Table of contents:
- How to keep the teeth and mouths of smokers and ex-smokers clean
- 1. Brush your teeth regularly
- 2. Use a good quality toothbrush
- 3.Use dental floss (dental floss)
- 4. Gargle with mouthwash
- 5. Check your dental health regularly
Smoking can cause yellowing (even blackening) teeth, bad breath, and increase the risk of various tooth and gum infections to mouth cancer. The more and longer you smoke, the more visible the damage will be. However, improving the condition of smokers' teeth and mouths that have already been damaged is not impossible - even if you have quit smoking. Check out the following method.
How to keep the teeth and mouths of smokers and ex-smokers clean
1. Brush your teeth regularly
Everyone is obliged to be diligent in brushing their teeth. No exception to smokers and ex-smokers, whose teeth and mouth have many problems due to the effects of tar and nicotine in tobacco.
Smokers and ex-smokers should brush their teeth regularly at leasttwo to three times a day, namely in the morning, afternoon / evening, and at night before going to bed.
Also make sure how to brush your teeth properly. Place the toothbrush bristles on the surface of the teeth near the edge of the gums at a 45 degree angle. Starting from the part of the teeth commonly used for chewing, namely the teeth that are close to the cheeks and tongue. Brush in a circular motion from top to bottom for about 20 seconds for each section.
2. Use a good quality toothbrush
Apart from being diligent in brushing their teeth, the hygiene of smokers' teeth and mouth is also more or less influenced by the quality of the toothbrush used.
There are many types of toothbrushes on the market. For smokers and ex-smokers, choose a toothbrush that has soft, flexible bristles with an alternating brush pattern that can remove dental plaque effectively. Alternatively, choose a toothbrush that has a stratified bristle pattern to reach areas of the tooth that are difficult to clean.
3.Use dental floss (dental floss)
The mouths of smokers and ex-smokers are prone to be haunted by various problems such as stained teeth, blackened gums, bad breath, and the risk of infection. So in addition to regularly brushing your teeth, you also need to keep your gums healthy by using dental floss (dental floss) at least once a day, that is, at night.
Flossing can help clean food debris that has accumulated between your teeth and is difficult to reach by a toothbrush. If left untreated for a long time, plaque between the teeth can increase the risk of infection of the gums. Plaque between the teeth can also turn into tartar, which is difficult to eradicate.
4. Gargle with mouthwash
Smokers' bad breath and complaints of sour mouth that are often reported by former smokers can be expelled by gargling with mouthwash at least once a day.
There are many types of mouthwash available on the market, but make sure the product you choose contains an antibacterial agent that is able to kill the bacteria that cause bad breath and other problems that often occur in the mouth.
5. Check your dental health regularly
Even though you have routinely done all of the above, that doesn't mean you can skip routine dental control at the dentist. Damage that has already occurred cannot heal by itself. What is, the damage can actually get worse and more painful if not treated immediately. So, you need the help of a dentist to solve it.
Remind yourself to regularly check your teeth to the doctor every 6 months, or maybe even more often if you have certain tooth and gum problems.
