Tips to Maintain Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene demands more time and care than any other normal hygiene. Keeping your teeth healthy is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Cavities can lead to complications if they are not treated on time. When we talk about oral hygiene, we refer to the maintenance of the inner mouth that includes the tongue, teeth, gums, palate, and tissues that support them.

If you have oral hygiene problems, others related to your self-esteem, difficulties in finding employment, poor academic performance, oral discomfort, speech problems, malnutrition and even difficulty swallowing food are likely to be present. Good oral hygiene can help protect much more than just your teeth. Believes that neglect of infection or oral cancer can become fatal. 

However, here are some tips on how to maintain oral hygiene.

Oral health problems in children

The bad cleaning of the dental pieces, the bottle syndrome and the sugars that come from milk, juices and even from meals are habits that influence the appearance of tooth decay.

When they first appear, they may manifest as small white spots near the gums. They turn brown as the tooth deteriorates further.

You can prevent cavities in children if you apply these tips:

• Restrict bottle foods.
• Avoid the bottle at bedtime, as food remains accumulate in the mouth.
• Get your baby used to clean before your teeth come out. Rub your gums twice a day with a clean, soft, thin cloth.
• When your baby's teeth appear, switch to a soft brush dampened with water.
• Do not bottle-feed your child if he is already over 1 year old. You can try the valve cups to replace them.

Women

Oral health problems in women vary at different stages of life. During its development in adolescence, menstruation can come accompanied by mouth sores or inflammation of the gums.

• In early adulthood, oral diseases usually increase the risk of premature births or low birth weight of babies.
• In pregnancy, there are chances of gingivitis, too little or too much saliva and the appearance of granulomas.
• This is why you should not skip appointments with the dentist during pregnancy and oral hygiene should be extreme.
• During menopause, estrogen deficiency causes the risk of oral health problems to increase and syndromes such as burning mouth appear.

Older adults

As we age, we lose the ability to chew food well, especially if we use dentures.

The intake of medications that cause dry mouth can also be a problem.

This can cause us difficulty swallowing and lead to malnutrition. In addition, it can cause bad breath and gum problems because of the formation of bacteria.

To make matters worse, when diseases such as arthritis or memory impairment occur, they can make it very difficult to take care of our oral hygiene. This causes it to go to the background.

People with HIV or AIDS

As you know, people who have HIV or AIDS are more vulnerable to infections, which, of course, includes those in the mouth.

One of the diseases that must be taken into account is a diffuse white spot on the tongue, called hairy leukoplakia.

In addition, people with HIV or AIDS often develop oral health problems such as fungal infections in the mouth such as histoplasmosis, aspergillosis and oral candidiasis.

Tips to maintain oral hygiene

While some pay more attention to their oral hygiene than others, you should take into account and implement these tips to enjoy good oral health.

1. Brushing habits

The most important measure for proper oral hygiene is brushing. This should be done three times a day, at a minimum. However, it is advisable to brush your teeth after eating anything or drinking a sugary drink.

Night brushing is the most important and to which you should devote more time. It is best to gently brush each tooth separately, on both sides and into the interdental spaces. Brushing is the main measure to fight bacterial plaque.

Brushing is one of the most important oral hygiene habits. It is best to repeat it after eating anything to ensure proper cleaning.

2. The toothbrush

There are some special toothbrushes to perform dental hygiene. These have a "V" shape, which facilitates cleaning around the teeth. However, many experts believe that the idea is to use an electric brush.

The best are rechargeable electric brushes with oscillating technology. Much better if the brush has a pressure sensor. That will prevent us from running out of energy and damaging the brackets (if you have any).

3. Toothpaste

As a rule, it is best to use a fluoridated toothpaste. This helps increase the resistance of the tooth against tooth decay and is soft. Abrasive toothpaste is not advisable, as these usually damage tooth enamel.

If you have any additional problems, such as halitosis or gingivitis, it is best that your dentist recommends the toothpaste to use. However, remember that toothpaste is only a compliment. The really important thing is brushing.

4. Flossing

Yes, or yes you should floss. Flossing allows you to better cover interdental spaces so that proper dental hygiene is achieved.

It is appropriate to use waxed floss, hopefully with a threader. You should move it delicately up and down. Then, address the interdental spaces. Flossing helps remove those food residues that remain between the teeth.

5. Mouthwash

Mouthwash is essential for oral hygiene. It is used after brushing. Its main function is to remove bacteria and other microorganisms. In any case, a good mouthwash with fluoride is suitable for protecting tooth enamel.

The use of mouthwash is a good complement for dental hygiene. In addition, it helps eliminate bacteria.

6. Visit your dentist at least twice a year.

Consider scheduling an appointment with your dentist if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Red, inflamed or bleeding gums.
• Extreme sensitivity to cold or heat.
• Difficulty chewing
• Persistent bad breath
• A permanently loose tooth.
• Constant toothache
• You suspect an abscess.

Conclusions

These are some tips to maintain oral hygiene. But keep in mind that when you eat a healthy diet, you help your body prevent oral health problems.

Remember that if you avoid foods with a lot of sugar, such as soda and candy, you will be decreasing the risk of cavities.

Another tip, which might seem strange, is to use sugarless gum. When you chew you stimulate your salivary glands. These produce more saliva, which contains many enzymes that neutralize the acid in food and beverages, in addition to calcium and iron phosphate. However, you also have to consider the cons.

Finally, remember that having a beautiful smile is not only an excellent cover letter. It is also a measure of your overall health.