All you need to know about proper dental hygiene
Dental hygiene – care for our teeth. Awareness in dental care has increased throughout the past decades. More and more information is easily accessible considering our teeth. Problems related to the lack of proper oral hygiene over and above loosing teeth are well known. We gathered all that you need to know about dental health.
What can I do for my dental hygiene?
Let’s reveal the factors which affect our dental hygiene. Since we are all different anatomically, genetically and in our way of living, our teeth are exposed to a variety of damaging effects, to which they react differently. We all have a different resistance level, not only in oral health. There is always something we can do to protect our teeth.
What are the lifestyle factors affecting my dental hygiene?
Let’s start with stress. Our accelerated lifestyle affects our body in various ways, and our teeth are no exception. Bruxism and teeth grinding are common, often undetected symptoms. If you cannot avoid stress, using a teeth guard can help.
The modern lifestyle brings another risk: eating unhealthy food in a rush. Fast food, soda etc. with high acid content leads to tooth enamel erosion. With paying a little more attention to our eating habits and making the right choices can make a huge difference.
And legal stimulants?
Too much alcohol and smoking harm the teeth and gum. So, taking these habits to extreme, can lead to loosing teeth and in addition, heavy smoking can be a barrier to implantation and so the replacement of lost teeth.
How about the outside effects?
Under outside effects we mean those of diet and habits. The most common illness, tooth decay, for example depends mostly on the carbohydrate content of our food. Bacteria fermenting the carbohydrate left on the surface of our teeth after eating, produce acids. This leads to damaged and lost teeth in the long run because it causes the weakening of the enamel.
What other illnesses does poor dental hygiene cause?
The most common illness caused by poor oral hygiene is periodontits caused by tartar. Tartar is basically plague that is hardened by minerals present in the salvia. This builds up on the surface of the teeth and invisibly under the gum. Permanent inflammation we call periodontitis causes gum inflammation, breaking down gum, jaw bone and tooth loss in the long run. This occures because of this mass of bacteria in tartar.
So what should I do?
Pay attention to your diet: Eating the appropriate amount of carbohydrates and watching out for acids can make a big difference in the long run.
Lessen the use of legal stimulants: lessen the damage to the teeth and gum.
Practice proper dental hygiene every day: daily care is essential in keeping our teeth healthy. Brush not only your teeth, but your gum as well with a soft toothbrush. Consult a dentist considering the use of other tools like dental floss.
Conscious oral hygiene from the very beginning: Teach your kids the proper way of looking after their teeth, since adults keep habits learned during their childhood.
The key: Regular dental check-ups!
Even with the most careful oral care, tooth decay or gum inflammation can occure. A regular dental checkup (twice a year) can uncover the smallest problem. We can treat a small problem with a small intervention. Also, a professional oral hygienic treatment is recommended every six months. Dorung this, tartar is eliminated from places the toothbrush can’t reach, like form under the gum. This way, bigger problems, like periodontitis and tooth loss are avertible.