Best Practices to Maintain Good Oral Health

Proper brushing and regular, thorough dental care are key to maintaining proper oral health and strong teeth. Having healthy teeth takes a lifetime of care. In this way, we can prevent the development of various diseases. In order to maintain good oral health, it’s important to use the right oral care products and have right daily habits.

Why is good oral hygiene important?

After eating, an invisible plaque forms on the teeth, creating the right environment for different types of bacteria. If someone neglects brushing their teeth, this plaque layer solidifies and tartar forms.

Failure to perform regular and thorough oral hygiene will can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease, which can lead to tooth loss. Tooth decay and other oral diseases can also develop.

How to take care of your teeth – Best practices to maintain good oral health

1. Don’t go to bed without brushing your teeth 

It’s a general recommendation to brush your teeth at least twice a day. Unfortunately, many neglect brushing their teeth before going to bed. However, brushing your teeth at night is essential to get rid of the bacteria and plaque that accumulate during the day.

2. Make sure you have the right toothbrush

The right tools are a must when it comes to taking care of your teeth properly. First of all, you need a good toothbrush.

Features of a suitable toothbrush for good oral health are the following:

• Small head to ensure the greatest reach
• soft toothbrush bristles is almost always the way to go to avoid any damage when brushing your teeth
• buy a toothbrush with rounded bristles

If you want to be sure, ask your dentist for advice.

Choosing manual or electric toothbrush depends on your personal preference. They both do an excellent job when it comes to cleaning your teeth.

Remember to brush your teeth properly since doing a poor job can be as bad as not washing them at all. Move your toothbrush in gentle, circular motions to remove plaque and always take your time.

3. Never neglect your tongue

It’s important to know that plaque can also build up on your tongue. This can lead to bad mouth odour and different oral health problems. So gently brush your tongue when you brush your teeth.

4. Use dental floss or interdental brush 

Interdental spaces are areas in the oral cavity that are difficult or impossible to clean with a toothbrush. However, cleaning them is key, because food particles can get trapped between the teeth and the plaque that forms there is one of the most common causes of tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

Dental floss does the best job of cleaning narrower gaps.

Interdental brushes also come in a variety of thicknesses and are effective for cleaning irregularly sized and larger interdental gaps. It is best to seek the advice of your dentist as to which interdental cleaning tool is ideal for you.

5. Consider mouthwash

Mouthwash is absolutely necessary for good oral health – it can help you in three ways:

• It reduces the amount of acid in your mouth
• Mouthwash cleans hard-to-brush-areas and around the gums
• It remineralizes the teeth.

Maintaining good oral health: How to brush your teeth properly

Good oral health is not just about tools. It’s also about the right techniques. If we do not do certain things right, for example, pressing the toothbrush too hard, additional problems may come up. With the right oral health techniques, however, you can ensure the health of your teeth in the long run.

Important tips for brushing your teeth properly

1. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle

When brushing your teeth, the toothbrush should be at a 45-degree angle with your teeth. Clean your teeth and gums with a gentle, circular or sweeping motion.

2. Clean the side surface of the teeth

Use the circular and sweeping motion from the gum to the tooth to clean the lateral surface of the teeth.

3. Remember to clean the chewing surface

The chewing surface is in direct contact with food, so this area should not be left out during brushing. Because these are relatively easily accessible surfaces, many people tend to rush this part of brushing their teeth. Remember to pay attention to this part as well.

4. Clean your tongue

As we have mentioned before, plaque can also build up on the tongue, which does not directly cause pain, but promotes the deterioration of the bacterial flora in the mouth. Therefore, you should also clean the tongue regularly.

5. Allow enough time for brushing your teeth.

It takes time to clean your teeth thoroughly. This can vary from 2-4 minutes depending on the dexterity and the tool used, but it is certain that you cannot get good oral health if you brush your teeth in less than 2 minutes.

6. Ideally, take time at least twice a day, morning and evening.

How NOT to brush your teeth

There are many misconceptions about proper dental care that come up again and again.

1. Misconception: To brush your teeth properly, you need to press the toothbrush hard

This is not true. Thorough brushing depends on the right technique and the time spent. Toothbrushes that are used too hard and have too hard bristles can damage the gums or cause the gums to retract. It can also wear off the enamel or damage the teeth, especially with horizontal, slippery movements. This makes the dentin unprotected and more prone to attacks by various pathogens and diseases.

2. Misconception: It is not the time of brushing that matters, but thoroughness

Remember, both time and thoroughness are important. So spend at least 2-4 minutes brushing your teeth.

3. Misconception: You should brush your teeth as soon as possible after eating

The pH level of the mouth after a meal is strongly acidic. It means that the tooth enamel is more vulnerable. Therefore, you should wait at least an hour and allow the pH of the oral cavity to return to its less acidic value. Then start brushing your teeth.

4. Misconception: Mouthwash replaces brushing your teeth

Unfortunately, it’s not true. If you don’t have the opportunity to brush your teeth after a meal, it’s still better to use mouthwash than to do nothing. But mouthwash cannot remove plaque from the surface of your teeth.

5. Misconception: If you have no problems, you don’t need to see your dentist.

Proper oral health can only be achieved if you see the dentist at least once every six months. Remember that many diseases are asymptomatic and painless for a long time (such as gingivitis or periodontal disease – the latter can even lead to tooth loss). However, your dentist will be able to detect these problems in their earliest days.

Closing thoughts

You can also ask your dentist for advice on brushing your teeth, choosing a toothbrush or other dental care products. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Dental Clinic. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.