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How can I know about oral hygiene

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Taking good care of your teeth gives you a nice smile, but it also can keep you in good health. Poor oral hygiene is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and pregnancy complications. And tooth loss can make it hard to eat a healthy diet, leading to even more health trouble from poor oral hygiene.

Maintain a healthy set of teeth in just 5 easy oral hygiene steps:

  1. Brush. Twice a day, use a soft bristled toothbrush and a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Wait 30-45 minutes after you eat or drink, so the acids in your mouth drop to normal levels. Brush after breakfast, and again before bed – after you’re done eating and drinking for the day.
  2. Floss. Once a day, use dental floss to clean the tight spaces between your teeth. Floss before you brush – that way the fluoride in your toothpaste can coat more of the surface of each tooth. Choose a time of day when you aren’t rushed, so you can take your time and clean each tooth carefully.
  3. Rinse. Talk with your dentist about what kind of mouthwash you should use, and how often. Some kill bacteria, some contain fluoride, and some do both. After you use mouthwash, don’t eat, drink, or rinse your mouth for 30 minutes.
  4. Chew gum. After you eat, pop in a piece of sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol. Xylitol kills the bacteria that cause cavities, and gum in general makes more saliva in your mouth, which helps to bring down acid levels. Chew gum for about 20 minutes after you eat.
  5. Rinse again. If you’re out and don’t have gum or a toothbrush, rinse your mouth with water to loosen food particles from between your teeth, and reduce the acids in your mouth.

Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.

Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.

In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:

  • Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily
  • Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals
  • Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
  • Rinsing with a fluoride mouthrinse if your dentist tells you to
  • Making sure that your children under 12 drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area

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