Dental Practices For a Healthier Mouth

If you take care of your teeth and mouth throughout your whole life, it can help in enjoying a good oral health in the long run, says the Langley dentist. Your dental care basics consist of brushing and flossing every day and visiting the dentists every six months for dental cleaning and evaluation.

Why Oral Care Is Important?

A healthy mouth is more important than you may realize. Your mouth does a lot every day such as eating, smiling, speaking and a lot more. Poor oral health can harm all of these aspects. Achieving good oral health is not that challenging if you commit to a good oral care routine, says the dentist near you in Langley.

Oral Care in Infants

Many parents don’t take baby teeth seriously assuming that these teeth are going to fall out and hence it is not important to take care of them. However, baby teeth are important as well since they enable your child to talk and eat food. If their baby teeth are not healthy, their permanent teeth will also get affected. They help the permanent teeth to grow straight. Let’s look at how to take care of the child’s teeth:

• Clean the baby’s teeth by rubbing them gently with a clean and wet washcloth. When the teeth erupt, you can start using a child’s toothbrush for them.
• Children under the age of two years should not use toothpaste. Simply use water for brushing their teeth.
• Make sure that the baby is not sleeping with the bottle. As it will let milk or juice remain on teeth overnight which will attract bacteria and cause cavities. This is commonly known as baby-bottle tooth decay.
• You must make your children eat food items that are low in sugar content such as fruits, cheese, and vegetables. Don’t give your child sticky and chewy food items such as candies.
• Teach your children brushing techniques right from a young age so that they learn the importance of keeping their teeth clean.
• Take your child to dentists so that they become familiar with the idea of seeing a dentist and overcome anxiety about dentists and dental procedures.

Oral Care in Teens

Taking good care of your mouth and teeth can help in having pleasant breath and nice smile as well as lesser cavities.

• Always brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Don’t forget to floss after brushing.
• Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco as they can stain your teeth and lead to bad breath. It is also one of the leading factors causing cancer.
• Avoid teeth staining foods and beverages to have whiter teeth.
• You must invest in the right mouthguard so that you can protect your teeth while playing contact sports.
• You must see your dentist every six months for regular check-ups and cleanings.

Oral Care in Adults

• Brushing teeth twice a day along with flossing is a must for keeping the decay and cavities at bay.
• Smoking and chewing tobacco should be avoided.
• Discuss all your medications with your dentist in Langley, NC, and ask if they are causing any side effects such as the dry mouth.
• Look at the inside of your mouth for sores that don’t heal along with irritated gums and other changes and report the same to the dentist so that any underlying dental issues can be resolved as early as possible.
• See your dentists every six months for cleaning and examination.

Consequences of Poor Oral Health

• Accumulation of plaque and bacteria can lead to tooth decay, cavities can cause pain and infection and you may even lose your tooth eventually.
• Plaque and bacteria cause gum disease which can further put you at risk of developing other health issues such as cardiac ailments, dementia, diabetes, and pre-term birth in pregnant women.
• Smoking, chewing tobacco, and drinking alcohol can put you at risk of developing oral cancer. Poor oral health doesn’t cause cancer but when it is combined with other factors, it can increase your chances of getting cancer.
• People with poor oral health often experience bad breath which can affect their self-esteem and make them embarrassed in front of people. They may shy away from socializing and meeting new people.