Discover One of the Simplest Ways to Improve Health and Wellness
Here’s why taking care of your teeth is an often overlooked and yet critically important part of protecting you, your loved ones, and your family
Gum disease is linked to serious health problems because when your gums become infected, it allows bacteria to easily access your bloodstream. Some of these diseases are diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and various types of cancers. I think we all know the basics of how to keep up on our oral hygiene but sometimes reminders help quite a bit.
Dealing with things such as depression can make these “simple” tasks a lot harder, or if you’re busy making sure your kids are flossing properly, you might be slipping up on doing it the best way yourself. At the end of the day, oral health is a part of self-care too.
No matter what the circumstance, I think we could all use a little “brush up” on dental hygiene, no pun intended….well maybe 😉
Dental Hygiene 101 – 3 Essential Steps to Optimal Oral Health
1. Brushing Your Teeth Consistently
It is essential that you brush your teeth twice a day. In the morning, the purpose is to clean out “overnight gunk”, freshen breath, massage your gums, eliminate plaque buildup, and mentally wake up your body and help fall into your morning routine. At night, you are cleaning out built up food, sugar, and other things from your teeth, gums, and tongue.
When you brush, take at least two minutes and don’t rush through your teeth. Don’t forget to brush your tongue with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper, surprisingly enough, most of your mouth bacteria lives on your tongue.
Keep in mind that toothpaste containing fluoride is what is recommended by the American Dental Association and has the highest level of protection for your teeth. Toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride will still clean teeth and remove food particles and some plaque but does not protect your teeth in the same way that toothpaste with fluoride does.
The technique that you use while brushing, is almost as important as the brushing itself.
The best way to fully brush all parts of your tooth and gum line is to hold your toothbrush at a slight angle downwards, aiming the bristles towards the spot where your tooth meets your gum. At this angle you want to brush gently with short, circular motions. It’s important to put only light pressure while brushing so as not to hurt your gums. Use that technique every time and brush for a minimum of two minutes, twice a day and watch how it transforms your teeth.
Toothpaste Ingredients to Avoid – When choosing a toothpaste, it is best to look for one that has few ingredients, no harsh abrasives, and clean ingredients – NO Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS Free), Gluten Free, Triclosan Free, and depending on how you feel about it Flouride Free (prolonged use of Flouride could create future thyroid issues) Himalaya is one of our favorite Toothpaste brands and they make their pastes with enzymes from Papaya and Pineapple to whiten teeth and remove surface stains, Neem which adds its famous cleansing ability, and Pomegranate that offers antioxidant content and plaque-fighting properties.
Important Reminder: Buying a new toothbrush or replacing the head to your electric toothbrush about every three months is ideal. It is also important to start with a fresh toothbrush after being sick or if you notice the bristles splayed out or fraying. This keeps your toothbrush at its peak and gives you the best cleaning job!
2. Flossing Your Teeth Consistently
Flossing is the second big part of overall dental health and hygiene. When flossing, keep in mind that you should be gentle but thorough. It doesn’t matter if you brush first or floss first, as long as you take your time to do both to the best of your ability. Remember that your gums are sensitive so try your best not to snap the floss in between your teeth or go as fast as possible, that’s honestly worse than not flossing at all.
Unlike brushing, you don’t need to floss twice a day unless you have braces, retainers, invisalign or special orders from your dentist. Flossing once before bed is the best time to give you the best results.
If you’re not convinced you need to floss because “there can’t be that much food between my teeth” then look at it from a different perspective. Not only does flossing remove excess food we can’t normally see, but it also stimulates the gums, reduces plaque buildup, and lowers inflammation in those areas.
If flossing is too time consuming, painful, difficult to manage, or you don’t enjoy it, look for different ways to floss without your traditional fishing line floss. A WaterPik is a great tool and takes a lot of the complication and tiny hand movements out of the equation. The WaterPik reaches those hard-to-get spots and is a great way to floss for those who have braces, retainers, or issues like arthritis.
3. Using a Mouthwash Consistently
There are so many options available in a dental hygiene routine that it can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the right one for you. Mouthwash is important to incorporate because it reduces the amount of acid in your mouth, cleans those hard-to-reach areas in your mouth and remineralizes your teeth. Some of my favorite mouthwashes include ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, silver, aloe, and some essential oils.If your teeth are on the sensitive side, avoid mouth washes that have alcohol in them!
Your diet also plays a big role in your dental hygiene, but maybe not in the way that you would expect.
Eating foods that are high in calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin C are very important for overall health as well as dental health, promoting strong and healthy teeth. When you eat an excess of sugars and overly starchy foods you have a higher likelihood of growing bacteria in your mouth. Eating foods like this also doesn’t provide adequate nutrition, which can overtime weaken enamel and weaken your teeth.
One of the best things you can do is monitor your oral health and make regular trips to your dentist.
Don’t let fear of the dentist keep you away, that will only make things worse in the long run. There are a lot of ways to stay on top of your dental hygiene and they all work together to keep things running smoothly, efficiently and keep your mouth strong, healthy, and smelling fresh!
p.s. Just in case you are looking for a specific food, supplement, or any other wellness need, reach out to us here at 916-253-9276 and we would be happy to help you find exactly what you are looking for.
We are deeply committed to sharing our knowledge of health and therefore have carefully chosen the products we offer in our store. You’ll find only the highest quality brands and a large selection to choose from so you’re sure to find exactly what you need.
If you can’t make it into the store, we’re always happy to deliver it to you because your health and happiness are our #1 priority!
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