When it comes to dental health, it's probable that most people in the world could stand to do a little better in keeping to good habits and staying away from bad ones. If you're looking for a few good habits to brush up on when it comes to your oral health, then here's what you need to know.
Floss, Then Brush
If you reach for the floss after spitting and rinsing toothpaste from your mouth, you may want to think about reversing that order. While it's true that both of these actions help to strip plaque from your teeth to prevent cavities and decay, there are quite a few benefits to flossing before you brush. For example, flossing dislodges not only plaque but also food and other bacteria from between your teeth; brushing after that helps to get rid of any material left in your mouth while brushing. Brushing after flossing also helps to massage your potentially sore gums and stop them from swelling if you had a particularly rough flossing session or haven't flossed in a while.
Watch Your Drinks
When it comes to the health of your teeth, it's crucial that you watch what liquids you're consuming. Sugary drinks are often overlooked in favor of condemning sugar foods for their damage on teeth, but you're far more likely to encounter a sugary soft drink or coffee mix than you are candy during the course of your day. It's also important to look out for drinks that may not have sugar in them but have tannins; drinks like red wine, tea, and coffee contain copious amounts of tannins, which can constrict the saliva production in your mouth (preventing it from washing away bacteria), not to mention can stain your teeth if you're not careful to rinse with water and/or brush after ingesting them.
Brush Early
In case it's never made sense to you why it's recommended to brush right before bed and right when you get up, here's the deal: during the nighttime, your production of saliva decreases, and saliva is what helps to move harmful bacteria away from the teeth and out of your mouth. Brushing your teeth right when you get up not only freshens your breath and helps to get rid of any bacteria that couldn't wash away during the night, but also kickstarts your saliva production so that your mouth can get to work right away.
For more information, contact a business such as Lucky Kids Dental.
Share27 July 2017
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.