Mouth hygiene is of great importance. Taking good care of your oral health prevents many diseases. Look at the 7 mistakes you’re making daily!
Your oral hygiene requires regular maintenance. Although you’re used to get up, brush your teeth and go to work, there’s more to it. There are many ways and means of brushing and flossing that you’re not aware of.
Or, you’re giving your best to take good care of your mouth hygiene but you’re doing it completely wrong. Sometimes trying hard actually harms your oral health instead of improving it.
Your mouth, teeth and gums need special care and you should avoid making these mistakes that you’re probably making every day.
7 mouth hygiene mistakes
Forgetting to floss
Flossing plays a crucial role when it comes to good oral hygiene. Bacteria feed on the food you’re eating and the tooth enamel. If you’re not flossing regularly, you give the bacteria a chance to spread even more between your teeth, causing gingivitis and cavities. So, never forget to floss – afford 5 more minutes each day to floss and save money on dental bills.
Using improper toothbrush
If you visit your dentist regularly, you probably know that you should use the most soft-bristled toothbrush that you can find. Although many prefer hard-bristled toothbrushes because they think they’ll get rid of bacteria that way, they’re actually very wrong. Hard-bristled toothbrushes only damage your gums and tooth enamel if your scrub really hard. In addition, while you’re scrubbing, you can cause gum bleeding or some kind of an infection.
Not changing the toothbrush for a long period
Sometimes you simply forget to change your toothbrush but sometimes you’re not sure whether it needs changing. Well, if you’ve been using the same toothbrush for more than three months, it’s time to change it. For optimal results, this is the time when you need to change the toothbrush. This is because your toothbrush is no longer able to remove the bacteria and the plaque from your teeth if you’ve been using it for too long.
Too long brushing
You’re not doing good for your teeth if you brush them for too long. If you’re brushing for like 15 minutes every day, you’re putting yourself at risk of getting tooth enamel erosion. This is a gradual process, called toothbrush abrasion that happens when you’re brushing for too long.
Doing nothing else but brushing
For you, mouth hygiene means brushing your teeth. Nothing else. However, you need to take care for your tongue, gums and oral tissue. A good way of doing that is brushing your teeth as well as your tongue and gums and regular flossing. In this way, you’re preventing bacteria from spreading all over.
Not brushing enough
This category includes two things: how many times you’re brushing your teeth and how long. First of all, you have to understand one thing: brushing your teeth after every single meal is essential. Second, you need to be brushing for 2 minutes; 3 minutes top. As mentioned previously, brushing too long can cause damage, but not brushing enough can harm as well. That’s why you cannot brush for only 30 seconds or brush for half an hour.
Brushing right after eating certain acidic foods
Probably, you can’t stand the smell of your breath after eating or drinking certain food and drinks. Naturally, you’re tempted to brush your teeth right away. However, brushing after consuming some acidic foods and drinks can soften your enamel and cause erosion. Some of these acidic products include: wine, OJ and coffee. For best results, drink a glass of water and wait for at least 30 minutes for your enamel to get back to normal, and then brush.