You don’t have to be an expert when it comes to taking care of your teeth. In fact, by forming simple dental care habits, you get to have healthy and strong teeth that will show when you smile.
Unlike nutrition, dental care applies to everyone in much the same way. The same brushing time is recommended to a toddler as with an adult. This is because your teeth are made up of the same material. The only things that differentiate it from someone else’s teeth are the shape and strength. People’s teeth vary in strength because some are already damaged that you can no longer replace them. For cases like this, it would be better to put artificial teeth. See this here.
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Just use your teeth for chewing.
This is only common sense but it might shock you that not a lot of people listen to this advice. Your teeth are meant for chewing and not opening plastic covers or plastic wrappers. It shouldn’t be used to crack open hard things because you might end up damaging your teeth or worse, you might break it. When this happens, you would have to have another tooth installed which is a high price to pay for opening a plastic cover.
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Chew gum from time to time.
Speaking of chewing, chewing can help prevent the build-up of cavities on your teeth. Cavities are caused by acids that eat up the enamel and create a hole on your teeth. Since your saliva contains bacteria that break down these acids, then you should chew gum from time to time.
Chewing gum produces enough saliva to fight off the acids threatening to damage your teeth. However, just make sure that the gum you are chewing is sugar-free or else it will be useless.
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Practice brushing your teeth properly.
Believe it or not, there is a right way to brush your teeth. You start with one side and you brush up and down as you slowly move towards your two front teeth. You do the same to the other side without brushing harshly. Make sure that when you brush up and down, you avoid hitting your gums so they don’t bleed.
After you’ve done this, you thoroughly brush your front teeth and the inner side of your upper and lower teeth. Use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue and you let the toothpaste stay for 30 seconds. Brushing your teeth should take at least two minutes.
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Indulge in an annual oral cleaning.
An annual oral cleaning is a great way to make sure that your teeth get thoroughly cleaned at least once a year. If you have the time and resources for this, you can do it quarterly or twice a year.
When you get an oral cleaning, your dentist can assess how bad or good your teeth are. It’s also a way to prevent other possible dental problems that your dentist will observe. When it comes to teeth, it will always be better to prevent dental problems than wait for them to happen.
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Avoid alcohol and cigarettes.
Excessive smoking and drinking have always been health hazards. But it’s also a hazard for your teeth. Too much alcohol and smoking can damage your teeth by making them yellow and prone to cavities. If you’ve been so used to smoking or drinking, what you can do is slowly lessen your consumption. In this way, the withdrawal effects will not be so bad. You can also chew gum as a replacement for the smoking.
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Start making dental habits.
As easy as it may sound, dental care is often neglected because it is easy to forget. However, one of the best ways to really take care of your teeth is to be disciplined. Start by creating helpful habits so that it will soon be automatic to you to brush your teeth properly, floss, or even go to the dentist. It would also help if you teach your children the value of taking care of their teeth.
There are many ways to protect and strengthen your teeth. You don’t even have to break the bank to have a nice set of pearly whites. However, it all comes down to your willingness to be mindful of your dental hygiene.
