To maintain dental health as you age, pay attention to these points while brushing.
Regular and proper brushing is the most important factor in maintaining dental health. Careless brushing during the morning rush can lead to dental diseases. Follow these dental health tips to keep a smile shining forever.
Dental Health Tips as You Age
Our mouth is like a busy city. Millions of bacteria live there, waiting to destroy food particles left behind from what we eat. Plaque is a thin film that forms when these uninvited guests stick to the teeth along with food. If we don’t brush them away at least twice every day, they will make your mouth their permanent home. Consequently, the problems mentioned below will start to appear.
Two to four minutes is required for brushing.
Cavities (Tooth Decay): The acid released by bacteria destroys the enamel of the teeth.
Gum Disease: It spreads downward beneath the gums, causing bleeding, and can eventually lead to the loosening and loss of teeth.
Bad Breath: Neglecting to clean your teeth properly can lead to gum disease, which in turn is a primary cause of bad breath.
How Does Tooth Decay Begin?
Brushing alone cannot remove all the food particles trapped between the teeth. For this, dental floss or interdental brushes must be used. If plaque is not cleaned regularly, the bacteria contained within it mix with the carbohydrates in the food remnants to produce acid. This begins to corrode the tooth, and that is how tooth decay starts.
If dental plaque is left unremoved, it combines with minerals like calcium and phosphorus in the saliva, hardening over time into calculus (tartar).
Calculus cannot be removed by regular brushing. It can only be removed using specialized instruments at a dental clinic.
How Should You Brush Your Teeth?
Many people find that their teeth still decay or they develop gum disease despite brushing twice a day. This happens because if the brushing technique is incorrect, the food particles sticking to the teeth are not properly cleaned, and oral hygiene is not achieved. Follow the procedure below for proper dental health.
Hold the toothbrush parallel to your teeth. Then, tilt the brush at a 45-degree angle toward the area where the teeth meet the gums. Brush firmly but with gentle pressure, moving from the gums toward the teeth.
When brushing the upper teeth, brush downward from the top. When brushing the lower teeth, brush upward from the bottom.
Repeat this brushing motion 15 to 20 times in each area. Alternatively, you can use a circular motion 15 to 20 times. Ensure this is done across the surfaces of all teeth. Following this, use the same motions to clean the back side of the teeth.
To clean the inner side of the front teeth, hold the brush vertically behind the front teeth and brush downward for the upper teeth, and upward for the lower teeth.
To clean the chewing surfaces of the molars, move the brush flatly back and forth. Repeat these movements 15 to 20 times in total.
Finally, clean your tongue using a toothbrush. Two to four minutes is the time required for a proper brushing session like this. Also read: How to brush? A few myths broken.
Choosing a Toothbrush
For daily use, soft or ultra-soft toothbrushes are best. Toothbrushes with hard bristles are generally not recommended for regular use. Using a hard-bristled brush permanently will cause tooth wear (abrasion) and destroy gum health.
Use of Toothpaste
It is a misconception that using more toothpaste cleans teeth better. You only need to use an amount of toothpaste equivalent to the size of a small pea. The technique of brushing is far more important than the quantity of toothpaste used.
Brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, and visiting a dentist twice a year, is the best investment you can make.
In return, this rewards you with a healthy, beautiful smile and financial security from heavy dental treatment expenses in the future.
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