Many of us do what we can to take the best care of our teeth, but at the same time, when many of us believe we are implementing top dental care techniques at home, the fact of the matter is that is not always the case. And there are many of us as well that are not taking the best care of the teeth and the rest of the mouth due to life’s distractions for the most part.
Now that has been said that many people are not taking care of their teeth as well as they should be (even if they think they do), let’s look at the eight ways that there is room for improvement when it comes to dental care:
#8 – Brushing The Teeth For A Very Short Time
Did you know that to brush your teeth effectively, you need to brush your teeth for a total of 2 minutes long? If this news is new to you, then that right there shows that you are not taking care of your teeth as well as you can, and perhaps you would not have known because you were never told. This is not your fault, and now you will learn that each quadrant of the mouth needs to be brushed for 30 seconds at a time, and when you finish brushing all 4 quadrants, then you would have brushed for the full 2 minutes.
#7 – Not Rising After Brushing The Teeth
Many people do not rinse after they brush their teeth. And it is important to rinse out the toothpaste with the plaque it has scrubbed off as it can reduce the chances of tooth decay by 25%, which is significant. It is important to spit after rinsing and swallowing is never a good idea.
#6 – Eating Or Drinking After The Last Brush At Night
After you brush your teeth in the morning, it is not an issue to eat and drink after because you are awake and busy for the day. And when you are awake and busy, you will be talking and keeping your mouth moist as saliva is produced. Saliva kills off bacteria in the mouth. However, when you brush your teeth for the last time at night, don’t eat or drink anything except for water. When you sleep, your salivation production reduces and allows bacteria to form which is why you wake up with foul breath each morning. And bacteria will be left from food or drinks that were not brushed away, and that will contribute to tooth decay.
#5 – Brushing Your Teeth Too Strongly
Yes, you want to remove the plaque and bacteria from your teeth, and the only way that can be done is by brushing your teeth thoroughly. However, please don’t do it too hard or else that will only scrape away the enamel, which will lead to many other dental problems. You want to be thorough and not too soft, but don’t brush too hard either.
#4 – Keeping The Same Toothbrush For Longer Than 3 Months
When was the last time you changed your toothbrush? If you cannot remember, then chances are it is time to change it. It would be best if you changed your toothbrush every 3 months because old ones are full of bacteria that you are bringing back into your mouth. That defeats the purpose of keeping your teeth clean.
#3 – Using The Same Toothbrush When You Are Sick
Bacteria in the mouth stick around, and when you are sick, you have more bad bacteria and viruses. And once they get onto your toothbrush, you can be infected again after being healthy. This means if you use the toothbrush while sick again during good health, you could easily reinfect yourself. When you are healthy, be sure to throw away the toothbrush and use a new one.
#2 – Brushing Right After Eating
When you eat, especially acidic foods, only rubbing the acids into the enamel further while brushing the teeth will wear away at it. The same goes after vomiting as the stomach acid will be rubbed into the enamel which is not good. It is best to wait for a half-hour after doing either to brush your teeth. You can always rinse with water in the meantime.
#1 – Ignoring Halitosis
You have a bad taste in your mouth constantly, and others have politely offered you a mint at times. You have halitosis, and you need to get to the bottom of it, and it can most definitely happen even if you are taking tip-top care of your teeth and gums. The cause for halitosis can be due to gum disease or another underlying health issue. And it is an easy test to do to determine if this is an issue. Lick an area of your wrist and allow the saliva to dry for 10 seconds. Then smell that area you licked. If it has a foul odor, it is time to go to the dentist and the doctor.
Are you glad you have read this? You now know what to do to take care of your dental health properly.
