Maintaining a healthy mouth, clean teeth and gums is something we should all aspire to do. By taking good care of your oral health, you can cut down on trips to the dentist and make sure your teeth stay healthy for years to come. The best way to do this is to follow a stringent cleaning routine and look after your teeth properly.
With this in mind, here’s the best cleaning routine to follow to prevent dental visits and keep your smile looking great:
1. Brush teeth twice a day
Cleaning your teeth in the morning and at night before you go to bed is the minimum you should be brushing your teeth each day. If you don’t brush your teeth at least twice a day plaque can start to build up between your teeth leading to both gum problems and eventually tooth decay.
The best way to clean your teeth for a really thorough clean is by using an electric toothbrush. Brushing with an electric toothbrush means you can give your teeth a really deep clean, getting to all those hard to reach places and different surfaces, removing plaque before it causes problems for you.
It’s important to brush your teeth for at least two minutes each time you brush. Either use an egg-timer to track the time if you’re using a manual toothbrush or with an electric toothbrush you may have a timer which lets you know when your two minutes are up.
2. Use a fluoride toothpaste
When brushing your teeth, it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re using the right type of toothpaste. While there are many different formulas and brands out there, each promising to whiten, brighten and remove stains, one thing you should always be looking for on the ingredients list is fluoride.
3. Floss
Once your teeth are clean and sparkly, the second thing you need to do is floss. Flossing is really important to get rid of plaque that gathers between your teeth and also helps to remove any trapped food.
Flossing also helps to prevent any possible gum disease and reduce the chances of bad breath by getting rid of any plaque that’s near the gum line. Flossing can take place before or after you clean your teeth depending on what you prefer, but the main thing to do is to remember to floss every day.
There are lots of different types of floss out there so it’s important to find the right type for you. From tradition flossing tape to flossing brushes which come in a number of different sizes to air flossers, which work by using water to remove the plaque from in-between teeth.
4. Use mouthwash
Mouthwash is great for refreshing your breath and can also be helpful to remove plaque too. It’s best used after eating or when you’re on the go to also help get rid of any potential food debris which could be stuck inside your mouth in hard to reach places.
5. Don’t forget your tongue
While we all spend a lot of time worrying about cleaning our teeth and gums, one of the places which harbour the most bacteria in your tongue. By brushing your tongue or using a scraper after brushing, you’ll be able to rid your mouth of any lingering bacteria and it will also help to give you fresh breath throughout the day.
There are other things you can do too such as eating healthy and avoiding excess sugar to keep your mouth cavity-free. But, by following this routine every day and watching what you eat, you’ll be able to get a clean bill of health next time you have to visit your dentist.
This content is sponsored by Philips
