Dental Care Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

Scientific studies show that there is a general relationship between dental hygiene and the general health of the body. People with high dental hygiene standards are generally healthy and rarely fall ill. On the other hand, poor dental hygiene is associated with diseases. Some studies even suggest that there is a relationship between dental hygiene and some types of cancers.

Therefore, it is absolutely important for you to ensure that your teeth and mouth are always clean. If you take good care of your mouth and teeth, you can avoid bad breath, dental caries, gingivitis, plaque and tartar. You can also avoid the agony of having to endure pain in the gum.

What to Consume and Not to Consume

If you are keen on maintaining high dental hygiene standards, then there are meals that you have to avoid as much as possible, while consuming others regularly.

• Consume phosphorous, calcium and vitamin D

You should consume meals that are rich in calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D. These minerals can be found in milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products. It has been proven that calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D, if consumed regularly, will strengthen your teeth and bones. Other minerals that strengthen teeth include iron, copper, zinc, iodine and potassium. When consuming the above minerals, it is important to make sure that you don’t consume them excessively as they could have other effects on the body.

• Do not over-consume acidic drinks

Acidic drinks are known to erode the enamel layer covering the teeth. Excessive consumption of acidic drinks may lead to tooth decay and/or other dental hygiene conditions. Drinks to avoid include alcohol, energy drinks and sodas.

• Avoid Sugary snacks

Bacteria thrive and multiply abundantly in an environment full of sugar (carbohydrates). This means that the only way you can reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth is by minimizing consumption of meals that are rich in sugar. High number of bacteria in the mouth normally leads to bad breath.

Other Methods of Taking Care of Your Teeth

• Regularly brushing teeth with fluoride based toothpaste

Fluorine helps strengthen teeth and improve the general health of your mouth cavity. Regularly brushing teeth ensures that food particles don’t accumulate on the teeth. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. When brushing your teeth, hold the toothbrush at an angle of 45 degrees and move the brush up-and-down and forth-and-back.

• Use mouthwash

Mouthwash is made of chemicals that kill a percentage of the bacteria in your mouth. By regulating the number of bacteria in your mouth, you can avoid bad odors and other dental hygiene conditions associated with a high number of bacteria in the mouth.

• Visit your dentist regularly

Most people avoid visiting a dentist until they can no longer withstand the pain or odor in their mouth. If you regularly visit a dentist, he/she can easily identify and treat problems with your teeth or mouth.

• Daily flossing

Flossing helps remove food particles in between your teeth. Normal toothbrushes can’t remove such food particles.