Oral Hygiene Tips – What You Need to Know

When it comes to the health of our teeth, gums and mouth, things can get a little complicated and confusing.

Unless you’re a dentist, there’s a good chance you don’t have the best idea when it comes to knowing what’s going on inside your mouth, and without the right tools, you can’t really see what’s going on in your mouth either. In fact, if you need a good recommendation, go book an appointment to polish your teeth with the Dentist in Raleigh to begin with.

With that said, we do have some helpful oral hygiene tips in our article below that will let you know a little more about how to keep your gums, teeth and mouth overall as healthy and clean as possible.

Take a look at our oral hygiene tips below and what you need to know.

It’s Important to Follow Correct Technique

As you might be aware of already, or may have been told by your dentist, there is a correct technique to follow when it comes to brushing your teeth.

When you brush your teeth, it’s important to do everything by the book when you can to make certain that you’re covering all surfaces of the teeth correctly and also bushing close up to that gum line to keep your gums nice and clean.

To add to this, you will also want to set a timer to time your technique, because getting at least 2 minutes brushing time into your oral hygiene routine is essential. From two through to five minutes is typically enough to get the best result from your brushing, though any less than this and you might be missing a large part of your mouth.

Our biggest tip here is to brush in circular motions when you can because this is going to make sure that you’re covering the entire surface of each tooth and not just brushing the midpoints of your teeth.

Deciding on a Toothbrush

The age-old argument between oral hygienists is between electric or manual toothbrushes, though the truth is that both of these types of toothbrushes do a great job when it comes to getting plaque and bacteria off your teeth.

However, you’re going to want to choose a brush that has a head small enough to reach the back of your mouth and also features bristles that are soft enough to brush effectively.

That in mind, electric toothbrushes can offer a little bit of a better experience depending on who you are, or for children.

Flossing Isn’t an Option

We all know the general consensus when it comes to flossing, and that is that most of us rarely do it frequently. However, flossing is a must and isn’t something you can pick and choose to do when you feel like it.

You’ll need to make sure that you floss once a day at the very least, and ideally twice a day in the morning and in the evening before bed.

To get a handle of the correct flossing technique, you’re going to want slowly slide the floss between your teeth and slide up and down whilst pulling the floss forward and then back into a C-shape.

This will ensure you’re scrubbing the sides of your teeth but also getting down into the gums and taking care of any bacteria build up.

You can rely on local dentists like Putney Dental Sydney for some tips with flossing during your bi-annual dental cleaning with them if you’re not too sure about how to floss.

Choosing a Fluoride Toothpaste

Another key factor in oral hygiene is choosing a toothpaste that is going to work wonders on those pearly whites.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to pick a toothpaste that comes with fluoride infused within it. This will mean that the enamel on your teeth has a better chance of hardening or remaining hard and reduces your chances of slowly developing tooth decay over time.

However, for the younger members of the family, it’s good to keep to a lower fluoride toothpaste when possible.

Consider a Diet Change

We all know that our diets affect essentially all parts of our life, and that includes our oral hygiene too.

You’re going to want to make sure you’re eating as healthy as possible when it comes to keeping on top of that clean mouth. That means making sure the consumption of sugars remains low, and if it doesn’t — brush after eating these types of foods.

On top of this, staying away from highly acid foods is also a good step to keeping your dental health in check too.