Table of contents:
- Basic care for maintaining healthy teeth and mouth
- 1. Brush your teeth every day
- 2. Floss between the teeth
- 3. Clean the tongue
- 4. Stop smoking
- 5. Check up at the dentist
How healthy your teeth are affects your overall body health. That is why everyone, regardless of age and gender, must ensure proper oral and dental health. Here are the five most basic types of treatments that must be done to support the health of your teeth and mouth.
Basic care for maintaining healthy teeth and mouth
Everyone wants to have healthy, clean, stain-free teeth lined up. But to achieve this, it certainly takes effort. In order not to end up as a dream, start routinely doing a number of dental treatments below.
1. Brush your teeth every day
Diligently brushing your teeth every day is the easiest and most effective treatment to maintain oral health and hygiene.
Brushing your teeth will clean plaque and food debris that sticks to the surface and between your teeth. In the end, keeping your teeth clean will prevent you from the risk of various oral and dental problems, such as cavities, gingivitis and gum disease.
In order to get optimal benefits, also make sure the tools and methods of brushing your teeth are correct. Choose a toothpaste that contains fluoride because this mineral can protect and strengthen the tooth enamel layer. As for the brush, choose soft bristles, the shape of the head fits in the mouth, and has a comfortable handle when held.
After the "weapons" are ready, it's time to brush your teeth. Brush each part of your teeth one by one in a gentle circular motion for two minutes. Don't brush your teeth too hastily, too hard, or too hard, as this will not be effective.
Experts recommend that everyone brush their teeth regularly twice a day every day: morning after breakfast and at night before bed.
2. Floss between the teeth
In order for your teeth to be completely free of plaque and food debris, clean between them with dental floss dental floss. This treatment is often also called flossing teeth, and should not be skipped every day. Flossing best done after you brush your teeth.
The American Dentist Association reports, most of the plaque is more often found between the teeth or the border of the teeth and gums. Well, routine flossing effectively helps clean dirt stuck between the teeth and gums that are hard to reach with toothbrush bristles.
Be careful when using dental floss. Tuck the floss between the teeth gently and rub it gently. Try not to get the friction on the gums. Rubbing the thread too hard will cause gums to sores and bleed.
You can get these specialty dental floss at the nearest pharmacy, drug store, or supermarket.
3. Clean the tongue
Brushing teeth and flossingit is effective for removing bacteria from teeth and gums. However, did you know that about 50 percent of the bacteria in the mouth turn out to be lodged on the surface of the tongue?
Not only can it trigger tooth decay, bacteria lodged on the tongue can also cause bad breath, you know! Well, this is why cleaning the tongue also needs to be included in a series of treatments to maintain the health of your teeth and mouth.
You can clean your tongue with a toothbrush (which is different from your usual toothbrush) or with a special tongue scrub that can be purchased at the supermarket. No need to worry which one is the best, because both of them can help clean the bacteria on the tongue.
The trick is to brush your tongue slowly from one direction, preferably from the base of the tongue (the very tip of the tongue) and rub gently forward in one motion. Remove the cleanser and repeat scrubbing from the very end to the front a few times until the tongue feels clean.
Don't forget to clean the sides of the tongue in the same way. After finishing all sides, rinse your mouth with clean water.
Clean the tongue after brushing your teeth and flossing in the morning.
4. Stop smoking
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that active smokers have a higher risk of developing gum disease than non-smokers.
The longer and more you smoke, the higher your risk of developing gum disease and tooth decay increases. Especially if this bad habit has been done for a long time. Ironically, gum disease or tooth decay experienced by active smokers is more difficult to treat.
Therefore, quitting smoking is included in basic care to maintain oral health, especially for active smokers. Try to stop smoking immediately starting today. It's not easy, but that doesn't mean you can't do it.
The main key to quitting smoking is a strong will and determination from yourself. Instill that the goal of quitting smoking is simply to make you healthier so you can live a better life and have a longer life. Psstt… The determination to change a bad habit done on your own usually has a great chance of being successful in the long run!
If it feels really difficult, don't hesitate to ask for support from family and those closest to you. Their support is powerful enough to energize you. If necessary, you can also consult a psychologist to stop this bad habit.
5. Check up at the dentist
Apart from home care, you also have to regularly check your health at the dentist. Dentists can detect and treat various disorders that commonly attack the mouth area. For example, tartar and cavities (caries).
The tartar is formed from hardened plaque. This condition cannot be eliminated just by regularly brushing your teeth or flossing your teeth. You need a scaling treatment that is done by a dentist so that the tartar is completely removed.
So it is with cavities. Dentists can fill in the hole with special cement so that the small hole does not get bigger. The reason is, if the hole gets bigger, the pain will get worse. Your teeth are also prone to infection.
Infection can spread to the roots and cause swelling, inflammation, and a pocket of pus (abscess). In severe cases, the infection can also spread to other organs. Covers the sinuses, jaw, to the neck and chest area.
Unfortunately, most people are not aware of the oral and dental problems they experience. In fact, the earlier the disease is detected, the easier treatment will be, the lower the cost, and the smaller the risk of getting sick.
So, don't wait to get sick and go to the dentist. Have your teeth checked regularly to the dentist at least every 6 months so that your oral health is well maintained.