American health experts agree that having top-notch oral hygiene is important for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Good oral hygiene practices also prevent common dental problems that include halitosis (bad breath), cavities, gum disease, and many more.
However, good oral health isn’t easy to achieve – you need to work hard for it and fully commit to it for the best results. In fact, following a checklist is a great way to keep yourself on track with good oral hygiene.
To help you out, listed below is an oral hygiene checklist for healthy teeth and gums you can use as a guide:
- Visit The Dentist Twice A Year
First, it’s recommended that you don’t miss your dentist appointment every six months. If you’re in North Carolina, you can look for a Fuquay Varina dentist or wherever you’re located to have your oral health checked biannually.
During your dental visit, your dentist will check the state of your teeth, gums, and the like. Depending on your situation, your dentist can provide treatments if needed. Your dentist will also identify any possible issues that could develop over time. They can immediately take action and prevent the situation from getting worse.
Also, your dentist will perform teeth cleaning during your appointment. It’ll allow your dentist to remove plaque and dirt that a regular toothbrush can’t. You’ll end the day with clean teeth, and your overall oral health checked.
- Brush Teeth Twice A Day
Brushing teeth twice daily is crucial to maintaining good oral health. It’s a simple yet effective routine for removing plaque and food particles that build up on the gums and the surface of the teeth. Failure to brush regularly can lead to a host of dental problems like cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.
In addition, regular brushing promotes strong and healthy teeth – reducing the risk of developing severe dental conditions. You can brush your teeth after every meal if you’d like to ensure a clean mouth. It guarantees you remove any food particles in your mouth before they can sit for too long.
- Don’t Forget To Clean Your Tongue
When brushing your teeth, you shouldn’t forget to brush your tongue as well. Brushing your tongue is an essential part of maintaining good oral health.
The tongue is a prime breeding ground for bacteria that can cause bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay. These bacteria can also spread to other areas of the mouth and body if left unchecked. By using the Basic Concepts Tongue Scraper With Travel Case (2 Pack) and brushing your tongue, you can effectively remove bacteria and prevent dental health issues.
You can clean your tongue using a tongue scraper or a toothbrush with a built-in tongue cleaner. When brushing your tongue, try to be gentle as much as possible. You don’t want to be too harsh as it might hurt the tongue’s surface.
- Floss Daily
Apart from brushing your teeth, you should floss your teeth daily as well. Nonetheless, you don’t need to do it twice daily, once is enough. Ideally, you should floss your teeth before hitting the hay and brushing your teeth.
Flossing your teeth is essential as it removes anything stuck between your teeth. Your toothbrush alone can’t reach everything inside your mouth, especially the areas between your teeth. Proper flossing ensures that your teeth are clean to the highest degree possible.
This dentist in Melbourne also mentions that if flossing is too time-consuming for you, you can always use interdental brushes instead.
- Rinse With Mouthwash
When brushing your teeth, you shouldn’t rinse with water. You should only spit out the remaining toothpaste in your mouth. Rinsing with water washes away the fluoride that protects your teeth from cavities. Yet, if you’d still like to rinse your mouth, you might want to consider doing it with mouthwash.
A mouthwash contains anti-bacterial properties that provide extra protection to your mouth. It’d be helpful to check if the mouthwash contains fluoride to give you additional defense. You can do this after brushing your teeth. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t use it more than twice a day unless the mouthwash manufacturer allows for it.
- Wear Mouthguard When Needed
If you’re getting into any contact sport, you should use a mouthguard to protect your mouth. Because contact sport activities can get intense, you’re at a higher risk of suffering from sports-related oral injuries. You can wear a mouthguard when hitting the gym and dealing with heavy machines as well.
On the other hand, if you’re a teeth grinder, you can wear a mouth or night guard in your sleep. A night guard helps to protect your teeth from grinding into each other. Unchecked and untreated teeth grinding may make your teeth smaller or cause jaw pain.
- Drink Enough Glasses Of Water
Oral health professionals all over the country recommend drinking at least eight glasses of water daily. Water helps to replenish the body and improve oral health.
But did you know that water is a good cleanser that removes any food particles inside your mouth too? If you eat something strong or acidic, water can wash them away and keep your teeth healthy.
It’s best always to drink a glass of water after every meal. It cleans your mouth and keeps you hydrated. In addition, you can drink water after eating or drinking something that leaves off an intense stain.
- Eat Foods And Drinks That Are Healthy For Your Teeth
Eating the right food should be a part of your oral hygiene checklist for what you eat contributes to your oral health.
To improve your oral health, you should eat crunchy fruits and vegetables. You can chew on apples, carrots, or celery. Further, cheese, milk, and yogurt are great for your teeth as they’re excellent food sources of calcium. Just like bones, your teeth need adequate amounts of calcium in order for them to remain strong and healthy.
- Avoid Certain Foods And Drinks
Did you know that certain foods and drinks can cause harm to your teeth? Consuming these foods and drinks can either cause stains or make your teeth weaker and prone to bacterial damage.
Begin by avoiding eating anything with excessive sugar, such as candies, chocolates, and sweets. And it’ll be helpful to avoid soda, coffee, tea, and wine as they can stain your teeth. Lastly, you should steer clear of citrus fruits and juices as they’re too acidic for your mouth.
As mentioned earlier, drink a glass of water right away if you need to eat or drink anything of the above.
Takeaway
Achieving healthy teeth and gums is no walk in the park. It’s something that you need to put your effort into and fully commit to in order to reap the benefits of optimum oral health. To help you, check out the easy-to-follow oral hygiene checklist featured above. At the end of the day, ensure that you schedule regular visits to your dentist to keep your oral health in check.