Daily Dental Hygiene Steps

Neglecting our health comes very naturally sometimes. But taking measures to take care of ourselves should always be a priority, and along with physical and mental health, our oral health should never be left out of the routine! 

Why fix what isn’t broken? 

If you’re lucky enough to not have had any dental pain or issues in the past, you should use what’s written here as a checklist to make sure your good dental health stays that way! What worked before won’t always work, and neglect can creep up in painful ways. 

For those who have dealt with the ways the mouth can hurt, here are some guidelines to stick to so you can avoid being revisited by that situation again!

Brushing

  • Brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes. (1)
  • Make sure you get all the surfaces, including the chewing surfaces and the sides towards the tongue and cheek or lip. 

Flossing 

  • Floss your teeth once a day.
  • Make sure you don’t miss any teeth or sides! (2)
  • Move around the curves of your teeth, so you don’t damage the gums. 
  • Move forward and use clean floss as you progress around the mouth. 
  • You can follow this link for a quick video on how you can floss your teeth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm5oAAeoEnI

Mouthwash 

  • Rinsing your mouth for 30-40 secs after brushing and flossing 
  • Doing this twice a day has been proven to show benefit for oral health! (3)

Tongue

  • Bad smell can, among other reasons, be attributed to the tongue and what it can hold in its furrows. So make sure you clean the tongue, just using your brush and a little bit of toothpaste will do just fine!

Apart from these basic tips, you can take care of your oral health by making some simple lifestyle changes. 

  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Preventing prolonged sipping of juices over a long period of time 
  • Rinsing your mouth with water after having tea or coffee 
  • Using xylitol gum 
  • Visiting the dentist regularly! And when you do, ask lots of questions. This will always help you realize and fix up your routine in a way best suited to you. 

References 

  1. What Your Oral Hygiene Routine Should Consist Of. (2019, May 06). Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.123dentist.com/what-your-oral-hygiene-routine-should-consist-of/
  1. Preventing Tooth Decay. (2019, March 19). WebMD. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tooth-decay-prevention
  1. Pilloni, A., Pizzo, G., Barlattani, A., Di Lenarda, R., Giannoni, M., Guida, L., Levrini, L., Majorana, A., & Polimeni, A. (2010). Perceived and measurable performance of daily brushing and rinsing with an essential oil mouthrinse. Annali di stomatologia, 1(3-4), 29–32.