You know your mom is right when she tells you to brush your teeth before going to bed.
Personal hygiene begins by washing your hands, taking a regular shower, and brushing your teeth carefully.
Practicing a good oral regime is part of a healthy lifestyle with undeniable long-term benefits.
Otherwise, people with poorly practiced lifestyles are pictured as unhealthy and often face discrimination.
One should always begin by practicing good oral hygiene.
In this blog, we have listed ways to maintain healthy teeth from the very beginning.
Infants dental hygiene
At the time of birth, babies’ teeth are hidden under their gums. At the age of 6 months, they start teething. Hence it is then oral hygiene should begin.
Here’s what you can do.
- After feeding, wipe the baby’s mouth and gums with a soft washcloth. It will remove any bacteria that can cause tooth decay later.
- Use fluoride toothpaste, the size of a rice grain, once teeth start to appear. For this purpose, you can use a soft-bristle toothbrush.
- Tooth decay can begin when a baby is a few months old too. How? Drinking milk or formula for long periods with a baby bottle is the main culprit. So take the bottle right away once babies are finished drinking the milk.
- Did your baby turn one? Why not visit a pediatrician nearby?
Children dental hygiene
Once your kid starts to grow, develop persistent oral hygiene habits from an early age. By the age of 3, kids have a complete set of teeth.
The primary teeth will fall out at the age of 6. So proper care at that age can help remove the teeth gaps (which is pretty standard).
Here’s what you can do.
- A pea-sized toothpaste (consisting of fluoride) is enough for brushing.
- Your child should brush at least twice a day.
- Use electric toothbrushes so that brushing is easier for kids at this age.
- Add flossing in the oral hygiene regime too at an early age.
- Every 6 months visit your dentist to avoid any serious pre-teen dental complications.
Preteens oral hygiene
Most teens have crooked teeth or face teeth alignment issues because of poor oral hygiene in early childhood.
Visiting a dentist can remedy it, but dental malpractice at this age can severely damage the primary teeth for worse.
So to avoid any such condition, make sure a teenager follows these steps.
- Teenagers are always conscious of their appearance at this age, making them understand the ways oral hygiene can help improve their personality.
- It never hurts to remind them they need to brush with good mineral toothpaste twice a day to fight cavities.
- Flossing should become a permanent part of your dental hygiene, so those backend teeth are not neglected.
- Encourage your children to wear protective mouth gear when playing sports to protect their teeth from any damage.
- If your kid is wearing braces, flossing should be done thoroughly to remove any spots after the braces come off.
Dental hygiene for Adults
Adults can become lousy with age due to hectic jobs, not even time, or just being too sleepy.
According to the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), almost 25 million root canals are performed annually.
Going through a root canal isn’t fun at all.
Even if you didn’t start a good oral regime from an early age, there’s still a chance to start practicing the following habits for healthy gums besides brushing and flossing.
1. Avoid smoking
As cool as it may sound, or no matter how addictive you are to smoking, it causes stains on your teeth with time and puts your gums at higher risk of oral cancer.
Chewing tobacco or smoking cigars/cigarettes also affects your immune system.
Smokers usually have slow healing after a dental makeover. So if you are unable to quit, at least decrease the intake of nicotine.
2. Pick a mouthwash
Do you want to control plaque and gingivitis? Use a mouthwash. It contains chlorhexidine – an antibacterial ingredient that helps fight plaque.
You can consult your dentist’s recommendations for a mouthwash.
However, remember it’s not a substitute for brushing or flossing but a part of your dental regime.
3. Drink more water
Sugary drinks are your nemesis. Period. Sugar-sweetened drinks consist of artificial sugars that also means an increase in calorie intake.
Juices, soda, or even latte increases the chances of cavities.
So if you have caffeine cravings, drink black tea or black coffee without any sugar or drink sugar-sweetened drinks in small quantities at meals only. Besides, increase your water consumption daily.
4. Visit your dentist
Experts recommend visiting a dentist every 6 months. The dental examination means clean teeth, plaque removal, and tarter extermination.
Visiting a dentist is also fruitful because they can discover any hidden signs of a cavity or gum disease you are not aware of.
Sometimes dental x-rays are used to check any oral anomaly.
5. Consistent schedule
As you age, the facts remain the same – you need to be consistent in your oral hygiene practices. Adults may often think “skipping once in a while” is okay. But it is not!
Start practicing brushing your teeth at night and in the morning after breakfast right now for the sake of good oral hygiene.
Dental Care During pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of many changes, and it’s important to take care of your teeth and gums during this time.
Hormonal changes can make your gums more sensitive and prone to bleeding, and the extra weight can put strain on your jaw.
Be sure to brush and floss regularly, and see your dentist if you have any concerns.
Taking good pregnancy dental care will help you stay healthy and comfortable throughout your pregnancy and beyond.
Conclusion
If you practice a good dental regime, congratulations!
You have happy and healthy teeth. Dental hygiene needs to be practiced from infancy to adulthood without a break so that your teeth and gums remain healthy at old age.
In some cases when you have been careless towards your oral hygiene for a long time or have some birth related defects, you should touch base with a cosmetic dentistry to fix most of your problems, such as teeth whitening, root canal, dental bonding, or dental veneers.
Once you have fixed your dental problems, make sure to maintain a good oral hygiene for such problems to happen.
Follow the above practices to prevent any dental problems that can trouble you