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Nearly 25% of Americans are walking around with untreated tooth problems. To be honest, most people lack an effective dental routine.
And when problems occur, they either don’t have dental insurance or don’t want to pay for treatment. Or they don’t want to deal with the discomfort of dental treatment.
Either way, the best way to solve dental problems is to prevent them in the first place. There are countless tips for healthy teeth and gums that can prevent nearly any dental problem from ever occurring.
And all it takes is a couple of minutes a day.
So what are the easiest ways to care for your mouth so that you only time you are going to the dentist is for a routine checkup? Keep reading below for the top dental hygiene tips.
- Brush Long, Brush Often
Most people are fine with brushing their teeth twice a day. If you struggle to do that, then that’s your biggest problem. Brush every morning and evening.
Kids are usually the only people who struggle to brush twice a day. A tooth brushing chart can help remind and motivate them to get it done.
The problem is that most people don’t brush long enough for it to be very effective. When you’re brushing your teeth, you are essentially scrubbing off the germs, bacteria, and particles that can cause damage to your teeth.
As you go through your day eating and drinking, your teeth accumulate quite a bit of debris. It takes a bit of time to get it all off.
It’s like going off-roading with your car. If you drive around in mud all day, you’re going to need a pretty heavy-duty car wash. You can’t dump a pail of water on it and call it good.
Take at least 30 seconds when brushing teeth, if not 60 seconds. Give each area a thorough brushing, and change the angle of your brush to cover the entire mouth.
- Floss Daily
Here’s the real reason most people get tooth decay; they don’t floss regularly.
Flossing needs to happen once every single day. It needs to be a habit or you’re going to suffer from regular dental problems.
You should floss every evening after you have finished eating for the day. You don’t want any food particles sitting between your teeth for hours and hours, as this is a breeding ground for bacteria.
The benefits of flossing are numerous. Not only will your teeth have fewer bacteria-causing particles, but your mouth will feel cleaner and more fresh right away.
- Eat Less Sugar
You’ve heard it since you were a kid, so now start acting on it. Sugary foods, especially sweets and candy, are terrible for your teeth (and the rest of your body).
Plaque loves sugar. The more of it you consume, the more plaque you’ll deal with. And the more unpleasant your mouth is going to feel.
Many of the “normal” foods we consume daily have lots of sugar. This includes yogurt, sports drinks, snack foods, and so forth. Limit these and focus on eating real foods throughout the day.
- Watch Out for Coffee and Juice
Most people drink coffee or juice daily (sometimes both). While these are hard habits to break, they can be hard on your teeth.
Avid coffee drinkers often struggle with yellow teeth. Coffee is very acidic and causes discoloration over time. Likewise, the juice is very sugary. Even though it might be natural sugar, it can still attract plaque.
Be careful with how often you drink these, and consider drinking through a straw to bypass your teeth.
- Chewing Tobacco, Smoking, and Alcohol
Whether you are a daily drinker or an occasional drinker, alcohol isn’t doing any favors for your teeth. Alcohol is usually made with lots of sugar (malt), and can also be very acidic.
This will break down the health of your teeth over time.
And tobacco, either in the form of smoking, or chewing tobacco, is terrible for your oral health. If you’re wondering how to have healthy teeth, you need to stop smoking.
It causes discoloration, plaque and tartar buildup, gum disease, and tooth loss. It can also dramatically increase your chances of oral cancer.
- Brush Your Tongue
It’s true, you should be brushing your tongue every day. It’s especially important in the evening when you floss.
Brushing your tongue removes tons of bacteria from your mouth. If you don’t, your tongue can be a breeding ground of bacteria while you sleep, which can spread to your teeth.
It can also ensure you don’t have terrible smelling breath in the morning when you wake up.
- Use Toothpaste With Fluoride
Fluoride is very important to your dental health. Not only does it lead to a cleaner mouth and cleaner-looking teeth, but it strengthens your enamel.
Enamel is the shield that keeps your teeth healthy and strong.
- Be Careful When Whitening Your Teeth
There are countless teeth whitening products on the market. Some work, but some will do more harm than good.
Tooth-whitening gum, for example, is designed to scrape your teeth as you chew them. While it can help whiten your teeth, it removes your enamel, exposing your teeth to greater damage.
Use whitening products recommended by your dentist to ensure you whiten without causing harm.
- Swish Water After Eating
You should make it a habit to swish water around in your mouth after each meal. Maybe not at the dinner table, but as you walk away.
It helps to loosen food particles from your teeth, preventing unnecessary bacteria buildup.
- Don’t Eat After Brushing in the Evening
If you’re a night owl, you might have a habit of brushing your teeth long before actually going to bed. The problem is that you might get hungry and eat again.
You definitely don’t want to eat after brushing your teeth for the evening. So wait until you are actually going to sleep to finally brush.
- Drink Water Before Bed
Some people say to drink water before bed, others recommend it. However, it’s a good habit for your mouth.
Taking a big swig before sleeping can prevent dry mouth, lessen the effects of morning breath, and limit bacteria buildup.
Following These Tips for Healthy Teeth and Gums
These tips for healthy teeth and gums are super easy to follow. Having a healthy mouth doesn’t cost any money, nor does it take a lot of time.
It’s really just a few simple practices and habits that will keep you smiling and keep you out of dental operations.
Looking for more information? Head over to our blog to find other helpful articles now.
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