Oral Hygiene – Best Practices

We all want strong teeth and healthy gums, which is essential for overall health & well-being and in this short article, we offer you valuable tips to ensure you have good oral hygiene.

1. Choosing a toothbrush – Visit one of the top dentists based in Sydney's CBD and they have a great range of toothbrushes and toothpastes from which to choose. The ideal brush has a small, flexible head and medium bristles and you should change your toothbrush every 6 months. Of course, colour is not important, but bristle type and flexibility are.
2. Use a fluoride-based toothpaste – Fluoride is known to prevent tooth decay, therefore your choice of toothpaste should reflect that. There are many brands and we advise you to simply experiment to find out which one works for you. Your dentist can recommend a toothpaste if you are unsure.
3. Learn how to correctly brush and floss – Search YouTube to find great animations that show you the correct brushing and flossing techniques. Yes, it does make a difference, as incorrect methods do not completely remove food residue that can cause tooth decay. Correct brushing involves changing direction from up and down to forwards and backwards, while making sure to get into those hard-to-reach areas.
4. Use antiseptic mouthwash – Swishing antiseptic mouthwash around your mouth for a few minutes (after brushing and flossing) will kill most of the harmful bacteria that reside in your mouth. You should also use mouthwash after eating snacks or drinking tea or coffee. You can keep a small bottle in your pocket for when you are out and about; using mouthwash also helps keep your breath fresh. Sign up here for a free email about oral hygiene.
5. Have regular dental check-ups – Dentists recommend you have an oral examination every 4-6 months, which enables the healthcare professional to take timely action, should they discover any oral issues, prompt treatment can be delivered. Don’t be one of those people who only sees a dentist when they have toothache, as this is not going to help you in your quest for optimum oral health.
6. Avoid biting down on hard material – You can easily break a tooth by biting down on hard foods, so don’t just assume that you are superhuman and can handle anything. Playing contact sports should involve wearing a mouthguard and you can never be sure you won’t have a collision.
7. Seek immediate treatment – If, for example, you can feel a tiny hole in one of your teeth, don’t ignore it; if there is one constant in life, it is that oral issues will never heal themselves. The longer you leave it, the more damage it will cause.

So, there you have it, if you follow the above advice, we can’t promise you will always have perfect teeth and gums, but we can guarantee that issues will be promptly dealt with. You should never take oral hygiene for granted and like any other aspect of your health, give oral health the attention it deserves.