How to achieve the best Oral Health
Want to know what you can do to minimise damage to your teeth? There are a few simple steps you can follow to maintain good dental hygiene.
Minimise sugar intake
It’s often hard to completely avoid eating and drinking sugar. We all end up experiencing sugar cravings at some point. However, if you can minimise your intake of sugar, you will experience less damage to your teeth.
To have the best oral health, it’s best to snack on foods such as natural yoghurt, cheese, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. These will have a minimal impact on your teeth and body.
If you are having sweet cravings, there a few things you can have instead of sugar, such as:
- Stevia: this is a sweetener that comes from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant. This has 0 calories, and while it is a sweetener, it is not classified as a real sugar.
- Honey: honey is a great alternative to sugar. In particular, manuka honey offers many benefits to oral health. It can even help remove plaque and gingivitis.
Minimise alcohol consumption
Excessive alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on your body. However, one of the lesser discussed effects is the impact on your teeth. There are several ways alcohol consumption can have a negative impact on your teeth. This includes:
- Teeth staining: this is of particular importance to note if you consume red wine or dark-coloured soft drink. Drinking this can cause discolouration and dullness of the teeth. Fortunately, you don’t have to stop drinking your favourite type of alcohol completely. Instead, opt to drink beverages that will stain your teeth with a straw, as this will minimise contact with your teeth.
- Sugar: depending on what type of alcohol you consume, it can often contain a high amount of sugar. This will cause a spread of bacteria and increase damage to your teeth.
- Dehydration: consuming too much alcohol can cause dehydration, not only of your entire body, but within your mouth as well. This means your mouth is not producing as much saliva, which is an active force in protecting your teeth and gums.
Avoid smoking
One of the many areas smoking negatively impacts is your teeth and gums. Smoking can result in teeth staining, gum disease, tooth loss, and in some cases, mouth cancer. The nicotine and tar within the tobacco will stain your teeth in a short timeframe. Furthermore, smoking results in an increased production plaque, which will damage your gums. This is the most common cause of tooth loss for adults. Smoking will also cause bad breath. This can be fixed by using mouthwashes, however, this is only a short term solution.
Practice good dental hygiene
To minimise damage to your teeth, you should practice good oral hygiene. To achieve this, you need to:
- Brush frequently: to remove plaque and germs, it’s important to make sure you brush your teeth at least twice every day.
- Remember your tongue: the tongue is an often overlooked part of the mouth. However, the tongue can end up with a build-up of plaque, which can result in other oral problems. Don’t forget to brush your tongue when you brush your teeth gently.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste: it doesn’t matter if you’re frequently brushing your teeth if you’re not using the right toothpaste.
- Use floss: as well as brushing your teeth regularly, it’s also important to use floss. This will help you to remove the build-up of plaque that occurs between your teeth. This will not only help you minimise decay on your teeth, but will reduce inflammation of the gums.
- Consider using mouthwash: as well as brushing and flossing, you should also consider using mouthwash to achieve the best oral health. Mouthwash gives you a complete, all over wash, while also reducing levels of acid within the mouth and remineralising the teeth.
Following these steps will ensure you can minimise damage to your teeth and achieve good oral hygiene. If you need to discuss your dental hygiene further, contact JC Dental, who will be able to offer advice and treatment options that are best for you.