We all know that food comes in through our mouth. Chewing the food is the first process of the body’s digestive system. The teeth that line our mouth serve the function of chewing well. The front teeth serve to tear off the food while the back teeth tear it into manageable pieces which are then further broken down in our stomach. We also show our teeth when we smile and bad looking teeth can turn people off. Maintaining proper dental health is a necessary component and will help you keep your teeth for a long portion of your life.
A dental health routine should include three parts, brushing, rinsing, and flossing. Preferably in that order. Some dentists recommend brushing after every meal, others twice a day. Either answer is correct and which one you choose is a matter of individual preference.
Brushing your teeth is a fairly simple affair and the brush should be held at an angle and rubbed vigorously back and forth across the enamel of your teeth. The fronts, tops, and back of the teeth should be going over for a period of about 2 minutes. (30 seconds for each section.) Use a toothpaste with mild abrasives to move the plaque off the teeth. Brushing the tongue helps control bad breath.
The next step in a daily routine to maintain dental health is rinsing. Rinsing simply removes the toothpaste out of the mouth. Adding a fluoride rinse can help strengthen the teeth, or you can use an antibacterial mouthwash like Listerine can prevent gum diseases like gingivitis. Pour the chosen rinse into a cup, swish it around in your mouth for thirty seconds and spit it back out.
Thanks to better at-home care and in-office dental treatments, more people than ever before are keeping their teeth throughout their lives. Although some diseases and conditions can make dental disease and tooth loss more likely, most of us have a good deal of control over whether we keep our teeth into old age.
The most important thing you can do to maintain good oral health is to brush and floss your teeth regularly.
Most mouth woes are caused by plaque, that sticky layer of microorganisms, food particles and other organic matter that forms on your teeth. Bacteria in plaque produce acids that cause cavities. Plaque also leads to periodontal (gum) disease, a potentially serious infection that can erode bone and destroy the tissues surrounding teeth.
The best defense is to remove plaque daily before it has a chance to build up and cause problems. Brushing removes plaque from the large surfaces of the teeth and, if done correctly, from just under the gums. Flossing removes plaque between teeth.