Eight smart tips for a healthier mouth
Healthy mouth, healthy smile, healthy future. These days, keeping your mouth fresh and healthy takes more than a toothbrush and toothpaste. It takes dedication, and a bit of ‘the knowledge’ too. Our team here at East Park Dental have come up with eight simple tips to make sure your mouth stays in tip-top condition – and saves you money in the long run.
1. Twice a day, every day
It’s the oldest (and best) trick in the book. Try to brush your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day, every day. If you don’t remove the soft sticky plaque that can build up on the surface of your teeth, it’ll start to harden after 12 hours and turn into hard tartar that you can’t remove with a brush. Your hygienist here at EPD can give you all the latest brushing advice.
EPD’s Top Tip
Close your mouth a little when brushing your top back teeth and you’ll be able to reach much better.
2. Your six month routine
Make sure you visit your dentist and hygienist regularly. At East Park Dental, we recommend coming in to see us for a check up every six months, enabling us to keep track of your mouth, update you about developments from tooth decay to gum disease, and treat everything promptly.
EPD’s Top Tip
Bring your children with you from an early age. Even if they haven’t got teeth yet it’ll get them used to the smells and sounds of the surgery, making it easier to treat them when they’re old enough for check-ups.
3. Go pro
Invest in an electric toothbrush with a small round, oscillating head. These brushes are proven to remove more plaque and bacteria than a manual one and are kinder to your teeth and gums, too. Many modern brushes come with a built in timer, enabling you to keep track of your brushing time.
If a manual brush is the one for you, make sure you go for one with soft bristles because they’ll be kinder to your teeth and gums. Tilt your brush at a 45-degree angle towards your gum line using short, circular motions and brush each tooth gently around ten times. You’ll be able to feel the brush massaging your gums as well as cleaning your teeth. Be careful not to overdo it, though. Brushing too hard can cause your teeth to wear and gums to recede, resulting in sensitivity and discoloration – and who wants that?
EPD’s Top Tip
When bristles start to wear they don’t work as effectively, so change your toothbrush head after three months.
4. Be an in-betweener
Don’t forget to clean in between your teeth where your toothbrush misses. Flossing or inter dental brushes will do the trick. Flossing is great for getting in between the tight areas of your teeth. Just wrap a long strand of floss around your index fingers and floss against the edge of your tooth before moving to the other side. Your East Park Dental hygienist will be able to show you all the basics.
EPD’s Top Tip
If you struggle to get the floss back out you can simply pull it through.
Inter dental brushes look like mini bottle brushes and are designed for teeth that have larger spaces in between. They come in lots different sizes and should fit through the gap snugly without being forced.
EPD’s Top Tip
One size doesn’t fit all, so you may need a few sizes for different areas of your mouth.
5. Speaking in tongues
Make sure you clean your tongue, too. The build-up of bacteria on its surface can be one of the causes of bad breath. You can use special tongue cleaners or just use your toothbrush. Some toothbrushes come with a special ripple on the underside that you can use on your tongue.
EPD’s Top Tip
To avoid gagging, move your toothbrush from side to side instead of front to back.
6. Pack it in
We’re sure you’ve heard it before, and not just from your dentist. Quitting smoking is good for your mouth on so many levels. Smoking stains your teeth, causes bad breath and reduces the blood supply to your gums resulting in gum disease, bone loss and tooth loss. Worse still, smoking is one of the main causes of oral cancer, which can have devastating effects. If you notice anything unusual in your mouth or have sores that haven’t healed after three weeks make sure you come in to see us immediately.
EPD’s Top Tip
NHS Smoke Free is full of support and advice for anyone wanting to quit.
7. Can the cans
Avoid acidic fizzy drinks. They’re not only high in sugar but will erode your enamel, making your teeth softer and more susceptible to cavities. We know it’s fun to get busy with the fizzy, but fillings aren’t quite as much of a laugh.
EPD’s Top Tip
Switch to water and jazz it up with ice, sliced fruit or crushed mint leaves.
8. Don’t sugar coat it
Say goodbye to sugary treats – it’s the main culprit behind tooth decay. Just think. An adult’s maximum recommended daily sugar intake is 30 grammes. A single can of full-sugar cola contains 40 grammes. Cut back on the sugar in your diet and combine with good brushing and you’ll help avoid cavities. And it’s good for your waistline, too…
EPD’s Top Tip
A healthy diet goes a long way, for your mouth and your overall wellbeing.
