Top 5 Ways To Improve Your Oral Hygiene At Home

The most important thing to remember is how important it is to stay clean and healthy. There has never been a time when we cared so much about keeping things clean and followed good habits so strictly. But how many of us pay the same amount of care to our teeth?

If we don’t brush and floss once a day, we don’t really think about it—until our teeth finally pay for not taking care of them. Rio Bravo Dentist NM suggests that many things can go wrong with our oral health, from stained teeth and bad breath to major cavities.

Not only is fixing tooth problems painful and time-consuming, but it also costs a lot of money. So why do we still not take care of our teeth even though we know it’s bad for us? Tooth problems can be caused by being too lazy to brush and floss.

Another main reason why people don’t think twice about oral health is that its harmful effects aren’t really apparent at first. Plaque takes years to turn into tartar, and bacteria need years to eat away at your teeth until they reach the nerve.

It’s more important to change our minds than to change our habits. You can begin at home. Here are five daily oral care routine tips you can follow to keep your teeth and gums healthy and, consequently, have better oral health.

1. Brush Your Teeth At Least Twice Daily

First, let us discuss basic oral hygiene tips. Brushing your teeth is the first thing you should do to take better care of your mouth. You should brush at least twice a day, in the morning and before bed. Brushing has two major benefits: it gets rid of stuck food and massages your gums.

Sticky food is a great place for germs to grow, but getting a massage makes your gums stronger by increasing blood flow. Also, make sure you brush your teeth in either a circle or an up-and-down action. They work better than anything else.

2. Floss Between Your Teeth Daily

Flossing is a very good habit to keep your teeth clean. It gets rid of plaque and food stuck between your teeth and along the gumline, places your toothbrush can’t reach. You should floss every day, at least, but before bed is best.

Plaque and food particles can be removed by gently sliding floss between teeth. If regular flossing is difficult for you, you might want to try a floss pick or an interdental brush. These tools can help you floss better and faster.

Each tooth should also have a clean piece of floss used to remove as much plaque and food as possible. Rio Bravo Dentist NM can guide you on how to floss your teeth properly and recommend the best alternatives.

3. Use A Dentist-Recommended Mouthwash

Mouthwash is an easy way to kill germs and make your breath smell better. It can also help break up plaque and food so that they are easier to remove when you brush and floss. Different mouthwash are available, some of which are made especially to help keep gum disease away.

It is crucial to understand and follow the instructions written on the mouthwash. Usually, you should rinse your mouth with a few drops for 30 seconds to a minute and then spit them out. Do not swallow mouthwash, as it may have harmful ingredients if you do.

Before you use mouthwash, talk to Rio Bravo Dentist NM or another health care provider if you have a history of mouth sores or are sensitive to them. Prevention is better than cure, so be alert prior to buying any random mouthwash.

4. Avoid Eating Unhealthy Foods

Of course, what you eat also has a big effect on how you look. Sugary drinks and foods make it easy for germs to get energy. And as they break down the sugars, they release acid that damages your teeth’s enamel.

If you eat and drink a lot of sugary things, tooth rot can happen much faster. Many drinks, like soda and coffee, are acidic, which makes the risk even higher. Water is the best choice if you want to drink something.

Skip the sparkling water; all of them, even the sugar-free ones, are acidic. Crunchy vegetables are one of the best snacks for your teeth because they’re high in water and fiber. Fiber helps clean other things off of your teeth.

5. Gargle and Clean Your Mouth After Eating

Since we were kids, we’ve been taught to gargle and clean our mouths after every meal. Most of us still do it because it’s a good habit. We can go one step further, though, and rinse our mouths every time we eat, not just after meals.

Every time we eat, some food gets stuck in our mouths’ cracks and crevices. For the best cleaning, gargle at least three times. Rio Bravo Dentist NM suggests a normal gargle with water to protect your mouth from bad bacteria.

Conclusion: Get Regular Checkups at Rio Bravo Dentist NM

Along with following these home tips, you should also visit your dentist regularly. Everyone, no matter what age, should get a dental checkup every six months. These appointments are essential for keeping your smile healthy.

Rio Bravo Dentist NM will first check for any problems. Finding them early lets you choose treatments that work better. After that, they will clean your teeth professionally. A professional cleaning should be added to the things you do every day to keep your teeth healthier.