It should be common sense that if you don’t have a decent dental hygiene routine in place you could lose your teeth. Bad breath, gum disease and tooth decay are all direct results of not taking care of your teeth and mouth, all horrid but all totally preventable. Once plaque forms in our mouths it’s incredibly hard to get rid of with just normal brushing. If not removed thoroughly gingivitis can develop, with then leads onto periodontal disease and ultimately tooth loss. There’s no real excuse for neglecting your mouth either as a quick search for dental hygiene Weybridge, Romford or wherever else you live will tell you where you can go to get a thorough cleaning.
Plaque
You don’t notice plaque building up on your teeth. You may notice the backs of your teeth feel rough on your tongue and you may even be able to chip a bit off with your fingernail. The cause of plaque is bacteria which accumulates and sticks to the teeth. The biggest one is sugar, especially sweets and sugary drinks but there are others you probably wouldn’t associate with plaque. The main protagonists here are starchy foods such as crackers, bread and cereal; who knew? Once the plaque gets a good grip on your teeth it starts producing substances that will irritate your gums and make them red and sensitive, and you may see blood when cleaning your teeth. Left untreated this will result in gum disease. The worst cases will see your gums pulling away from your teeth to form pockets, which in turn can fill with pus and bacteria. If the gums aren’t treated quickly the actual bone that supports the teeth can start to erode, causing teeth to loosen and either fall out or have to be removed.
Keeping Plaque at Bay
Invest in a good quality, electric toothbrush and make sure you thoroughly clean your teeth at least twice a day. Not every toothbrush head fits every mouth however, so ask your dentist to recommend one that will reach every area and ensure a proper clean. Concentrate on the gum line and try to make sure you get every bit of food debris out of there. Your dentist will also be able to recommend a toothpaste to best suit you. Using dental floss or an interdental cleaner every day will remove the plaque from between your teeth before it gets a chance to get a good hold. It’s very difficult to get a toothbrush into these gaps, so these tools are vital for thorough, deep cleaning.
Don’t Forget Your Tongue
How many of you honestly clean your tongue when you clean your teeth? There is a multitude of bacteria on your tongue which, when it combines with the acids produced by food, is a major contributor to plaque. If your gag reflex means you struggle with brushing your tongue there are scrapers available which are really easy to use and will help you greatly in your battle against plaque.
Photo credits: FlickrCC/toothpaste, FlickrCC/sweets
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