HEALTHY LIVING: Keeping Healthy Teeth

Hey guys. Do you know that the maintenance of your oral hygiene is
very important, because it says a lot about you, when you speak,
smile, shout and so on. It is not just about having white teeth
because it does not necessarily mean you have healthy teeth. Here are
some tips on how to keep your teeth healthy:
> Brush your teeth regularly, especially in the morning when you wake up and at night before sleeping. Brushing your teeth in the morning helps to remove the coating of bacterial film (plaque) that has accumulated over the night. While brushing your teeth at night, helps to remove the coating of bacterial film that feeds on the residual of food particles left in your mouth, because bacterial film (plaque) causes tooth decay and mouth odour. Plaque is the pale yellow or colourless soft sticky substance found on the teeth. It is a sticky residue of
bacteria, acid and food particles that
can irritate your gums and eat away at
tooth enamel

>Make sure you floss regularly. Most people especially in this part of the world do not floss. Flossing is when you clean in between your teeth. When your floss, you are getting rid of any food particles from the surface of the teeth and the gaps between the teeth. Flossing help you clean all the grooves of your teeth and prevent tooth decay. Flossing can be done by using a single filament or nylon floss.

>Use toothbrush that has soft bristles, which will not damage your enamel, or remove it.

>You could use Fluoride Rinse. Fluoride rinse helps to prevent tooth decay and it strengthens the outer layer of the enamel of the teeth. Stannous fluoride helps with hypersensitivity of the dentine layer of the teeth. However, note fluoride rinse should not be swallowed.

>Avoid granulated sugar, because it is the leading cause of tooth decay. It also means avoid sugary foods, such as cakes, cookies, sweets because they are mostly made with granulated sugar (sucrose).

> If you must chew gums, chew gums that are sugar-free or contain mannitol, xylitol or sorbitol. Xylitol is known to be very effective at inhibiting Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria that mainly cause tooth decay. Unlike the sugary chewing gum, they increases sugar content around the teeth and attract micro-organisms to the teeth.


> Avoid soft drinks for example soda, and cola like drinks. Most soft drinks contain acids like Citric acid, and phosphoric acid. And these acids slowly react with the enamel layer of the teeth and dissolve them gradually. These soft drinks have corrosive effect on the teeth. Trust me corrosion is bad.

>Eat fresh fruits. They are both sweet and acidic, but can't cause much problem, because when you are
chewing, it stimulates the saliva flow.
Saliva decreases mouth acidity and
washes away food particles. Apple (it is nature toothbrush, lol) is a
good example because it stimulates the gum, increases saliva flow and
reduces bacteria population in the mouth. Note a dry mouth also
contributes to tooth decay.

>Go for water and milk. These are best substitutes for the soft drinks. Water is natural and pure. Water helps in detoxifying your body from harmful micro-organisms and toxic wastes. You could check this link to see why you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day: http://ayooluwaakande.blogspot.com/2013/01/drink-8-glasses-of-water-daily.html
Milk contains calcium so it helps in strengthen your teeth and makes
your jawbones stronger.

>Be careful when eating dried fruits because they can also have an adverse effect on teeth. They are high in
sugar and cling to the teeth. Even
unsweetened fruit juices can contribute
to tooth decay because they are acidic and contain relatively high
levels of simple sugars.

> Stop smoking and chewing tobacco. Smoking and chewing tobacco cause tooth damage and damage of the tissue in your teeth. The tobacco powder and its smoke causes stains and discolouration on your teeth thereby weakens the teeth. Tobacco powder and its powder could also cause cancer of the mouth. So try to avoid tobacco and its products. Check the reasons why you should not smoke and why you should also avoid exposure to smoke on this link: http://ayooluwaakande.blogspot.com/2012/12/avoid-smoking-and-exposure-to-smoke.html

>Try and avoid alcohol as much as possible, because it increases tooth decay, cause the irritation of the gums, tongue and oral tissues; poor healing after dental surgery and; cancer of the mouth especially for heavy drinkers. Check the risks of drinking alcohol on this link: http://ayooluwaakande.blogspot.com/2012/11/risks-of-drinking-alcohol.html

> Don't clinch or grind your teeth because it recede your gums prematurely and accelerates gum diseases.

> Make sure your meals are always balanced and healthy, because by doing this your are going have less health problems. You are also helping your dental health and your oral structures. Having balanced diet at each meal also makes mouth well
lubricated.

>Never dip pacifiers in honey or syrup for babies.

>Rinse you mouth after every meal. It is also very important to rinse your mouth with water (temporary cleansing) after every meal in order to wash away food particles that are left in your mouth. You could use mouth wash after every meal too because it prevent, kill and rinse away bacteria in your mouth.

> Lastly visit a Dentist at least twice in a year. I'm guilty of this too. Most people don't visit a dentist once they don't have problems with their teeth. And it is not a good one, so let try and visit the dentist every 6 months making twice in a year for check up even there is nothing wrong with your teeth.


Thanks for stopping by.