Adulthood does not necessarily mean cavities and gum diseases are a thing of the past. You could not be eating as much sugar treats as you did as a child but you can still experience damaged teeth, tooth sensitivity, stained teeth as well as gum disease. Some oral health issues can even lead to more serious adult problems. Here are some tips you can follow to maintain healthy teeth that are clean and free of cavities.
1. Brush Your Teeth
Brush your teeth not less than two times a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and preferably fluoride toothpaste. This helps get rid of the sticky film and plaque on your teeth which is the main cause of tooth decay.
2. Limit Sweet Foods
Reduce the number of sugary foods, drinks, and snacks intake. Consuming a lot of sweets increases your risk of getting cavities. The reason behind this is that sweets give you the acids in plaque that attack your tooth enamel.
3. Floss Regularly
Floss daily especially after brushing your teeth. This removes plaque that remains behind after brushing from the gums and between the teeth before it hardens into tartar. Once tartar forms the only thing that can remove it is professional cleaning which is a little bit expensive.
4. Eat Healthy Foods
Maintain a healthy diet. Healthy foods will reduce the chances of getting gum disease. This is good for the overall body. An example of the best foods that will keep your teeth healthy are vegetables and fresh fruits. This is because they have high nutritional value and an added teeth-cleaning benefit. Foods rich in calcium such as cheese and yogurt help promote strong teeth and bones. When you chew on crunchy foods, you get the saliva going which helps wash off plaque caused by food particles and bacteria.
5. Replace Old Toothbrush
Change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months or better yet as soon as possible. An overused toothbrush has worn-out bristles and thus it will not clean your teeth properly. For people using an electric toothbrush, switch up the heads every 2 to 3 months as well.
6. Dental Check-ups
Have regular dentist checkups. For optimal oral health, have your teeth cleaned by a professional every 5 months. Those regular dental checkups will help you diagnose any undetected oral issues and save you from more serious problems in the future which might become expensive to fix. Besides removing plaque that may have developed, professional cleaning involves polishing and scaling. The procedure uses equipment that loosens hard deposits and removes them from the teeth.
7. Do Not Smoke
Last but not least, avoid smoking. People who smoke have more gum and teeth problems compared to non-smokers. This is because it affects the attachment of bone and soft tissue to your teeth.
Smoking interferes with the normal function of gum tissue cells which makes smokers more susceptible to oral infections.Always remember to keep your appliances clean eg dentures and retainers by brushing them daily and soaking them in a cleansing solution once in a while.
