume if you wish to maintain a healthy mouth, as it can cause a wide variety of issues to take hold. Sugar mixes with your saliva to form a kind of super strong bacteria that breaks down the enamel that exists to protect your teeth. Having little enamel left can encourage serious conditions such as cavities to arise, along with a constant sensitivity and an unappealing yellow tinge. Luckily, simply saying goodbye to sugar can transform your oral health completely, and it needn’t be tricky to beat the sweet today. When cutting out sugar, start off with the obvious sweet treats like chocolate and cake, figuring out some brilliant alternatives such as frozen fruit smoothies or cacao sprinkled natural yoghurt along the way. Over time your tastebuds will adapt and change on their own, so you may even end up disliking sweet flavours all together. Don’t forget to be vigilant in your sugar free life, as unexpected food stuffs like ready made pasta sauce can contain a considerable amount. If you are unable to cut out sugar and would just like a few tips that can help to reduce its impact, then do not fret. It can still be effective to utilise steps like swilling your mouth with water after sweet foods, or even drinking sugary drinks through a straw to avoid contact with your teeth. The best way to beat the effects of sugar inside your mouth would be to brush your teeth immediately after consumption, but as this isn’t always feasible (i.e. when visiting a restaurant) you can make the most of a sugar free gum as a brilliant alternative.
Implement A Clean Routine
Implementing a clean routine that you can perform twice daily is a brilliant way to stay on top of your oral health. Taking some time each morning and evening to take part in a full oral health regime can have a dramatic impact on the wellbeing of your teeth, and there are just a few simple steps that you must include in your routine to have the greatest impact. Start off by brushing your teeth with a manual or electric toothbrush and a pea sized amount of quality toothpaste, moving the brush in circular motions to cover each and every tooth’s surface for around 2-3 minutes. Once you have finished brushing, it’s a good idea to use a mouthwash that can target any difficulties you experience inside your mouth. For example, this could be gum sensitivity, plaque build up, bad breath and so much more. In addition to these two important steps, you can benefit from utilising a string of floss before bed to clean in between your teeth and remove any food debris that may have gotten stuck. Including these three basic steps in your clean routine will have a huge impact on your mouth as a whole, as both the aesthetics and your wellbeing will see an improvement.
Get Regular Check Ups
One of the hardest places for a human to self assess is their mouth, as it can be near impossible to see each and every tooth and many conditions present themselves in a confusing manner than only a specialist can spot. That’s why it’s absolutely vital that you can book yourself in for regular check ups with your dentist, so that they can have the opportunity to take a look around your mouth in order to spot any potential issues. Make sure that you aim to attend a dental practice at least once every six months in order to identify any conditions before they get too serious, and don’t be afraid to ask your dentist for an array of advice or support to help you achieve those perfect pearly whites. They likely have years of experience in the industry and know every good thing you can do to benefit your oral health, so take what they say on board to ensure you can continue with any recommended aftercare and encourage ultimate wellbeing. If you visit the dentist and find that you do have an issue such as a large cavity or an infected tooth, take steps to rectify the problem as soon as you can. Leaving an infection or similar issue to grow and faster inside your mouth will simply lead to further issues, so although it may be painful you must approach the situation proactively and aim to resolve it as soon as possible.
Taking great care of your oral health has never been so simple when you can find the time to make the most of the brilliant tips and tricks that have been carefully detailed above. Start off by saying goodbye to sugar, as it causes nothing but serious issues inside your mouth that lead to rotting and decay. Explore naturally sweet alternatives that pack a different kind of punch, and utilise a sugar free gum to keep your teeth clean throughout the day. Aim to implement a clean routine that incorporates brushing, flossing and a suitable mouthwash, and perform this routine twice daily. Be sure to visit your dentist at least once every 6 months for a professional check up.