Good oral hygiene is something that people tend to forget about… until it’s too late. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much time for “too late” to creep up on you — the American CDC states that untreated dental decay is the number one chronic disease that children deal with in the U.S. (and with such a great variety of sugary soda pop drinks and candies, it’s not hard to see why this is the case).
You don’t have to brush your teeth after every time you eat or drink something, just to make sure that your teeth are clean; in fact, brushing too often or too vigorously can cause the enamel on your teeth to wear down, leading to a greater risk of decay and poor gum health.
Nevertheless, the truth is, (and this is going to sound completely conflicting to that last statement, but just stick with us) brushing and flossing alone won’t keep your teeth as clean as they need to be. Making regular visits to the dentist for a good teeth cleaning is a great way to make sure that you aren’t falling behind on your oral hygiene regimen, but even visiting the dentist once or twice a year shouldn’t be your main preventative oral health strategy.
There are three different approaches to take when it comes to oral hygiene, and it’s important to remember that certain techniques will be more important than others, depending on your own personal dental needs.
First, a complete approach to maintaining a good oral health regimen is to stock up on oral care products. These aren’t just your average toothbrush and tube of toothpaste — these items include everything from mouthwash to tongue cleaners.
Second, if you have other pressing dental health problems (if you grind your teeth, for example, or if you’re a “mouth breather”) it may be necessary to have extra dental treatments. This might just mean scheduling a few extra cleanings per year with your dentist, or it might mean that you have to see a specialist who will create a custom mouth guard to inhibit grinding.
And third, make sure to stay away from sugary foods as much as possible. Sometimes tons of sugar is hiding where you least expect it — in sports drinks, for example — and if you eat/drink sugar regularly, it’ll stick on your teeth and cause decay.
Remember, it may take some time and effort, but creating and maintaining a solid oral hygiene routine is absolutely essential to your body’s overall health. More like this.
