March 14th, 2019

Most of us fail to pay as much attention to our oral health care routine, as we do to any other part of our body. When we fall for any disease which makes it difficult for us to carry out our routine functions, we run after specialist doctors to treat us. However, we do not pay the same attention to our dental problems and usually procrastinate when it comes to visiting a dentist and asking him to check our teeth.

Needless to say, this is a very wrong habit, which costs most people in the long run. Surely, you must have heard people regret about their decision to visit their dentist later than they ought to have. On being questioned about their daily oral health care routine, most people turn up blank. Some of them even admit to not remembering anything about their brushing routine that very morning.

You get up and get out of your bed, walk towards the mirror, pick up your toothbrush, which you are accustomed to, simply by habit and pour a paste over it to brush your teeth. This is the daily oral care routine that most people recount, when questioned by their dentist. Does your routine sound something similar? Perhaps, it might be time for you to reconsider what you do after waking up.

The importance of daily oral care routine

The exact indifference that you feel each morning, while brushing your teeth, only because ‘you have to’, comes to reflect in the shape and form of your teeth, which undergo extensive damage during the time when you are supposed to take care of them but you simply don’t.

Ask anyone and they will give you an affirmative response when asked whether they feel conscious about their teeth. They admit to taking note of people’s smile and their teeth, the first thing when they see them and also express strong concern about the uneven shape of their teeth. Why then, do we fail to make dental care our top priority, when it is in fact, among the first few things that we do in our morning routine?

Always remember that the way you take care of your teeth, reflects directly in the form of the color of your teeth, your breath and dental comfort. If any one of these happens to be out of place, you would be sure to face the brunt of a bad oral health care routine.

Including the right dental care routine

Let us walk you through an ideal dental care routine, which will give you a good perspective about the way you should be handling your teeth on a routine basis. This will basically help you in maintain a beautiful and healthy set of teeth.

Brushing

No surprises here because brushing is the one thing that you should never skip from your oral care routine.

  • Divide your mouth into four quadrants and spend an equal time brushing each one of them.
  • Devote a minimum of 2 minutes to brushing your teeth properly.
  • Your brush should be pointed towards the gums, held at a 45 degree angle
  • Do not just brush the front side of your teeth but go back and under the teeth as well.
  • Use short strokes of brush, back and forth across the surfaces of the teeth to clean them.
  • Hold brush vertically and move it in circular motions to allow complete removal of plaque and remaining food particles.
  • As per the recommendation of the American Dental Association, one should brush twice in a day to maintain optimum tooth health.
  • Always pick a brush with a small head that can reach the crevices of the molars.

Flossing

Just as important as brushing, flossing should be a part of your daily routine too because getting rid of those stubborn and pesky food particles can be a real challenge.

  • Make sure that you floss your teeth once in a day, at least.
  • Don’t limit it to the front teeth but take it to the back teeth as well. Don’t leave them behind, quite literally because you won’t want them to become the breeding ground for all those bacteria and germs.
  • Always wrap the floss around your fingers and then lower the floss on to your teeth. Ideally, your floss should be 45 cm long.
  • Flossing is an excellent way to get rid of any food particles which may remain on your teeth even after brushing.
  • Always pick a floss which has the appropriate thickness and is approved by the American Dental Association.
  • If you face any problem in using a floss, pick an alternative to it.
  • Follow the correct process to floss your teeth and remember to do it for each tooth.

Rinsing

Always rinse your mouth after you have brushed and flossed your teeth and not before that.

  • Simply sip a small volume of mouthwash and swish it around your mouth.
  • Remember to keep your lips closed while rinsing your mouth.
  • Avoid picking up a very acidic mouth wash as it might wear down the enamel on your teeth.
  • Continue swishing the mouth wash for at least one minute, before spitting it out.

Cleaning the tongue

Now, this is certainly something that most of us do not even consider including in our oral care routine. For some reason, most of us manage to relate dental care with teeth alone, while it should also include our tongue, for it is just as involved in the process of eating, chewing food and talking, as are our teeth. Here are a few ways to clean the tongue.

  • Use a toothbrush and toothpaste and swirl your brush in circular motions to clean as much part of the tongue as you can, without gagging. Continue doing so for about a minute before spitting out the residue and washing your mouth.
  • Use a floss to scrape the tongue from the middle and then dispose of the floss.
  • You can also use a tongue scraper to get the job done.
  • Remember to clean your mouth with water after this process.
  • As your dentist to guide you about the tongue cleaning process.

This is it. It is as simple as this, when it comes to following a religious dental care routine. You need not worry about the time that it would take, since this whole process can be culminated in under 10 minutes, which means that you will not have to spend a lot of time getting it done, or miss your gym or get late for work because of it.

When you can follow a strict routine for your diet, exercise and even spare time for recreational activities, then why not devote some time to essential oral care, which actually matters. The sad truth that prevails nowadays is that people tend to underestimate the presence of a complete set of teeth in their mouth and observe laxity in taking care of their teeth.

Always remember that this ignorance might cost you and your teeth a lot, in the long run.

What should you know about your teeth for cleaning them daily?

Surprisingly, most of us have a habit of either following along the lines of age old conventions or else, researching so extensively about a matter that it begins boggling our mind. Let us take you through some of the lesser known facts about your teeth and cleaning them on a routine, which will change the way you go around cleaning them daily.

  1. You should always wait for at least one hour after eating your food, before you clean your teeth: The enamel on your teeth tends to soften when you consume liquid foods during a meal. Consequently, if you brush your teeth immediately after consuming such meals, you risk eroding your enamel layer unknowingly. If you wait for at least one hour after your meal, the saliva in your mouth will be able to neutralize the acidic content of your mouth and return the state of the enamel to its original condition. This will help in avoiding the erosion which would have been caused to your teeth otherwise.
  2. Use a brush with soft bristles because stiff bristles can put a lot of stress on your gums and make them bleed. Since tooth brushes are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes, choose one that easily reaches the back of your mouth, without making you cry. If you can find a tooth brush with a tongue scrapper on its back, choose the brush without any doubt.
  3. If possible, make use of an electric toothbrush instead of a manual one. Electric toothbrushes tend to move faster and achieve better results in shorter span of time. This does not mean that you can reduce your brushing time but this will simply increase the efficiency of the cleaning process. Choose a brush which is approved by the American Dental Association.
  4. Always check behind the label of the toothpaste to see if its approved by the ADA (American Dental Association). This ensures that your chosen toothpaste contains the right amount of fluoride in it and is intended for the purpose mentioned on it.
  5. As much as it is important to brush your teeth with a toothbrush, it is also important to ensure that your toothbrush itself is clean enough. For this, always ensure that your toothbrush is washed with water before and after use, and that not residue of the toothpaste remains on it after use. Always store your brush in a proper cup holder and ensure that it remains in an upright position. This should be followed even during your travel vacations. Never store a toothbrush inside a holder or case, longer than necessary.
  6. Make sure that you replace your toothbrush after every 3 to 4 months and do not continue to use it any longer than that period. If required, change it even before that in case the toothbrush appears to be worn out or appears to be damaged.
  7. In spite of what you might have heard your parents say, you can chew a sugar free gum after a meal without any worry. This will generate more saliva and help in balancing the levels of acidity in your mouth. Chewing gum also has the twin effect of removing plaque from your teeth, which in turn eliminates decay and erosion.
  8. Sugary food items can have a negative impact on your teeth. Try to control their intake in the form of liquids and solids throughout the day. This will help your teeth steer clear of cavities and erosion, which can become a huge problem for your teeth, if left untreated.
  9. Be careful to avoid food items which have a very high acidic content in them. These food items can erode the enamel on your teeth and pave way for bacteria and germs to attack your teeth. Remember that the more an acidic food items comes in contact with your teeth, the higher will be the level of erosion on their surface.
  10. A note of caution to those who habit of smoking. It is not only bad for your breath and your teeth but increases the chances of conceiving mouth cancer, which is a huge problem for you. Quit smoking and save your teeth from the harmful staining that they undergo due to your habit and save yourself from falling for something as hazardous as mouth cancer.
  11. Regular habits such as biting your nails can have a negative impact on your dental health.
  12. Avoid grinding or clenching your teeth, which feels really nice but has a serious long term repercussion.
  13. Avoid chewing ice cubes, which can send strong shots of pain down the nerves of your teeth and impact them seriously.
  14. As much as it might feel convenient, avoid using your teeth for ripping off the tape or to open a plastic packet. Use a pair of scissors instead.

Observing complete hygiene for your teeth

If you are really intent on keeping your teeth clean, you should follow the above mentioned tips with absolute certainty. Just consider what would happen if your stomach had a problem and you kept ignoring it. Would it not cause pain and discomfort to you, not to observe a fast and consume medicines or visit a doctor alone?

In a similar manner, you should make it a point to visit your dentist at regular intervals, and ask him to assess your teeth for any signs of damage and decay, from time to time. This is why, most people suggest that everyone should schedule an appointment with their dentist, at least every six months. This will help your dentist perform regular check - ups and cleaning processes, to ensure that your teeth remain fit and clean.

Whenever you notice anything abnormal with your teeth, make sure that you bring it to your dentists notice at the earliest, so that he may check your mouth and understand what problem it is undergoing. Always consume a healthy and balanced diet, and avoid as many sugars in your diet as you can, which will lower the risk of decay and damage to your teeth.

How can you know if your oral care routine is working?

There has to be an incentive for doing anything and everything and with dental care, you get a clean and beautiful set of teeth to look at, when you observe good care for them. Although, we cannot get to know if there is something wrong with our teeth internally, we can always look for signs and symptoms outside, to check if there is something wrong with our teeth.

The most common signs of damage and decay in teeth are, bad breath, yellow teeth, pain and discomfort in teeth, bleeding gums, inflammation in gums, stinging pain in teeth and much more. When you feel any of these symptoms in your teeth consistently, feel assured that it might be time for you to visit your dentist.

At Lasting Impressions Dental Spa, you can get the right treatment for your teeth from Dr Isaac Kashani, at a very reasonable fee. Dr Isaac Kashani is popular for rendering dental care routines to his patients, tailored to their specific schedule. He helps his patients overcome any dental obstacle that they face and also help them understand the condition of their teeth, if they are facing any dental concerns. If you feel that your teeth require immediate attention, do not hold back and wait for the symptoms to escalate, before you reach out to Dr Isaac Kashani. With his professional approach and years of experience, he will be able to help you under all circumstances and lead a blissful and pain free life, with a set of clean and bright teeth. Dr Isaac Kashani can be reached at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa.