Oral Health Tips
Health is a widely talked about subject. It is becoming increasingly common to hear people conversing about their diet or their current exercise routine. Vaccines are certainly a hot topic. However, there is one aspect that is still commonly overlooked and that is the mouth. Everyone hears the same few things regarding oral health over and over again. Brush your teeth every day, floss, go to the dentist. The problem with this is that it is no longer anything more than rhetoric for many people. The actual health of the mouth is rarely considered on more than a passing thought.
The mouth is one of the germiest and generally dirtiest parts of the entire body. Many people think that is nothing more than a vast exaggeration, but it is quite true. In many areas, it is considered assault with a deadly weapon to spit on someone. If, the mouth is not germy, how could spit be a deadly weapon? Of course, it could be argued that it is more because of diseases that can be contracted through bodily fluids, but really, isn’t that the same thing? Either way, it is vital to a person’s overall health to take care of the entire oral area.
Consider this, if you are in a long term relationship (or even a short one), you will be sharing all of the germs and bacteria in your mouth with your partner and vice versa. Few people ever stop to give this particular fact much thought. This is not because a person is careless or because they don’t care, rather it is because no one besides the dentist takes the time to exert the importance of oral health. Listed here is a series of tips, tricks, thoughts, and ideas to help you have impeccable oral health.
The first tip is the one that you most likely already know, brush your teeth. What you may not know is how often you should be brushing and for how long. When we are young, our parents tell us to brush our teeth every morning and before bed. This is excellent advice, but there is actually more to it than that. First, yes, you should always brush your teeth in the morning. Some people choose to do this as soon as they get up and others wait until after breakfast. Still, others do both. This is such a personal choice, but if you want to greet the day with the cleanest mouth and freshest breath possible, it is best to brush after breakfast or ultimately both. The goal is to brush away all of the built-up germs from the night. This can be accomplished at any time during the morning. When you wait until after breakfast, you are also brushing away all of the particles left behind. That way, not only are you getting rid of built up germs and bacteria, but you are also brushing away fresh particles and protecting your teeth from the day ahead.
You also need to brush your teeth every night before bed. This allows you to clean your mouth from all germs, bacteria, and food particles built up during the day. There are also other times during the day when you should consider brushing your teeth. This includes, but is not limited to, before going to work, after lunch, before going out for the evening, after drinking coffee or red wine, after using any sort of tobacco product, or any other time it seems necessary. If you have further questions about the best times to brush your teeth, it is best to consult with your dentist. If you do not currently have a dentist consider Willow Springs Dentistry.
Knowing how long to brush your teeth is another big factor in maintaining your oral health. Everyone is a bit different when it comes to brushing their teeth. Some people want to brush for about 10 seconds and be done, others what to spend 5 minutes or more. The optimal amount of time to brush is 60 seconds, a single minute. It may not sound like a long enough time frame, but it is actually the perfect amount of time. Provided, of course, that you are making the most of the time. For example, if you are spending the entire time brushing one part of your teeth, you are not going to accomplish the best possible clean. In fact, you will not be accomplishing much as far as maintaining oral health goes. It is incredibly important to brush all areas of your teeth. This includes the front, the back, the top, and the bottom. You should be spending equal amounts of time in each area, you do not need to spend more time in any certain area. Treat the entire mouth the same.
Finally, consider the type of toothbrush you are using. There are many different types, although they all essentially do the exact same thing. Overall, the most important thing is that you are brushing at all. If you want to get into specifics as to which toothbrush is best, there are several factors to consider. For example, do you use floss and mouth rinse regularly? If the answer is yes, any toothbrush will provide the same basic results. If, however, the answer is no, consider looking for a brush with extending bristles to help get the hard to reach areas between the teeth. Regardless of many potential factors, it is a good idea to look for a toothbrush with a tongue scraper. This is an excellent tool to have when you want a clean and healthy mouth. If you are so inclined, you can purchase a tongue scraper separately.
Once you have your teeth brushing routine down, it is to move on to other aspects of oral health. First, mouth rinse. This is an important step in your oral care practices. You need to use a mouth rinse at least a couple of times per day. Once in the morning and once at night as well as any other time you feel like it is needed. Many people choose to follow up brushing their teeth with mouth rinse so that they always remember. Look for a mouth rinse with a high percentage of alcohol, it will kill more germs. Also, floss every day, particularly between meals.
