Everybody knows that dental care is a must. However, not everyone is responsible or disciplined to take good care of their teeth and gums. Browse this site to know more about why you should make it a priority to take care of your dental health and the effects of not doing so.
Cavities and Plaque
Since you were children, you’ve already heard your parents warn you about cavities. They would say that eating too much candy or not brushing your teeth before going to bed would destroy your teeth. They were not lying. In fact, brushing your teeth and avoiding sweets are two of the ways to avoid cavities.
Cavities are also known as tooth decay. Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in your mouth remains and they start to eat up the enamel found on your teeth. Enamel is the substance that coats your teeth and makes it appear glossy.
Although your mouth is filled with all sorts of bacteria, not all of them are bad. However, those who damage the enamel are the bacteria that convert the sugar you consume to acids that ruin the enamel. Most of these kinds of sugar are found in carbs, liquor, sweets, and junk foods.
More about Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is a process and it doesn’t happen overnight. The early sign of having tooth decay is when you see some white spots on your teeth. Most of them are seen on the sides.
When tooth decay is not prevented, the cavities can form into diseases which spread harm to your body. It’s important to know that just because the infection is in the mouth doesn’t mean that it cannot spread. In fact, when you have mouth disease, there is a high chance that other parts of your body will be infected since your mouth is the passageway of food and drinks.
This sounds alarming, and you should be alarmed because not a lot of people make it a priority to care for their dental health.
Ways to Care for Your Dental Health
There are many ways to take care of your teeth and gums both in small and big ways. The main trick for these solutions to work is for you to do them regularly and properly.
-
Brush your teeth
Simple and convenient, brushing your teeth is the major solution whenever it comes to tooth decay. When you brush, the bacteria that convert sugar into acids are removed and they no longer cause harm to your enamel. According to dentists, it is more preferred to use a brush that has fine bristles because they are able to brush away the bacteria residing between your teeth. To add to that, they are not rough on your gums, keeping wounds from occurring.
-
Complement brushing with flossing
Flossing helps remove the bacteria in between your teeth. The proper way of flossing is using around 18 inches. Wrap one end to one finger and the other end to your other finger. There should be at most an inch and a half distance between your two fingers when you stretch the floss.
You can start flossing by putting them between your teeth and rubbing it slowly. Make sure to be careful when you do this to avoid wounding your gums.
-
Avoid sugary foods
Since sugary foods reinforce bacteria to harm your teeth, they should be avoided. You can still eat chocolates and sweets, just don’t overdo it. A big part of your dental health is affected by your diet so it is also good to be conscious of the food you eat.
-
Visit your dentist regularly
Going to your dentist can help you know the present state of your teeth. Your dentist will also be able to give you advice on how to take care of your teeth or whether you need oral surgery or not.
There are times when you would be asked to go through oral surgery. When you are told this, you shouldn’t be afraid because oral surgeries are nothing like hospital surgeries. Types of oral surgeries are dental implants, impacted teeth, and jaw repairs. If you’re wondering why jaw repairs are involved, it’s because oral surgeries include the bones that make up your jaw.