Alright, we are back
from a long August break, I hope we all had a wonderful summer holiday. We
restart the blog this September with an article on one of the important part of
our body- the mouth. Globally, we celebrate the oral health day annually to
remind us that healthy teeth, gums and mouth play a crucial role in our ability
to carry out routine activities without bad breathe; tooth decay or painful
toothache. The theme of World Oral Health Day 2013 is ‘Healthy Teeth for
Healthy Life’. It reflects the major contribution oral health makes to our
lives by boosting our morale, self-confidence and the health of our whole body.
Good oral hygiene
keeps teeth free from dental plaque buildup, wands off cavities and fights bad
breath. Routine oral hygiene should consist of regular brushing and
flossing. A healthy diet that's
low in sugary foods is also an essential part of good oral hygiene. Regular
dental visits every six months allow your dentist or dental hygienist to
provide oral hygiene instructions and recommend oral hygiene products. Healthy
teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat
and speak properly.
Bad oral habits can
affect your speech, chewing, self-esteem and overall health. Daily preventive
oral hygiene care can help prevent dental problems from developing in the first
place or from becoming too serious. Good oral hygiene practices are less
painful and cheaper than treating dental problems once they develop.
The following tips
can be applied to ensure you maintain a healthy smile for a long time.
·
Go on a white-teeth diet: Limit the use of red
wine, kola nut, black tea, or smoking cigarettes or cigar, colas, gravies, and
dark juices for these are teeth staining foods. Brush immediately after eating
or drinking foods that stain teeth but for convenient teeth-cleaning action,
eat an apple, raw carrots, celery, and popcorn. For best results, eat these
after your meal.
·
Clean your tongue: Use a tongue scraper every morning to remove
tongue plaque and freshen your breath. One major cause of bad breath is the
buildup of bacteria on the tongue, which a daily tongue scraping is more
efficient in eliminating plaque.
·
Gargle with apple cider vinegar or mouth wash: Do this in the
morning and then brush as usual. The vinegar helps help remove stains, whiten
teeth, and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums.
·
Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week: This will remove
stains and whiten your teeth. Use it just as you would toothpaste. You can also
use salt as an alternative toothpaste. Just be sure to spit it out so it
doesn't count as sodium intake! Also, if your gums start to feel raw, switch to
brushing with salt every other day.
·
Stay fresh: To check the freshness of your breath, lick
your palm and smell it while it's still wet. If you smell something, it’s time
for a sugar-free breath mint. When shopping for mouthwash, make sure it is alcohol-free
because alcohol can dry out the tissues in your mouth, making them more
susceptible to bacteria.
· Practice flossing at
all times:
If you can floss without having to guide your work with a mirror, you can floss
in your car, at your desk, while in bed, and before important meetings. In
which case, buy several packages of floss and keep them in your car, your desk,
your purse, handbag or nightstand. Flossing removes the cavity-causing bacteria
left behind from food particles that get stuck between teeth.
·
Brush your teeth when you first get out of bed and before
you get back in at night: These are the two most crucial times to brush your teeth
because saliva (which keeps cavity-causing plaque off teeth) dries up at night,
so it’s best to have all plaque cleaned off the teeth before sleep. Then it’s important
to brush first thing in the morning to brush off plaque and bacteria (morning
breath!) that may have built up while sleeping.
·
Conceal with color. Choose a medium coral or light red
lipstick for these colors make your teeth look whiter, whereas lighter-colored
lipsticks tend to bring out the yellow in teeth.
· Frequent rinsing of the mouth: A mouth rinse, in
addition to daily brushing and flossing, can increase the cleanliness of your
mouth. Antimicrobial mouth rinses reduce bacteria and plaque activity, which
cause gingivitis and gum disease. Fluoride mouth rinses also help reduce and
prevent tooth decay.
· Bacteria can live in
your mouth in the form of plaque, causing cavities and gingivitis, which can
lead to periodontal (gum) disease. In order to keep your mouth clean, you must
practice good oral hygiene every day.
· Brushing too soon
after eating: Consuming
acidic foods and beverages, such as sports and energy drinks, citrus fruits,
wine, and tomatoes, can erode tooth enamel—the glossy outer layer of the tooth.
Brushing your teeth too soon after eating and drinking these items can cause
more damage because you are essentially brushing the acid into the teeth, not
getting rid of it. Instead, you should rinse your mouth with water after
consuming acidic foods and beverages and wait at least 30 minutes before
brushing
· Not replacing your
toothbrush often enough: Old toothbrushes are ineffective and harbor harmful
bacteria that can cause infections. Toothbrushes should be changed every three
to four months.
· Using a hard-bristled
toothbrush:
A hard-bristled toothbrush coupled with an aggressive brushing technique can
cause irreversible damage to your gums. Use a soft toothbrush and gently brush
your teeth at a 45-degree angle, in a circular motion. Using a back-and-forth motion
causes the gums to recede, and can expose the root of the tooth, making teeth
extremely sensitive.
Routine care for your
mouth (teeth, gum, tongue)
The following gives instruction on how to provide routine care for mouth.
Brushing
• Place your
toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.
• Move the brush back
and forth gently in short strokes.
• Brush the outer
tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the
teeth.
• Use the tip of the
brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle
up-and-down stroke.
• Brush your tongue
to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Flossing
• Break off about 18
inches of floss and wind it around the middle fingers of each hand. Hold the
floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
• Guide the floss
between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion.
• When the floss
reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide
it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
• Bring the floss
back toward the contact point between the teeth and move the floss up or down
the other side.
• Hold the floss
tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss
away from the gum with up-and-down motions.
• Repeat this method
on the rest of your teeth.
How can I get rid of plaque?
Plaque is a sticky
layer of material containing bacteria that accumulates on teeth, including
where toothbrushes can't reach. Many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in
your mouth to produce acids. They produce substances that irritate the gums,
making them red, sensitive, and susceptible to bleeding. This can lead to gum
disease, in which gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets that fill with
bacteria and pus.
The best way to
remove plaque is by brushing and cleaning between your teeth every day. Brushing removes plaque from the tooth
surfaces. Brush your teeth twice per day with a soft-bristled brush. Use an
antimicrobial toothpaste containing fluoride, which helps protect your teeth
from decay. Clean between the teeth once a day with floss to remove plaque from
between the teeth especially where the toothbrush can't
reach.
Your teeth need a lot
of care and attention to achieve LIFELONG good Oral health
Written by O’ Reese on behalf of En-pact Solutions Limited, 2013
Twitter: @O Reese2
@EnpactHSE
