Keeping your teeth healthy should be one of your priorities when it comes to health. A bad condition of teeth could impact your whole body. There are links between cavities, gum diseases, brain, and heart health. Teeth can also have an impact on the cardiovascular system, lungs, and diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, pneumonia, arthritis, etc.
If you want to know more about bad breath, check out the natural ways of dealing with bad breath.
How to keep your teeth in a healthy condition?
When it comes to teeth health, the crucial things are to practice good hygiene and avoid habits that harm your teeth. You have probably heard it before, but it doesn’t do any harm if you hear it again – brush your teeth at least twice a day and don’t avoid regular dentist check-ups. Almost all dental problems can be mitigated with good prevention. So, here are some ways to do that.
1. Brush regularly
As we said, it is vital to brush your teeth at least twice a day to keep them clean. But, it is also important to do it correctly – circular, small motions, for two or three minutes, until you clean every side of every tooth.
Straight left and right, back and fort aggressive motions will do your teeth no good. Also, besides avoiding brushing your teeth too hard, keep in mind that you need an adequate toothbrush. That means that the bristles on your toothbrush shouldn’t be too hard, too. You should also change your toothbrush every three months.
If you are wondering when you should brush your teeth, keep in mind two things. You should brush your teeth before breakfast and before you go to bed.
Another thing that people often forget is to brush their tongue, as well. All sorts of bacteria can build up on your tongue. So, you need to brush it every time you brush your teeth.
2. Floss every day
When you brush your teeth, you can’t reach the small spots between the teeth. And that is exactly where the food will be stuck after eating. So, in order to clean the areas that your toothbrush can’t reach, you need to floss every day. The food that is stuck there might be the reason you have a bad breath, so why not take care of it. Therefore, flossing is as important as brushing, don’t skip it.
3. Visit your dentist regularly
You should have dental check-ups at least twice a year. This is one of the best things you can do to prevent dental problems and diseases. During these appointments, your dentist can notice any potential problem on time. That way, you can act on it and treat it as early as possible.
4. Use a fluoride toothpaste
Fluoride is the ingredient that helps to prevent cavities in your teeth. Tooth decay depends very much on the use of fluoride. Even if you brush and floss every day, you can still get cavities if you don’t use fluoride.
5. Limit sugar and starch in your diet
Sugar is bad for health in general, so you should use it in moderation. When it comes to teeth, sugar residues that stay on and in between the teeth turn into acids. Acids then cause cavities in your teeth. The same goes for food that contains starch like bread and pasta. Instead of sugar and starch, choose to eat vegetables and fruit that are rich in fiber.
But, you should not only keep an eye on sugary food but also sugary drinks. Those that contain a lot of sugar can also cause cavities. Instead of these drinks, you should drink sugar-free drinks or water. That is better for your teeth and it will keep you well hydrated.
6. Avoid smoking
Smoking is bad for your health overall, not only your teeth. But when it comes to your dental health, gum disease is the one that is most commonly caused by smoking. Besides gum disease, smoking will cause unpleasant stains on your teeth, it will make them yellow, and it will cause bad breath.
7. Consider switching to the electric brush
Electric brushes use small circular motions and have a small head that can reach places a regular toothbrush can’t. They do a better job removing plaque that causes cavities and gum disease.
Conclusion
You can’t rely only on your dentist to solve all your dental problems. Do everything you can to avoid dental problems from occurring. You can do that by having good dental hygiene – keeping your teeth and tongue clean. You can also use the right toothbrush and the right toothpaste. But what you eat and drink is also important, so try to avoid sugary food and drinks.