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Oral hygiene can make or break you.
I can’t even count the times I’ve heard someone cite another person’s bad breath as the reason for them not following through with a second date on my fingers.
Likewise, for the times I’ve heard someone talking about a person needing excellent oral hygiene and squeaky clean teeth in order to be on their radar.
That’s the bottom line: if you have a delightful smile and a pleasant-smelling mouth, you become immediately more likeable.
Not to mention how good care can keep your teeth and gums strong as you age, and keep those problems that can affect the health of your mouth at bay.
While regular teeth cleanings are an essential part of oral hygiene, there are ways to optimise your home teeth cleaning routine.
The reason you should clean your teeth properly every day, twice a day, is because a thin film of bacteria called dental plaque builds up on your teeth every day.
This bacteria produces acids that can harm your tooth enamel and cause cavities, which is why brushing and flossing your teeth can prevent decay and other problems.
If brushing and flossing are put on the back burner, it is possible to develop gum disease, which begins when plaque builds up along and under your gum line.
So what is the right way to brush and floss your teeth every day at home?
According to the US National Institute of Health, this is how to keep your teeth squeaky clean at home:
- Gently brush your teeth on all sides with a soft-bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste. Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.
- Use small circular motions and short back-and-forth strokes.
- Brush carefully and gently along your gum line.
- Lightly brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper to help keep your mouth clean.
- Clean between your teeth with dental floss, prethreaded flossers, a water flosser, or a similar product. This removes plaque and leftover food that a toothbrush can’t reach.
- Rinse after you floss.
The kind of toothpaste you use also makes a difference.
Use fluoride toothpaste to protect your teeth from decay. If you are at a higher risk for tooth decay (for example, if you have a dry mouth because of a condition you have or medicines you take), you might need more fluoride.
Your dentist or dental hygienist may even suggest a fluoride treatment during an office visit or may tell you to use a fluoride gel or mouth rinse at home.
This is why regularly checking in for a mouth cleanse at the dentist is also quite important for oral health. It is recommended to get your teeth professionally cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist every six months.
However, people with oral issues such as gum disease or other medical conditions that make cavities and mouth problems more likely, as well as those who wear braces or smoke cigarettes, need to come in more often.
In fact, drinking coffee and tea daily can leave marks and stains on your teeth, which is another reason to get your teeth professionally cleaned regularly.
OptiSmile offers a teeth cleaning procedure that can boost your health, with their specially trained oral hygienists able to leave your teeth feeling stronger, cleaner, and healthier.
What is the process of cleaning teeth at the dentist?
Before your teeth cleaning procedure begins, an OptiSmile dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth using a small mirror to make sure there are no serious issues before proceeding.
The dental hygienist will then begin cleaning by removing plaque and tartar from the tooth surface near the gum line – plaque builds up over time and if left long enough, it may harden and become tartar.
Regular dental cleanings are an important part of preventive care.
If it’s been more than six months since your last visit to the dentist, or if you’re experiencing any worrying mouth symptoms (like red, swollen, or bleeding gums), it’s time to schedule an appointment.
However, don’t wait until you’re in pain to see a dentist, by then, the damage may have already been done.
[sources:nih]
