5 Ways Your Doing Oral Care Wrong

You may have heard many different ways about how you should brush your teeth, and you may have wondered how it could be possible to get something as simple as brushing wrong. The reality is, there are certain steps that many people get wrong. Some of which may have created issues with their oral health. Shocking isn’t it? Well, the truth is, we'd all like to believe that we are doing things right when it comes to oral health, but the fact of the matter is we sometimes miss out on some very simple essentials. Which when avoided, can lead to serious dental problems. Here are a few things you can do to improve your oral health.

What is the right time to brush your teeth?

We all know that brushing teeth in the morning is a helpful habit to have. Once our morning brushing is done, we may sometimes feel that we are done for the day. Now here is a thinker! How many of us brush our teeth after meals? Not most of us, probably. Do you know that brushing your teeth after meals is way more important than that morning stroke of a brush? This is because what we eat gets stuck between the teeth and it is important to remove it before it starts to feed plaque colonies that break down the teeth. Thus, making brushing a habit before going to sleep ensures that you are taking the necessary steps to secure your oral health. Another point to note here is that ideally, it is best to also clean your mouth before eating.

Avoid Aerated Soft-drinks

Despite severe warnings, a lot of people still opt for harmful cola- are you aware that soda contains sugar contents that cause bacteria to grow over twice as fast as they normally would? While you are not even done finishing with your drink, the acid in your mouth has reached the enamel and the cavity process has started. Colas are themselves filled with acids that begin this enamel-weakening process. Thus, they must be avoided at all cost. There are numerous research studies on the subject that highlight the effects and they should not be ignored if you are serious about oral health.

The Importance of Flossing

Most of us think that teeth care is complete after brushing, but flossing the teeth must not be compromised. Adequate flossing removes plaque and food particles from the places where the typical brush cannot reach; this area between the teeth and under the gum line can only be reached with floss. When flossing it is best to take an eighteen inch of floss and wind it on both of the middle fingers to form a grip; now move it back and forth between the teeth to remove any food particles from here. Flossing does not need typically to be done more than twice. However, you should always make sure that you floss before going to bed.

Drinking Water is Essential

Now, this is something not commonly heard of and yet it is true to every word. Drink lots and lots of water. Especially when you have had tea, coffee or any beverage with sugar and caffeine. A sip or two of fresh water is always helpful in these situations. What water does is that it takes the sugar elements from these beverages down to a level where they are not as harmful to our teeth. Water also allows the mouth to remain hydrated. This allows easy saliva formation and reduces the risk of debris causing plaque. Not drinking enough water may lead to dryness of the mouth and will allow bacteria to start harmful activities inside the mouth. Halitosis or bad breath is also a very common result of dehydration.

Remember To Brush Tongue 

Research shows that over half of the bacteria in the mouth live on the tongue. Now that you have learned the importance flossing and brushing have on cleaning the teeth, you can begin to learn how much of a positive effect brushing on the tongue has. When one sleeps, the body’s digestive system is wide awake. During this process, bacteria are steadily growing on the tongue. These bacteria are easily seen by the naked eye once a layer is formed thick enough, and is the reason behind bad breath most of the time. Thus, a smooth scrubbing action with the help of a tongue cleaner is ideally what we should be doing every day.  A lot of gum problems and tooth decay could be prevented if we would just clean our tongue properly. Another lesser-known consequence here is that an unclean tongue can affect your taste buds; so if you want your food to taste delicious make sure to always brush the tongue!

How Cavities Form

Teeth help us break down food into smaller, digestible pieces so our body can absorb all the nutrients from it. Healthy and clean teeth can boost our confidence and make us look better. It is very important to take care of this important part of our body. Old habits die hard, so it is very beneficial in the long run to develop good habits from a very early age. In order to know everything about good dental hygiene, it is imperative to understand the structure of the teeth first. Our teeth are basically composed of four main layers or parts.

Enamel is the hard outermost layer covering the teeth. It protects dentine, which forms the bulk of the teeth and can be sensitive if the enamel is damaged. This layer gives our teeth the white color. If the enamel is damaged, our teeth become yellow due to the exposed dentin. It becomes very easy for bacteria to attack sensitive teeth which are not protected by enamel. They become very problematic and sudden temperature changes, sweets, acids or harsh chemicals can cause extreme pain. Regular and careful brushing, gargling and flossing are the only ways of warding off loss of enamel and possible infection.

When the infection penetrates the dentin it results in decay which is an extremely agonizing experience. The next layer is the pulp containing nerves and blood vessels for blood supply. It is because of this part due to which we feel pain and other sensations in our teeth. The last part is the cementum; a layer of bone-like tissue covering the root. Its primary function is to protect the root and secure the teeth in place.

Food and other organic particles get stuck between our teeth when we consume them. These particles can cause plaque, which is a layer of bacteria. It releases acids that cause cavities, bad breath, and even infection. In order to eliminate plaque before it starts to build, the teeth should be brushed twice a day. This helps to remove food particles and debris in the mouth. Along with that, dental floss must be used to remove particles stuck between the teeth. Hard brushing and gum infection can damage the cementum.

The type of food consumed also plays a major role in determining the fate of our teeth. For stronger teeth, calcium, phosphorus, and fluorine should be a part of the daily diet. Plaque is more likely to develop on residues left behind from eating foods rich in carbohydrates, starch, and sugar. Sticky foods are more difficult to get rid of so for the sake of dental health they should be avoided.

You should ideally brush at least twice but not more than three times a day and each session should last for at least two minutes. The brush should also be changed regularly. Most toothpastes contain fluoride which helps to prevent plaque and cavities. Make a habit of using mouth wash every day, it cleanses the whole mouth and prevents bad breath.

If the above measures are not followed properly it will almost certainly result in plaque, and ultimately a cavity. Cavities, in turn, can cause mild-to-sharp pain when eating cold, sweet or hot foods. If a cavity is in its initial stages it can be stopped or reversed by rubbing fluoride directly to the affected area. If the enamel is destroyed the only option is to either get a filling, root canal or permanent removal of the infected tooth.

When repairing a tooth the dentist will drill the decayed area out of the tooth and fill it with porcelain or silver amalgam material and sometimes cover it with a crown to prevent further infection. If a root canal is performed the dentist makes an incision near the top of the tooth and removes the decaying pulp from the chambers and canals inside the tooth. The dentist will then fill the tooth with a rubber-like material and sealing paste. It is always better to take preventative measures as prevention is always better than cure. In the end, a good dental hygiene regimen can save us from a lot of painful problems and boost our confidence.

Better Dental Hygiene For Free

Is it really possible to have better dental hygiene for free? This is a question that may seem silly at first, but it really helps answer many other questions. Most people have the basics for dental upkeep as far as tools go. However, a lot of people do not have the proper knowledge of how to use them. A big secret to taking great care of your mouth is to remember that oral health is more influenced by what is also happening outside of brushing.

In fact, most dental hygiene products in stores are total ripoffs. Let's be honest. It is not our fault that big name dental creates and tirelessly markets products with minimal research and dirt cheap ingredients. The main reason they exist is to make them profit while saving you money. For example, many toothpastes contain gelatin ( same type of ingredient as in Jello ). Gelatin can actually coat the surface of teeth making it more difficult for saliva to get to and clean surfaces of the enamel. If toothpaste does not contain gelatin it likely has one of the three abrasives; silica, bone or chalk. There are actually many ways that you can have great dental hygiene for zero, yes $0 zero dollars. In fact, it could be said that most people actually buy their way into cavities.

The wrong way to approach dental health can take many forms. One example would be drinking a soda and then falling asleep immediately afterward. Soda contains a lot of sugar, in fact, if you happen to spill just one drop it will dry to a sticky sap in moments. It can be logically stated that restaurant soda likely contains less sugar than canned soda. The reason for this being that restaurant soda is often watered down either because it is mixed or because of added ice. Nonetheless, another example of detrimental dental hygiene would be eating processed food ( crackers, cookies, etc.) while having a cavity. Depending on the size of the cavity, food can clog that area and cause accelerated decay. This often results in an abundance of bacterial activity in that area. For these reasons, it is important to keep teeth free from any food particles and/or sugary residues.

Now that we have discussed some of the wrong ways (which are not free) to care for dental health we can begin to look at some of the right ways to care for teeth. One of the most important things a person can do to help slow down cavities is to have a good mouth environment. A healthy mouth environment could be considered as having many different qualities. One of the main qualities here is hydration. Drinking water and keeping the body hydrated helps keep the mouth producing saliva. Saliva is a natural carrier for calcium and helps to naturally cleanse the mouth while promoting a great PH in the mouth. Keeping the mouth hydrated is easily one of the most overlooked ways to have great dental hygiene. 

Another often overlooked way to keep cavities at bay is by changing the intervals of when you eat. In many ways, it is better to eat simpler foods and brush one time a day than to eat processed foods many times a day and brush after every sitting. The logic behind this being that saliva is most beneficial to teeth when it is allowed to wash around in the mouth uninterrupted for some time. To accomplish this try sticking to a routine in your mealtimes. For example only eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This way your mouth will have more time when it is clean of food debris.

Equally as important as saliva PH, another way to have great dental hygiene for free would be to find free samples. Many times a dental floss manufacturer will offer a free sample of dental floss. In fact, doing a simple web search for 'free dental floss' landed me on a great offer from Oral-B that is good through the end of the month. This is a great way to accomplish the important task of flossing when on a budget. There are also many other offers that a manufacturer may offer such as toothbrushes, mouthwashes etc. Another thing you could try would be boldly walking into a dentists' office and asking if they have any dental floss samples or trial packets. 

While flossing is important, brushing  is perhaps the foundation when it comes to having great dental hygiene. One way you can brush without a toothbrush is by using paper towel folded into a square. On top of it you could add a small amount of toothpaste or baking soda if you have some around. Brush gently if you are using this method, as baking soda can scratch at a microscopic level if applied too hard.The key here is to remove any built-up plaque that may be resting on the surface of teeth. 

In conclusion, there are many ways a person can have great hygiene for little to no cost at all. One of the most important things a person can do is drink plenty of water while eating less processed foods as a part of a daily diet. In all, when you know these helpful tips for better dental hygiene, there is no excuse when it comes to having great oral health.