Retaining Healthy Smile by Fighting Mouth Germs
Do you feel uncomfortable when you have a thought about millions of bad microorganisms living in your mouth? Well, you should feel this way.The matter of fact is that the existence of these germs in the mouth poses great danger to oral health. These germs basically lead to the formation of plaque on the surface of teeth and around the gum line. Plaque is a sticky white substance which, if not cleaned regularly, can turn into tartar. Tartar’s existence can lead to the development of cavities and it can also cause gum inflammation which, in other words, can be termed as gum disease.
Regular brushing of teeth
If you want to fight oral germs, teeth’s brushing is the first line of defense to consider. Make sure that you brush your teeth at least twice in every day, i.e. brushing teeth right after the breakfast and then brushing before going to bed. It would be even better if you brush your teeth after every meal. That will surely help in cutting the plaque formation at the very beginning. Make sure that you are using a toothbrush with soft bristles. You need to gently brush your teeth for whole two minutes. Moreover, you will need to brush your tongue.
Since bacteria can build up on your toothbrush, you need to change your toothbrush after every 2 – 3 months. The best practice is to leave the toothbrush’s bristles open in the air because a close and moist environment can harbor germs on the bristles. Moreover, you need to make sure that you are not sharing your toothbrush with anyone in your family.
Flossing
Flossing is as important as brushing. Therefore, you need to floss your teeth at least once if you want to keep your smile bright and healthy. The main purpose of flossing is to clean the spaces which cannot be cleaned with brushing. Toothbrush’s bristles cannot reach interdental spaces. Thus, those spaces can become breeding grounds for the bacteria because food particles can easily get trapped in those spaces. To clean those spaces, you will need to make sure that you are sliding the flossing thread between every two teeth on daily basis. Moreover, you also need to clean the area underneath the gum line.
Pay attention to your diet
The health of your smile is also dependent on what you eat. Consumption of sugary and starchy foods can increase the amount of sugars and carbohydrates available to the oral bacteria. As a result, they release acid which can initiate tooth decay and inflammation of gums.
While it may not be possible to completely cut down on the sugary and starchy foods, you need to reduce the intake of such foods. if you must snack, make sure that you are sticking to fruits and veggies.
