We all know that we’re supposed to brush twice a day and floss, steer clear of sugary food and drinks and have regular dental check-ups, but why do we still get fillings or have bleeding gums?
There is a little more to keep your pearly whites strong and healthy than what you’ve been told your whole life.
As apart of Dental Health Week created by the Australian Dental Association (ADA), we have created 4 easy steps to help you maintain good oral hygiene:
Here are four helpful steps to help with your oral hygiene:
Clean Up Your Dental Skills
Taking two minutes to brush your teeth is a good target for removing plaque. Brushing your teeth regularly stops the bacteria over developing which stops the production of acid.
Electric toothbrushes are more effective than manual toothbrushes. A small head helps to reach awkward areas in the mouth.
Medium-textured bristles help you clean effectively without causing harm to your gums and teeth.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Toothpaste is the main benefit of brushing your teeth. The key ingredient is fluoride, which prevents tooth decay, as it replaces lost minerals in teeth and also makes them stronger.
Your toothpaste needs to have 1350-1500 Fluoride parts per million, to prevent tooth decay. To find out your toothpaste’s concentration,read the ingredients on the back of the tube.
Spit, Don’t Rinse
Brushing your teeth at night is the most important time to brush your teeth as you produce less saliva at night, which means your teeth have less protection from saliva and are more vulnerable to acid attacks.
After brushing your teeth don’t eat or drink anything except water, as this gives the fluoride the longest opportunity to work.
Once you’ve finished brushing your teeth, don’t rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash as this removes the fluoride on your teeth. Studies have shown that if you just simply spit out the remaining toothpaste you can reduce the change of tooth decay by up to 25%
Limit The Sugar Hits
Natural sugars are the best for your teeth, as they are far less likely to cause tooth decay than added sugars.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell which sugars are bad for your teeth, for example fruit juices are heavily sugar concentrated, compared to just the natural fruits, so it is best to steer clear of fruit juices, even if they say ‘no added sugar’.
The world Health organisation and NHS recommend added sugars should ideally take up less than 5% of your daily calorie intake. For an adult or children over 11, this is approximately 30g, or eight teaspoons. Your teeth can be exposed to four sugar hits a day without permanent damage being caused. The easiest way to eliminate any extra sugars in your diet is to reduce the amount of sugary drinks or to get stop adding sugar to hot drinks and limit your snack intake.
These are the simple steps to a healthier mouth:
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
- Spit don’t rinse
- Eat and drink nothing after brushing
- Don’t have sugar more than four times daily.
If you have any questions or are wanting to ask more questions, click here to make an appointment with our friendly dentist, they are always happy to answer any of your questions.