Use dental floss regularly.
Ideally, we should use dental floss every day. It covers areas in which the toothbrush can not reach, and gets rid of food particles between the teeth. If they are not eliminated, it can lead to periodontal disease. Often complicated and costly dental treatment is required to get rid of them.
For people who are more at risk for gum disease, using the thread is most important. You have a higher risk if:
- Do you smoke
- Are you diabetic
- You have gum disease.
How to properly use dental floss.
1. Twist a piece of thread about 15 cm long twice around each middle finger
2. Holding it tight, gently move the thread up and down between the teeth
3. Bend the thread around the base of each tooth, near the gums
4. Use a clean patch of yarn for each tooth
5. Do not press on the gums
6. Do not move it too fast.
Use the toothbrush correctly.
We all know that we need to brush our teeth twice a day. But no less important is how you will do it.
- Spend at least two minutes to brush your teeth
- Use brushes with a small head: it will be easier to clean hard-to-reach places in the mouth
- Avoid brushing from side to side: small circular movements or up and down - so you do not damage the gums and better remove plaque
- Try an electric toothbrush. They are more effective, besides, they often have a timer and are great for people with arthritis
Do not forget to use toothpaste with fluoride. It is especially important for children, because it helps to strengthen young teeth. Fluoride is usually not found in nature and in water, so regularly "supply" it to your teeth.
Do not forget to clean the tongue.
Bacteria accumulate in your language in the same way as on teeth. If you could look at your tongue under a microscope, you would see how dirty it is. Cleaning the tongue with a special scraper or brush, you will destroy most bacteria and reduce the likelihood of various diseases. And if you do not have enough motivation to start, there is also evidence that cleaning the tongue eliminates bad breath.
Quit smoking.
Everyone knows about the health risks associated with cigarettes. But the effects of smoking on the condition of the teeth and the entire oral cavity are not so well known. Here are some of them:
- Yellowing of teeth. The high content of nicotine and tar in cigarettes makes the teeth yellow in a very short time. Heavy smokers complain that their teeth become brown after several years of smoking
- Diseases of the gums. Smoking not only produces a greater bacterial plaque, but also leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood, which makes the infected gums not healing. Gum disease is still the most common cause of tooth loss in adults.
- Disease of larynx cancer. Most people know that smoking can cause throat cancer or lung cancer. But many do not understand that smoking is one of the main causes of cancer of the larynx. More people die from laryngeal cancer every year than from melanoma (skin cancer)! Moreover, if you drink and smoke regularly, then the risk of developing laryngeal cancer increases 15 times ..
Eat less sweet.
It will sound unexpected, but modern diets are filled with sweets, which is pretty bad for your teeth. And it's not even how much sugar you eat, but how often you do it.
- Sugar reacts with bacteria in the plaque, and this leads to the destruction of the teeth.
- After you have eaten sweets, your mouth falls under attack for a period of 45-60 minutes. Saliva in the mouth usually acts as a buffer and helps keep the teeth healthy, but sugar reduces the so-called acidity level in the mouth, making it more acidic. Therefore, at the time of the "attack" tooth enamel is severely affected. It takes several hours to restore balance in the mouth.
- If you regularly indulge yourself sweet during the day, your teeth are constantly under attack due to acids. It catastrophically spoils them!
However, you can get protection from gum disease by regularly eating fruits and vegetables with a high content of antioxidants.
What can and can not drink.
Good news! New research suggests that tea is the best drink for your teeth. Tea contains "natural" fluoride, which helps strengthen the enamel of the teeth. In addition, the study showed that chemicals in black and green tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, tooth decay and other dental problems.
However, if you like fizzy drinks, follow these tips:
- Think about how often you drink them. Try to reduce the amount drunk a day - this will be a good start. Then it can be reduced to a minimum.
- Use straws for drinking - so the sweet liquid has less chance of getting on your teeth.
Listen to these tips, and you will get dental health perfectly. And what could be better than a beautiful snow-white smile? Only the realization that this smile is yours!