5 Tips for Creating Healthy Dental Habits

Did you know that a lot of people don’t know what creating a healthy dental habit is? Do you? Brushing your teeth only once a day isn’t considered good enough for the health of an overall mouth cavity. Even though personal hygiene habits should be adopted in childhood, it's never too late for a change.

A lot of aspects of our daily lives, such as the food we eat, make our teeth healthy. To include them all into our routine, the first thing we need to do is create healthy dental habits.

1. Brush your teeth regularly and properly

Brushing your teeth 2-3 times a day is the best way to keep your teeth clean by removing bacteria and plaque. Even though this may seem like an obvious step, a lot of people still don’t know how to properly brush their teeth. Is there a wrong way to brush? Absolutely.

The first thing people tend to improperly do is shortening the time they spend brushing their teeth. To keep your oral cavity clean, brush your teeth for 2 minutes. No, you don’t need a timer. The best trick is to sing an alphabet in your head, twice. Only spit and rinse once you reach the letter “Z”.

2. Mouthwash can be your best friend or the worst enemy

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight: mouthwash can’t replace brushing your teeth. When it comes to mouthwash, opinions are divided. It can be beneficial as much as it can be harmful to you. How so? Well, it entirely depends on the ingredients and the pH in your mouth.

Acidic mouthwash can cause serious harm, damaging your oral cavity, creating a pH disbalance and causing inflammation and ulcers. However, some products that contain chlorhexidine can help you control gingivitis and plaque. If you’re considering using a mouthwash, talk to your dentist about the best options for you.

3. Don't overlook flossing

When it comes to flossing, a lot of people postpone it to later, which leads to completely forgetting and not flossing for days, weeks, months or even years. What a bad habit! Floss once a day to keep the dental drill away. The most important thing is to know how to floss properly.

To create a habit, try flossing at least one tooth per day, then increase to two and so on. Once you start the process, you'll feel guilty about not finishing it. Ta-da, a healthy habit implemented into your routine. Flossing completely cleans the areas where the toothbrush is unable to reach, removing bacteria and food debris. So, don't neglect to floss if you want strong teeth.

4. Regular dentist check-ups

To keep your pearly whites healthy, it’s recommended to visit a dentist every 6 months for a regular check-up. However, some people avoid this responsibility out of sheer carelessness, but some out of fear.

Dentophobia or the fear of the dentists is one of the many common phobias in Australia. The best way to overcome that fear is to visit a reliable Sydney dentist that will professionally and carefully take care of your oral cavity. Only the most professional dentists know how to transform this unpleasant experience into a pleasant, healthy habit that will last for a long time.

5. Don’t forget about your tongue

Open your mouth and stick out your tongue. Do you see the white guck on it? It's caused by bacteria and food debris. The wet environment in your oral cavity is ideal bacterial breeding ground happening on your tongue. Is there a way to prevent this?

Every time you brush your teeth, don’t forget that a tongue needs cleaning too. You can clean your tongue using a toothbrush, or for more efficiency, use a tongue scraper. Did you know that unclean tongue can be the cause of the bad breath? Clean your tongue daily, and results will be visible in no time.

Conclusion

Creating healthy dental habits takes time. You need to be persistent to succeed. Brushing, flossing, scraping, drinking enough water and eating healthy foods should all be in your daily routine. Even though you might want to quit halfway through, think about the health of your teeth and overall body. In the end, it all pays off once you see your pearly whites shining bright in the mirror reflection.