We offered some dental care advice about why and how to brush your teeth and use interdental brushes before. Now let’s move on to some general mistakes and tips that may be helpful.
1.When to use mouthwash?
So if you have a really good oral hygiene routine, you don’t necessarily need to use a mouthwash. If you do decide to use a mouthwash, it’s generally good to use one with fluoride in there.
When you use your mouthwash, try not to use it straight after brushing your teeth. Once you brush your teeth with toothpaste, spit out instead of rinsing out and leave the toothpaste contacting your teeth for a long period of time. So if you want to use your mouthwash, leave at least half an hour before you decide to use a mouthwash. It’s generally good advice to use your mouth wash at separate times when you brush your teeth.
You don’t necessarily need to use a premium mouthwash. Any mouthwash with fluoride will do. There are some mouthwash washes that contain alcohol, and some that are specialized for gum care or for dry mouth. Depending on which condition you have, it may be good to see your dentist and they will recommend you the correct mouthwash to use.
2.Spit. Don’t rinse.
When you brush your teeth with toothpaste, be sure to spit out your toothpaste but not to rinse your mouth afterward. The toothpaste has to have contact with your tooth over a long period of time for it to work and for the chemicals inside the toothpaste to actually have the benefits.
When you rinse your mouth after using the toothpaste, you will remove the fluoride and all the goodness of the toothpaste away from your mouth. So if you don’t rinse your mouth out and just spit the excess toothpaste out and leave the rest of the toothpaste in contact with your teeth, you’ll have greater benefits from using that toothpaste.
After you’ve brushed your teeth, try to leave it at least half an hour before you have anything to eat or drink. You’ve got the best chance of the toothpaste having a good effect on your teeth that way.
The other thing we’d recommend is that if you brush your teeth at nighttime, try to brush it last thing at night. You then just go straight to bed and don’t have anything to eat or drink afterward. That way you’ve left the toothpaste contacting your teeth for the longest period of time.
3.Eating right
Diet is also really important in looking after your teeth. Things such as acids and sugars that you should try and reduce because they can be very harmful to your teeth. Even natural acids and sugars such as those in oranges can be damaging because oranges can be very high in natural sugars and natural acids, which can then erode the surfaces of your teeth.
Avoid snacking too much
It’s best to have everything in moderation and have a healthy balanced diet. Things such as apples, celery sticks and cheeses can be natural palate cleansers and help to cleanse your mouth in between meals and things. You should try to avoid snacking too much because lots of snacks can also be extra sugar acid attacks inside your mouth and then reduce the pH of your mouth, allowing decay and other problems in your teeth as well.
Avoid smoking and alcohol
Even things such as smoking and alcohol are very damaging to your teeth. When you smoke you can have discoloration of your teeth, stains, bad breath and cause gum disease and problems within the inside of your mouth as well. Alcohol can also damage the inside surfaces of your teeth and be damaging on your actual enamel surfaces as well. So please be aware to have all these things in moderation and have a healthy balanced diet.
Avoid things that can stain your teeth
When you have a look at your diet, the other thing that can cause problems is things that stain your teeth such as red wines and curries. And these can very quickly make your teeth look quite yellow. Try to avoid these foods if you want a nice healthy smile.
Drink a lot of water
We also recommend drinking plenty of water. Water is really good for you naturally hydrating and it doesn’t damage your teeth at all. Drinking plenty of water is really good for you and your mouth as well.
4. Routine
It’s really important to have a good oral hygiene routine. We recommend brushing your teeth twice a day: at nighttime before you go to sleep and during the day. If you’re not used to brushing your teeth twice a day, it may be a good idea to set yourself some goals and rewards at the end. Perhaps you can set yourself a goal to brush your teeth twice a day for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, give yourself some rewards.
Try and start early with your children if they start brushing their teeth twice a day from a very young age. They’ll never know any difference and so they’ll always know this is the normal thing to do. With young children, you can get stickers and charts to help to encourage them to brush their teeth twice a day as well. Things such as electric toothbrushes, and other apps and timers can help you keep a log of how you brush your teeth. Make sure that you’re on track with your tooth brushing as well.
Make sure you floss your teeth at least once a day. Replace your toothbrush regularly every three months or sooner if you see signs of wear. Visit your dentist regularly as well to help to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
5. Visit the dentist
Going to see your dentist regularly may not be on the top of your list of priorities. However, it may prevent long-term costs pain and problems. If you put it off, it may actually end up costing you more to rectify a problem than it would have done if you went to the dentist regularly and prevented any problems and had your teeth regularly checked.
If you haven’t been for a long time, don’t worry. The dental team will be used to seeing people like yourself and they welcome all patients to come and see the dentist. The interval in that you need to go and see the dentist is different for different people. If you have certain problems, you may need to go more often than some other people. But don’t worry because your dentist will let you know how often you need to attend.
It’s good to go to your dentist regularly to help prevent any future disease or if you have a problem, you may not realize it and it will help you to fix that problem and prevent it from getting much worse in the future. This in turn helps to prevent things like pain, toothaches and abscesses. Even if you wear dentures, it’s still important that you go and visit your dentist. They will check the inside of your mouth and look for any ulcers or rashes that you may have underneath your dentures.
Another reason to go to your dentist is that if you have loose teeth, red gums, non-healing ulcers, or pain, broken teeth or any other problems, they’ll look at these problems and help you fix them so that you can have a healthier mouth and feel more comfortable with your teeth.
6. Common mistakes
Don't brush for long enough.
Most people only brush for 45 seconds. Actually you need to brush for two minutes twice a day. Some people brush too often so they brush for too long and this can actually be damaging for your teeth.
Brush too soon after eating.
It’s best to leave at least half an hour before brushing your teeth.
Brush with too much pressure.
This can wear your teeth away rather than actually cleaning them.
Don't brush with the right technique.
They can’t remove the maximum amount of plaque and debris away from their teeth.
Use a toothbrush that is too old.
You should replace your toothbrush or your toothbrush head every three months or if the bristles of your toothbrushes are worn away, disfigured, or splayed.
Use a hard bristled toothbrush.
This can be damaging for your teeth as it can brush your tooth surfaces too hard and actually brush them away.
Use too much toothpaste on the toothbrushes.
It’s best to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush.
Rinse after brushing.
It’s important to spit instead of rinsing so the toothpaste has maximum contact time with your teeth.
Forget to floss.
You must floss at least once a day before brushing.
Forget to clean their tongue.
Your tongue is very important to clean because it holds a lot of debris. It can help with fresher breath as well.
Eat too much of the wrong foods.
Sometimes it can be confusing because there are natural fruits that you think are healthy. But they are high in sugar and acid.
Don't visit the dentist regularly enough.
You may think that you don’t have any pain or any problems with your teeth. But if you visit your dentist, you can be sure and they can highlight
any underlying problems that you might have.
People are seeing they're too old for braces.
There are lots of brace systems available now that are available to adults.
And certainly, once you are working, it may be a lot easier to be able to pay for braces.
Chew only on one side of the mouth.
It’s important to use both sides evenly to chew your food as this will help your jaw and prevent any pain in your jaw joints as well.
Don't teach their children to take care of their teeth very early on.
It’s important to learn the skills quite early on.
Use plastic brushes.
There are other options available that are more environmentally friendly these days, such as bamboo brushes.
