So many of the statistics surrounding oral health are damning. Did you know, for instance, that one in four adults don’t even brush twice-daily, and that 31% of adults have tooth decay? 66% of adults also have visible plaque.
It’s a sorry state of affairs, but one that can thankfully be resolved with the right dental hygiene routine. Here are some of the most important tips to ensure yours is up to scratch.
Use the most suitable toothbrush
Not all toothbrushes are created equal, with the best being a soft-bristled, multi-tufted one with an easy-to-grip handle and a sufficiently small head for navigating it around your mouth. You can ponder on going green and sustainable with toothbrushes. A Bamboo toothbrush could be a plausible alternative. Its handle is made of bamboo, which is biodegradable and an extremely renewable resource.
Power toothbrushes are also worth considering, particularly if you suffer from arthritis or another condition that prevents you from holding a regular brush steadily. It’s recommended that you change your brush every three months, which is when the bristles tend to become overly worn and soft.
Brush twice a day, but don’t be too vigorous
It would be easy to presume that ‘more is better’ when it comes to brushing your teeth, but in truth, it’s best to stick to the widely advised twice-a-day routine.
One mistake that is made especially often is brushing the teeth too hard, which can actually lead to gum recession and damage to the teeth’s root surfaces. The crowns of your teeth – the parts of them above the gum line – are protected by super-hard enamel. But the root surfaces aren’t, which makes them vulnerable to rapid wearing.
When brushing, then, a gentle but sustained effort is key. It doesn’t require an overly vigorous approach to banish all of that undesirable bacterial plaque and food particles.
Floss at least once a day
Flossing is another crucial, yet frequently overlooked part of good daily dental care – only 21% of adults are regular users of dental floss, while a third have never flossed their teeth at all.
The truth is that there are so many tricky spots between your teeth that you can’t expect your brush or even a toothpick to necessarily reach, so you need to ensure that you are using floss to banish the last of that lingering plaque.
Avoid snacking – especially on sugary foods
Sugar is a menace to our teeth – it’s a simple case of the less sugar you consume, the better your oral hygiene will be. If you can’t avoid sugary foods, stick to having them at mealtimes so that your saliva has a chance to neutralise and buffer the damaging acids that are typically released as a result of sugar consumption.
Drink water!
Water is easily the healthiest daily drink from an oral hygiene perspective, not least as it keeps your sensitive tissues moist and promotes saliva production – the latter vital for combating those notorious acids that can wreak such havoc on your teeth.
If you want to ensure that you are suitably equipped to ensure optimum oral health, you may be interested to know that our partners in the creation of this blog post, BF Mulholland are trusted suppliers of dental products. Good luck with your efforts to safeguard your dental wellbeing!
