The Importance of Good Oral Hygiene: Tips for a Healthy Smile

Your teeth play an important role in your life. They hold a major contribution from chewing and digesting the food to helping you speak clearly and giving your face its shape. It only makes sense that you preserve them by maintaining excellent oral health. But how can you retain good oral hygiene? And why is it so important? We are here to explain to you exactly how to preserve great oral hygiene. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We serve patients from Beverly Hills, CA.

Why is oral health important for your body?

The primary goal of practicing good oral hygiene is to prevent plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum infection. But did you know that beyond these, there are other reasons as well?

Here are the reasons oral hygiene is important for your body:

1. Affects your overall health

There’s a synergic relationship between oral health and overall wellness. Few studies have linked gum diseases to host major illnesses related to the heart, lungs, and immunity system. This happens because your mouth is a portal of entry for infections, and when not taken good care of, there are chances that through it, you can get infected with major illnesses.

Among the various oral problems, gum disease is the most common inflammatory condition reported globally. But a majority of people ignore it, thinking it isn’t a big deal. If you continue to ignore it, the ongoing inflammation in your mouth can allow bacteria to get into your bloodstream, causing inflammation in other parts of your body, like your heart.

Some studies have even shown a relationship between diabetes and gum diseases. It reported a significant change in patients’ oral health when they treat and control their diabetes. Similarly, when they treat any periodontal disease, their need to take insulin is reduced.

Thus, to avoid risking your overall health, maintaining good oral hygiene is essential.

2. An early detection of oral diseases

As much as maintaining good oral hygiene is essential, regularly visiting your dentist is also important. With routine dental health visits, your dentist can examine your dental health and treat any oral condition before it turns into anything severe.

3. Prevent tooth loss

Tooth loss in kids is a common occurrence, but even adults can face the problem if they follow bad oral hygiene.

Tooth loss in adults happens because of severe plaque buildup due to poor oral care. The plaque buildup can cause severe tooth decay or gum infection resulting in tooth loss. You can prevent this by following a proper oral care routine. Daily brushing and flossing your teeth will reduce plaque buildup.

4. For a whiter and brighter smile

To give you the confidence you need, keeping your teeth white and healthy is vital.

How to maintain good oral hygiene?

Since you are now aware of the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, here are some ways in which you can take care of your oral health:

1. Brush properly

Brushing twice a day and with the proper technique is the basic rule for maintaining great oral health. On top of that, did you know that brushing with a poor technique is almost as bad as not brushing your teeth at all? Following a proper brushing technique is important, but it becomes more complicated for people with braces.

Braces are made up of brackets and wires that are bonded to your teeth, so when you eat with braces on, tiny food particles get stuck between the brackets and your teeth. If these food particles are not cleaned, there is a risk of plaque buildup that will lead to dangerous dental issues. Thus, properly brushing your teeth is essential.

Here are some tips you could use to brush your teeth correctly:

• Using a thin bristle brush will get rid of food particles stuck between the corners of your teeth.
• Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle and brush from top to bottom, pushing debris away from your gums and teeth.
• Flossing once a day after brushing is vital to ensure that nothing stays stuck in between your teeth.

2. Give your tongue some attention

Plaque can also get buildup on your tongue, leading to foul mouth odor and other oral health problems. To prevent this from happening, gently brush your tongue after you brush your teeth.

3. Use fluoride toothpaste

Whether you prefer whitening toothpaste or different flavored ones, ensure that it contains fluoride. While the addition of fluoride has been under the radar for people who worry about their health, it is an anchor for oral health. This is because fluoride defends your teeth against tooth decay.

Fluoride fights germs that cause tooth decay and form a protective barrier on your teeth.

4. Floss once a day

Where a toothbrush cannot reach, a floss will. Flossing will remove plaque and bacteria between the teeth and prevent bad breath by removing the remaining debris and food particles stuck.

Be careful while you floss, as you do not want to hurt your gums. The best way to floss is by gently pushing the floss down to the gumline before pressing it on the side of your tooth with up-and-down motions.

5. Mouthwash is essential

Mouthwash will help you in three ways: it will reduce the amount of acid in your mouth, clean the more challenging areas to brush around your gums, and remineralize them.

Your dentist can recommend you the best mouthwash for you based on your dental needs.

6. Drink more water!

The best beverage for your oral health is water, plenty of water! Drink water after every meal to wash out the aftermath of eating sticky and acidic foods and drinks.

7. Limited intake of sugary and acidic food

Sugar converts into acid in the mouth, which erodes the enamel layer of your teeth. Once the enamel layer erodes, cavities make their way into your teeth. Limit acidic and sugary foods and beverages, such as tea, coffee, and acidic fruits.

8. Visit your dentist – twice a year

In combination with all these ways, even the most dutiful brushes and flossers need to visit their dentist at least twice a year for cleanings and checkups.

Author Bio:

Dr. Satish Pai is an orthodontist and Ivy League trained dentist who has served as a faculty at Columbia University. He believes a perfect smile not only makes a person look great but feel great. As the founder of Putnam Orthodontics and a Partner at Brite Orthodontics, he is dedicated to providing the best orthodontic treatments to his patients. He also writes to educate people about everything orthodontics and the importance of correctly aligned teeth along with good oral health. In his free time, you can find him golfing, doing yoga or surfing, and spending time with this family.

For more information, visit us at Dr. Rahi’s Anti-Aging and Integrative Aesthetics Specialist. We serve patients from Beverly Hills CA, Culver City CA, Santa Monica CA, West Hollywood CA, Marina Del Rey CA, Inglewood CA, and surrounding areas.