Good oral hygiene is an essential part of ensuring healthy teeth and gums. It is also a central pillar to maintaining non-offensive breath. Unfortunately, not everyone maintains good oral hygiene. Sometimes this is due to mere negligence. Other times it is a result of simply not knowing how to keep up with good oral hygiene practices. There are some basic ways to maintain good oral hygiene and keep your mouth in great shape.
Brush Twice a Day
Brushing two times each day is a basic foundation to keeping your teeth free of plaque buildup. If you are worried about forgetting to do this, then it may help to set some type of alarm to remind you to get into a good habit of daily brushing. Your teeth, gums and wallet will thank you over the long term.
Floss After Each Meal
Another important oral hygiene practice that people often skip is flossing after they eat. Developing a habit of flossing after each meal keeps food from remaining caught in between your teeth. If you have kids, helping them get into good flossing habits after meals can become a family practice. This way, everyone in the family will stay on top of reminding one another to have good oral hygiene.
Drink Lots of Water Between Meals
Getting into a habit of drinking lots of pure water between meals, rather than snacking, is a fantastic habit to adopt. Not only will this help you to shed the pounds, but the moisture will keep your mouth from dehydrating. Dehydration can be harmful to your teeth and encourage tooth decay.
Use Dental Safe Toothpicks
Another way to maintain good oral hygiene is to use dental safe toothpicks after meals. Because these toothpicks fit in your pocket, they become convenient to use anywhere. This way, if you are out and do not have any floss handy, simply probing between your teeth with toothpicks can help to remove unwanted food particles.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum will stimulate saliva production in your mouth. While the chewing action may help to remove some food particles from your teeth, the saliva production is another way to keep your mouth hydrated. This in turn will again help to prevent tooth decay.
Use an Oral Hygiene App
Aside from getting into good oral hygiene habits, some individuals may benefit from using an oral hygiene app on their smart phone. Such apps will remind you of things to do each day to improve the regular frequency of your oral hygiene practices.
Visit Our Professionals
Since your teeth need to last as long as possible, it is essential to develop excellent oral hygiene. While it may seem inconvenient to do so, failure to care for your teeth and gums will lead to a number of potentially unhealthy outcomes.
At Runnels Orthodontics in Destin and Panama City Beach, we are here to help you every step of the way in your journey to maintaining good oral hygiene. By taking care of your teeth and gums now, you help to ensure that they will be there for many years to come. Contact us today to schedule your appointment to make sure your teeth are in tip-top shape.
