Oral Hygiene Basics: Take Care of Your Teeth

What are the best ways to care for your teeth? Here are some oral hygiene basics.

Your teeth are essential to both comfort and health. For example, they are center stage when you smile and break up food when you eat. If you want to keep them sparkly and effective, you need to take good care of them.

Maintain good oral hygiene

Most people learn oral hygiene basics when they are young. However, over time you may forget the details or become complacent. If it has been a while since you looked up oral hygiene basics, it is good to refresh your knowledge. To help you out, here are dentist recommendations for tooth care.

Floss once a day

You should floss before you brush, as flossing can loosen trapped food particles that you may then brush away. When you floss, make sure you use a new section of waxed thread in each space to prevent moving bacteria around.

Brush twice a day

Dentists recommend brushing the teeth twice daily: once in the morning and once before bed. You should brush for a total of two minutes and make sure you brush the backs of your teeth as well as the fronts. To avoid hurting your gums, you should only use brushes with soft bristles.

Rinse with mouthwash once a day

While mouthwash is not crucial to oral health, it can help fight bad breath. Mouthwash kills bacteria and can be useful when used with flossing and brushing.

Visit your dentist regularly

In addition to caring for your teeth at home, you also need to schedule a professional cleaning. Just like you should visit your doctor regularly to ensure your vitals and labs are within a healthy range, you should see a dentist ensure your teeth are doing well.

Schedule an oral exam at least once a year

Regular exams and cleaning ensure that plaque does not build up and cause problems. The American Dental Association recommends seeing a dentist once a year, though you may have to go more frequently if you have a history of issues.

Make an appointment if you have pain or other symptoms

If you have a toothache or throbbing pain in your jaw, you should not ignore it. Pain is often a sign that something is very wrong, so you should schedule a dentist appointment as soon as possible.