No one wants to be the person in the room with bad breath. Due to the pandemic and the fact that you don’t see people as often, it may be easier to slack off with your oral hygiene routine. That said, as a parent, you don’t want your own kids turning against you because of this!
Thankfully, there are some easy ways to keep up with your oral hygiene routine and improve your overall oral health. Read on to find out what they are!
What Is Oral Health?
Did you know the human mouth is full of billions of bacteria? Some of these bacteria are healthy for us and fight off the bad bacteria that cause diseases. Plaque is an example of a harmful bacteria that builds up on your teeth whenever you eat and drink.
To reduce this bacterium buildup, you should follow a proper oral hygiene routine by flossing, brushing your teeth, and going to the dentist regularly.
Effects of Poor Oral Health
While many people think not taking care of your oral health just leads to minor effects, such as bad breath or tooth sensitivity, this is not the case. Poor oral health can also lead to longer-term effects, such as heart disease, pregnancy complications, pneumonia, stroke, oral cancer, or kidney disease.
This is why it’s vital to stay on top of your oral health and be there for your children’s health, too.
Ways to Improve Your Oral Health
Brushing your teeth daily may seem like a simple task, but it’s easy to forget in the day-to-day shuffle of working and taking care of children. So, make sure to brush your teeth at least twice daily.
While brushing is a good step, make sure you’re doing it properly. This means taking the time to move the toothbrush in a circular motion to cover all the areas of your mouth, including your tongue.
Using mouthwash is another way to improve your oral health. Mouthwash decreases the amount of acid in your mouth, cleans areas you missed while brushing, and adds back minerals to your teeth.
Along with brushing your teeth, don’t forget to floss daily. Flossing gets in between your teeth and clears out any bacteria your toothbrush may have missed.
Another useful tip is to replace your toothbrush every three months. The more worn your toothbrush becomes, the less effective it is at fighting off harmful bacteria. When replacing your toothpaste, consider one with fluoride in it, which further helps prevent tooth decay.
Here are some additional tips for achieving stellar oral hygiene.
1. Eat Right
Along with brushing and flossing, eating a healthy diet can improve your oral health. Some foods that help include cheese, milk, yogurt, and other dairy products. These are high in calcium, rebuild tooth enamel, and help replace minerals in your teeth you may have lost from eating other foods.
Also, eating fiber-rich vegetables and drinking water helps improve your overall oral health. There are also some foods you should limit, such as sugary and acidic foods. Sugar becomes acidic once in your mouth and causes erosion of the enamel, leading to cavities. Acidic fruits, teas, and coffee can also wear down the enamel on your teeth.
2. Avoid Temptations
Besides maintaining a good diet, also try to limit the amount of alcohol you consume.
While alcohol may seem like a good escape from a stressful day of work and settling arguments among your kids, it can also increase the risk of harmful bacteria building up. Avoiding the use of tobacco is also essential to improving your overall oral health says this reliable emergency dentist in Arlington.
3. Go to the Dentist Regularly
Making sure to take care of things on your own is a good step, but you also need to attend your regularly scheduled dentist appointments.
Have an expert examine you to make sure you don’t have any cavities or built-up plaque. They’ll also spot any issues early and come up with a treatment plan before things become worse. You should aim to see your dentist at least twice a year. You could always schedule your appointment at the same time as your kids to make it more convenient.
Tips for Keeping Babies’ Gums Healthy
If you have a baby at home, you know the importance of keeping them healthy. So, here are some tips to improve their oral health.
One is to wipe their gums with a warm washcloth every day. This helps remove any sugars and gets them familiar with the feeling of cleaning their own teeth.
Another tip is not to let your toddler go to bed with a sippy cup. Instead, save those for mealtimes. This is because milk or juice can contain sugars that lead to tooth decay.
Once the baby’s teeth come in, make sure to brush them twice a day with a soft toothbrush using a tiny amount of fluoridated toothpaste. It is recommended that children go to a dentist within six months of their first tooth appearing or at the age of 1.
Don’t Forget About Your Oral Health
With the pandemic, people don’t go out as much, potentially leading to decreased concern about their oral hygiene. However, this can lead to long-term adverse effects.
Brushing your teeth and going to the dentist is probably already part of your daily routine. However, there is so much more to maintaining your oral health, such as flossing, eating a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and replacing your toothbrush at regular intervals.
