Why It’s Important to Get Your Teeth Healthy Now
Prisca B
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Caring for your teeth and gums is key to a long and healthy life. You’d be surprised how many people get oral infections that travel to the heart or bone. Then they are on IV antibiotics for at LEAST 6 weeks. Super inconvenient but it’s what they have to do. If it goes untreated and the infection grows in your bloodstream, then you risk sepsis and no one wants that. So let’s not play this game and do what we can to do our best to get and keep our teeth healthy.
Daily Oral Care
At my latest dentist appointment, I saw an infographic that covered the basics of daily oral care. The main points are to use ADA-accepted products. The ADA is the largest dental association in the United States that provides the latest information in regards to oral care for dentists and patients alike.
#1 Brushing Your Teeth Twice a Day
Brush your teeth twice a day using an ADA-accepted toothbrush. This helps to remove what would eventually become plaque. What is plaque? It also helps to reduce your risk for gingivitis. This also means replacing your toothbrush when it shows signs of wear. Buying them in a multi-pack makes chucking a bad one easy and it tends to save you money.
Brushing your teeth helps to take away the large bits of foods that stick behind after we eat and helps to remove bacteria. You should brush for at least two minutes, giving each quarter of your mouth 30 full seconds of scrubbing. My Philips Sonicare rechargeable electric toothbrush has a timer that tells you when to change which section you’re cleaning AND turns off once the two minutes are up. It still works after having it for almost a decade. Just have to buy replacement heads when the brush shows signs of wear.
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Also, a direct quote from my dentist, “You can never brush too long but you can brush too hard”. So you don’t want to overdo it by brushing so hard you injure your gums. That’s trading in one problem for another.
#2 Flossing Once a Day
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
Flossing is recommended once a day. You can floss using ADA-approved floss, cleaning sticks, small brushes, etc. Anything that can help you get into the areas that your toothbrush can’t reach. I use dental floss picks. I buy a multi-pack that lasts my husband and me an entire year.
My dental hygienist said to use it as a squeegee when going in between my teeth. Go up the side of one tooth hugging it with the floss. Then when I reach my gums, I go over to the other side and hug that tooth going down. Can you see how effective that would be in loosening anything that might be stuck between your teeth? Do it a few times between each tooth.
#3 Rinsing One a Day
Did you know that using mouthwash should be a part of your daily oral care routine? I don’t know how I missed that memo but I know now. Adding a rinse to your routine can provide additional protection against cavity-causing bacteria. The rinse can get to bacteria in your entire mouth. ADA recommends you use a rinse that contains fluoride.
Regular Dental Office Visits
Doing all the above is essential to great oral hygiene. However, it doesn’t mean you can avoid going to the dentist. At a minimum, you should be going every 6 months. During my visits, the dental hygienist cleans my teeth removing any plaque I wasn’t able to get. She then flosses my teeth, has me rinse, and then polishes my ivory whites.
The dentist then checks to see if there are any structural issues (ex: loose teeth, overbite, etc) and makes recommendations on how you can keep taking good care of your teeth. X-rays are done usually once a year.
The best part: dental insurance isn’t required for routine dental care. While having dental insurance means I don’t pay a dollar for these visits, if you don’t have insurance, dental visits can cost as little as $40-$80 a visit. If you have a healthy mouth, this means you’re shelling out about $80-160 the ENTIRE year! One of the most affordable parts of US healthcare for sure.
If you need to find a dentist that takes your insurance in your area, check out
Conclusion
In summary, to get and maintain a healthy mouth, you need to brush twice a day, floss once a day, rinse once a day, and get dental cleanings every 6 months. It will help you to keep away from preventable infections that can wreak havoc on your body and your health. Also, I read that drinking water after meals can also help.
READ MORE: How To Drink More Water When You Hate it?!
What tools do you use to keep your mouth healthy? Do you run into any issues in your oral care routine? Share in the comments below.
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