Oral health is an important concept when it comes to having clean, healthy teeth and gums. Proper brushing and flossing daily helps keep your gums in good condition and your teeth clean and free from stains, plaque and tartar build up; which reduces your risk of dental decay and gum disease.
There are many patients who are unfortunately unaware of the condition of their teeth and gums. Many patients have never been shown how to clean correctly and effectively in order to prevent diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, as well as tooth decay.
Regularly removing plaque or bacteria build up and food debris from your teeth by brushing alone will not singularly prevent such diseases. Flossing is also an important factor in reducing bacteria in your mouth. However, regular dental visits are still important as even the most diligent patients can have bacterial build up.
Prevention is much better than cure or management of a condition, and when it comes to prevention, focusing on Oral Hygiene is a must.
Brushing and flossing properly is crucial if you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Brushing:
When it comes to brushing there are some basic guidelines that you should follow:
- Brush for two minutes
- Brush twice a day
- Use a good fluoridated toothpaste
- Clean all your teeth – don’t forget the back ones
- Brush your gums as well as your teeth
- Brush after breakfast and before bed
- Don’t brush too hard
- Change your toothbrush regularly every three months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed or worn.
The statistics show that most people only brush once a day and when they do, they brush too hard and not for long enough. The average time spent brushing teeth is approximately 28 seconds, which is not enough time to remove plaque from your teeth.
Plaque is a sticky substance made up of bacteria and food particles that needs to be brushed over several times before it detaches from the tooth surface. Any plaque that you don’t remove effectively will start to solidify from the minerals in your saliva, creating a hard layer that is firmly adhered to your teeth called tartar or calculus. This is the stuff that your dentist or hygienist needs to remove for you when they perform a professional dental clean or scaling.
Plaque and tartar are implicated in both tooth decay and gum disease. Therefore, regular hygiene visits which remove and prevent bacteria building up will reduce the likelihood of these preventable diseases that can dramatically affect one’s overall health and wellbeing.
If you want to reduce your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and other oral health issues then regular professional dental cleans are a must. Regular visits with our dental hygienists will help you to have a great looking, but more importantly healthy smile.
We believe that by helping you to care for your teeth and gums, not only can you keep your teeth for life but you can also live a healthy life.
