A smile, they say, can make a person’s bad day become better. Have you ever smiled at someone who had a sad expression on their face and watched their lips blossom into a genuine smile? The happiness that comes from making another person happy is often unmatched.
Now, imagine walking up to a person, smiling, and getting a compliment like, “That’s some amazing teeth you got!” How would you feel? Elated, right? In making another person’s day, you have made yours even better!
But what if the scenario went like this: You walked up to the person, and the person immediately grimaced at the sight of your teeth and asked if you brushed that morning. Your day might have started well, but that comment alone could make it all go downhill.
Chances are, growing up, your parents made you brush your teeth twice every day till it became a household ritual. However, many people still do not understand the importance of maintaining good dental hygiene. This is why clinics, like the Great Hill Dental, have taken it upon themselves to spread awareness on the importance of practicing good oral hygiene to the public today.
What is Oral Health Hygiene?
In simple terms, it is brushing, flossing, and cleaning the teeth to keep the mouth clean and prevent tooth diseases.
Simple Oral Hygiene Tips for Healthy Teeth
- Brush your teeth regularly: Brush your teeth every morning and night, not neglecting the inside, outside, and surfaces—brush for two minutes or more.
- Floss regularly: Flossing helps you to get rid of food items that are stuck between your teeth, reducing the number of bacteria and plaque in your mouth. It is always best to floss before brushing your teeth.
- Change your toothbrush regularly: Change your toothbrush every three (3) to four (4) months as toothbrushes with frayed bristles cannot do a good job of cleaning your teeth
- Eat a balanced diet: Eating a balanced diet and maintaining proper nutrition helps your teeth grow strong and healthy.
- Implement fluoride: Medical health researchers have shown that it is best to use toothpaste that contain fluoride because it helps to prevent cavities, growth of bacteria and helps strengthen your enamels.
- Quit smoking: Smoking causes gum diseases, discoloring, and weakening of teeth, which eventually cause your teeth to fall out.
- Keep your teeth cleaning equipment clean always: Keep your toothbrush, dental tape, floss threaders clean to avoid the buildup of bacteria on them, which can harm your teeth and gums.
- See your dentist regularly: Frequent checkups and visits to your dentist can help curb tooth diseases before they spread and keep your gums healthy and your teeth polished and shiny.
Importance of Practicing Good Oral hygiene
- It improves your general well-being.
- It boosts confidence and self-esteem.
- Reduces the chance of getting tooth decay.
- It reduces the need for dentures and fillings.
- It gives you fresher breath.
- Lower the risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and diabetes
- Healthier chance of delivery for pregnant women.
- Increased life span.
- It boosts communication with people as they will not find your breath or teeth repulsive.
- Lower chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
- It helps you to avoid unnecessary costs in teeth or tooth replacement.
How to know when your Oral Hygiene is Poor
- Changes in the color and texture of the tongue: When you begin to notice that your tongue is a different color than before and the texture is rougher, it is an indication that your oral or dental hygiene is poor. To correct it, you should clean your tongue every night.
- Bleeding or swollen gum: Bleeding gum or swollen gum is a sign that there is something wrong with your gum. You should see the doctor to determine if it is a mild swelling caused by an irritant or if you need to be treated for gum disease.
- Pain in the gum after eating cold or hot food: If after eating food with high temperatures such as hot or cold, you feel a sharp pain, it is a sign that your dental hygiene is poor and should be checked.
- Discoloration in the color of your tooth: Tooth decay progresses slowly that you might not notice its symptoms at the early stage. Your tooth might be of a slightly different color than the rest. It is important to check your teeth on the mirror to know if there is discoloration of any kind. Brushing your teeth regularly can help to correct discoloration of the teeth.
- Gum Deterioration: When your teeth and gums are not taken care of properly, the gums begin to decay and wear away, leaving the roots of the teeth exposed. This can be corrected by specialized teeth cleaning. It can also be prevented by brushing and flossing regularly.
Dangers of Not Practicing Good Oral Hygiene
- It can cause gum diseases.
- It can also cause gingivitis.
- The cost of replacing your teeth is high.
- Risk of contracting infections and diseases.
- Low self-esteem, which happens when you cannot freely talk to people because of how your teeth look and the stench of bad breath gotten from teeth decay.
- Growth inside the mouth.
- It can also lead to death in severe cases.
Conclusion
A healthy set of teeth has so many advantages, which is why it is vital to take care of your teeth, brush, floss, and see your dentist frequently. Don’t forget to smile today and make a person’s day better.