Find Out How You Can Prevent Tooth Decay and Achieve a Healthy Mouth

Author: MHI | July 17, 2018

They say that a beautiful smile is infectious. This effect starts from the health of your teeth and overall mouth. Your mouth is more than a tool to chew food and help digestion. It also helps you speak fluently, pronounce sounds differently and give your face its brilliant shape.

Taking care of the health of your mouth starts with your teeth. Some measures may seem obvious but they are often ignored and lead to bad breath as well as cavities and damaged gums. That is why we will emphasize the importance of safety measures to help you have a healthy mouth.

What Brings About Gum Diseases and Tooth Decay?

Teeth decay due to a sticky substance referred to as plaque that can remain in your teeth without you realizing it. It is what leads to decaying of teeth as well as diseases of the gums. It may be caused by poor hygiene, harmful substances as well as sugar substances getting stuck in your gums.

How can you prevent tooth decay?

Brush your teeth twice a day

Most of us are unaware of the best technique to brush our teeth. A dentist recommends that you brush your teeth as your toothbrush remains in an angle of 45 degrees over your gums. This technique ensures that the surface of your teeth and your gum line stay in contact with the bristles of your toothbrush.

According to dentists, you should brush your teeth using this technique for at least two minutes to ensure that you reach all the surfaces.Doing this every morning and night before sleep ensures that no particles stick on your gums that can cause germs to build up.

Brush your tongue

The tongue can also be a platform to harbor germs that can cause tooth decay. Brush the tongue surface as well as the roof part of your mouth to eradicate bacteria from all possible areas. If your regular toothbrush feels tough on your tongue, you can always use a tongue scraper.

Use the back to the front method of scraping your tongue carefully avoiding gagging. Rinse your mouth and spit out the bacteria you scrap from your tongue. Do not swallow it.

Change your toothpaste to one that contains fluoride

The market is full of various toothpaste that contains different ingredients and varies in price. Choose toothpaste that contains fluoride since it will strengthen your enamel. It also prevents your teeth from decay. Avoid swallowing fluoride toothpaste as it can cause complications when swallowed in excess.

Supervise how your child brushes their teeth with fluoride toothpaste to prevent them from swallowing it. Ensure that you use less toothpaste when brushing and always split it out.

Floss

Studies reveal that brushing your teeth takes out only 60% of bacteria from your mouth. That is why flossing will take care of the remaining 40% to prevent your teeth from gum diseases and decaying. Sometimes, the bristles of your brush do not penetrate small particles stuck between your teeth.

Flossing will help you reach these surfaces and eradicate any sticky substances harmful to your teeth. These may include plaque, bacteria as well as food particles. It also keeps your papilla away from micro inflammation. You should floss before brushing so that it can scrape all sides to pave the way for your fluoride toothpaste to penetrate and strengthen your enamel.

Some people bleed slightly from flossing, but this does not persist. It could be you are doing it wrong. Wrap the floss on one finger on both hands and slide it in your teeth gently. Curve it around one tooth and move it up and down the tooth without putting excess pressure on it.Dentists recommend that you floss every day. You can also use an interdental cleaner if flossing is uncomfortable for you.

Avoid taking excess sugar

Excess intake of beverages such as soda and tea weakens the enamel of your teeth and can cause cavities. They can also discolor your teeth due to the ingredients in them. They contain high sugar content that generates acids which dissolve in your enamel.Sticky sweets and chocolate are also unhealthy for your teeth.

Get help for substance abuse

Drugs such as alcohol and meth are detrimental to your dental formula. They also interfere with your enamel and cause tooth decay. Meth mouth is a severe condition that can be prevented by seeking treatment for meth addiction. Staying away from such drugs will help you capture any tooth decay at its early stages to avoid further complications.

Buy a mouthwash

Mouthwash can come in handy in reversing bad breath. It kills bacteria in your mouth and enhances your dental health. You can go for a commercially made mouthwash or prepare one at home using salt solution. To prepare, use a half spoon of salt and dissolve it in warm water then stir vigorously.

If you go for the commercially made one, look at the ingredients to determine if it will be useful. They are different in that some have anti-bacterial elements in them while others contain fluoride. Get advice from a dentist regarding which mouthwash would be helpful for you.

Eat useful snacks that strengthen your teeth

Crunchy fruits as well as vegetables make you full and also clean out your teeth. Some of them include apples, carrots, cucumber, lettuce as well as pepper. These can make replacements of sticky foods such as dried mangos and gummy bears that form plaque in your mouth.

Look for gums that don't contain sugar

As you chew gum, you produce more saliva in your mouth which is useful in getting rid of particles stuck in your teeth. You can find gum that does not contain sugar from a local pharmacy. They can prevent tooth decay.

Final thoughts

A pleasant smile comes from a healthy mouth. You can achieve this by incorporating healthy habits that enhance your teeth. Prevent the pain that comes with cavities by maintaining better mouth hygiene and taking less sugar. Let your smile brighten your face.

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