For sure, oral care is essential to a person’s overall well-being. For starters, the right dental hygiene habits might let you keep your teeth for life. As a result, you could keep chewing all kinds of food and keep enjoying a varied, nutritious diet. Plus, you could prevent gum bleeding and pain — perhaps debilitating pain.
Good oral health can help you avoid bacterial infections as well. And oral bacteria can sometimes pass into the bloodstream, leading to narrower arteries and cardiac problems.
In all of this, three components are crucial to oral care: brushing, flossing, and dental visits.
Brushing Twice Daily
Why should people brush their teeth thoroughly at least twice every day? Basically, it comes down to one word: plaque.
After you eat, tiny food remnants will linger in your mouth, and they’ll turn into plaque. Plaque is a film that sticks to teeth and gums.
Inside plaque are bacteria that devour its food bits and release acid as a waste product. That acid harms enamel and gums.
On top of that, in about 24 hours, plaque can harden into a substance called tartar. And tartar contains pores where damaging microbes live. Consequently, it often leads to gum conditions like gingivitis and periodontitis that are long term and may lead to medical treatment.
However, by brushing carefully at least twice each day, you can remove plaque while it’s still easy to remove — still soft and malleable.
Flossing Each Day
You should floss your teeth for the same reason you should brush them: to eliminate plaque and the particles that cause plaque.
Brushing, of course, cleans the surfaces of your teeth and gums. However, your toothbrush can’t clean the gaps between your teeth. Only a proper flossing product could do so.
With that in mind, schedule time each day for a thorough yet gentle flossing session. Also, if you don’t like using traditional dental floss — or if you have trouble using it — just let your dentist know. Other effective flossing instruments are available, among them water flossers, pre-threaded flossers, and dental picks.
Regular Dental Appointments
Seeing your dentist twice a year is as important as daily brushing and flossing.
For one thing, if plaque or tartar has built up over time, it usually takes professional dental equipment to get rid of it.
Moreover, your dental team can examine your mouth, search for pre-cavities, and look for early symptoms of gum disease and other disorders. If they detect trouble spots, they can take preventative action, addressing those issues before they worsen.
Furthermore, your dentist can give you personalized hygiene tips, specific ways to improve your oral care routine and protect your teeth and gums over time.
In the end, by giving your teeth and gums the tender loving care they need, you’ll decrease your risk of all kinds of oral health problems. Therefore, you won’t need certain types of dental work, including crowns and fillings. Not to mention, you’ll always delight your friends and loved ones with your fresh breath and your vibrant, toothy smile.