The alarm clock jolts you out of bed. You head to the bathroom and reach blurry eyed towards your toothbrush and the random half squeezed tube of toothpaste that was half price in the local supermarket. You brush with haste, time is tight. Next, a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast before the front door shuts and the car door opens.This is the dental health routine of many people living a hectic lifestyle with too little time to think about whether what they are doing is right or wrong. It's time to take control of your dental health. So, we're here to give you some top tips to healthier teeth and gums that won't need you to move the earth to fit into your lifestyle.
Top 8 Tips to Healthier Teeth and Gums
1. Drink water with meals.
A glass of water with a meal is the ideal companion for healthy teeth and gums. As you eat your delicious Sunday roast, little fragments of food will become lodged in between your teeth. If you keep a glass of water on standby then as you take a sip you can wash out the debris with every gulp. Another advantage to grabbing yourself a glass of water is that it substitutes choosing another drink such as sugary drinks that will only add more danger to your teeth.
2. Make floss your new best friend.
If you miss flossing then you miss cleaning all of those small areas between your teeth. Believe it or not, those areas cover 35% of your teeth surfaces. So reach for that floss and give your teeth a full body clean. If you don't, then you risk leaving bits of food between those gnashers that will eventually turn to plaque and damage your enamel.
3. Chew sugar-free gum.
As long as your chewing gum is sugar-free it can be a brilliant on the go aid to cleaning your teeth. The gum effectively dislodges food particles stuck on and in between your teeth. Best used after eating, the fibrous texture will work wonders to keeping your teeth in good form.
4. Choose the right toothpaste.
There's lots of types of toothpaste displayed out on the supermarket shelves with tempting tag lines and promises. They key ingredient you need to look for is fluoride. With a good fluoride toothpaste you should be on the right tracks. Why is fluoride such an important substance? Fluoride plays the role of preventing tooth decay. It does this by bolstering the tooth's resistance to acid attacks caused by plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. Not only this but it also helps to reverse early decay.
5. Don't rinse after brushing.
If you rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth then you risk washing out any excess fluoride that could be working wonders for your teeth (see number 4). This is the case whether you are rinsing with water or mouthwash. Therefore a better option for you would be to actually swish the residue toothpaste around your mouth before spitting it out. If you like to use mouth wash then do this before brushing unless it is a fluoride mouthwash which you can use after. Although, speak to your dentist before deciding which type of mouth wash to use as using a fluoride mouthwash when you already have enough fluoride through your toothpaste and water can lead to fluorosis.
6. Don't get sentimental with your toothbrush.
Did you notice that your toothbrush is looking a little worse for wear? The fine bristles are curved and tired. The colour may have even started to fade. Well, it is recommended not even to wait for these types of signs before changing your toothbrush or toothbrush head. In fact you should look to change it every 2-3 months to avoid micro-bacterial build up deep in the bristles.
7. Check in every six months.
Be sure to attend regular appointments at your dentist. It is recommended to do this every six months, even if you feel fine. Why? Because a dental issue found early is easy and usually painless to treat. If you wait longer then problems can snowball into serious dental issues that will not be so easily addressed.
8. Don't ignore your tongue.
Your tongue is a BIG part of your mouth, so don't ignore cleaning it! Most toothbrushes now have a tooth scraper on the reverse side. If yours doesn't then you can pick one up for very little money. use it to maintain the cleanliness of your mouth and to limit the risks of bad breath. Now the key is to plan your daily routine and stick to it for 3 weeks so that it can become a habit that you perform every day without needing to think about it. So get to work and get those teeth and gums back to their best!