What Is The Best Way To Brush Your Teeth?

Ever wondered the best way to brush teeth? While brushing and flossing regularly is a must, we've compiled a comprehensive list of everything you need to know about how to keep teeth healthy and beautiful for many years to come.

What is Dental Health?

Dental health, also commonly referred to as oral health, revolves around the health of your teeth and gums. Good dental health habits and practices can keep your mouth in tip-top shape and prevent a long list of oral complications, such as gum disease, cavities, bacterial infections, and so on.

Dental health is a consistent practice that begins at birth and continues to play a big role in your overall health for the rest of your life. Best practices include daily oral care and regular visits to a professional dental health practitioner.

Health Problems Caused by Bad Teeth

What goes on inside your mouth can affect other parts of your body. Poor oral hygiene has been linked to a number of different health complications that can negatively impact your overall health and state of physical well-being.

To help you better understand the importance of keeping up with your dental health, we've listed a few of the top health problems caused by bad teeth.

Heart Disease

Negligent flossing habits can lead to a very serious disease of the heart. How is this possible? It's quite simple really: when your oral hygiene is lax, your gums become much more susceptible to bacteria and infection, which enters your bloodstream via your inflamed gums and travels right to your heart.

Dementia

Poor dental health often leads to gingivitis, a bacteria that can easily make its way to the brain and contribute to the development of dementia. Pretty scary stuff!

Other Health Complications

As if cardiovascular disease and dementia weren't enough reason to step up your dental game, the list of risks doesn't stop there. Inadequate oral hygiene habits have also been linked to numerous other health issues like diabetic complications and infections of the respiratory system.

How to Keep Teeth Healthy

The major health risks of negligent oral care are concerning to say the least, but the minor oral complications that can arise can be painful and expensive. Use these tips to keep your teeth healthy and avoid a range of health problems, from pesky cavities to cardiovascular disease.

Brush the Right Way

How you brush your teeth will greatly determine the state of your oral health. The best way to brush teeth is to gently brush in a vertical motion, scrubbing up and down. Refrain from applying too much pressure when you brush and make sure you get every single tooth, front, back, and in between. Experts suggest brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes at a time.

Use the Right Dental Health Products

That dollar aisle toothbrush isn’t going to cut it. Make sure you get the best dental health products to keep your teeth healthy.

Toothbrush: For the most thorough cleaning, opt for a toothbrush that has small to medium-sized soft bristles that are able to get into the gum line crevice and effectively remove foreign particles and bacteria. You don’t need to splurge on any fancy, complicated, electric toothbrushes. All you need is a simple toothbrush that will get the job done.

Floss: You should have enough floss to get in between each tooth without simply transferring gunk and bacteria from one tooth to another. Get enough to use a fresh section of floss for between every tooth and avoid those short little flossy sticks.

Mouthwash: Mouthwash is often overlooked, but is essential to keeping your pearly whites as healthy as possible. Think of mouthwash as the final rinse that removes any remaining traces of residue or bacteria.

For the healthiest teeth a person can have, add a few of these trusted dental health products to your bathroom shelf.

Don’t Overdo It

After reading an article like this one, you may be running your tongue over your teeth and feeling the urge to run to the bathroom sink and give your mouth a deep cleaning, but be careful not to overdo it.

Intense oral care that is too rough or too frequent can actually do more harm than good. Neurotic dental habits have the ability to strip your teeth of protective enamel and irritate your gums. Be gentle as you care for your oral health.

Be Mindful of What You Eat

The foods you eat and the liquids you drink can have a huge impact on your oral health. Stay away from sports drinks and energy drinks, which are like acid baths for your teeth. Snack healthy throughout the day and avoid eating a lot of starchy snacks, like potato chips. These kinds of fibrous snacks have a tendency to cling to your teeth for hours after you’ve eaten them, which can result in tooth decay from the combination of prolonged exposure to acid and sugar.

Visit the Dentist Regularly

Routine visits with a professional dental healthcare provider are key to maintaining a healthy mouth. By keeping regular dental appointments, you give your dentist the opportunity to catch and correct any budding complications before they become severe. Your teeth also get a good and thorough cleaning, which reduces a buildup of plaque and bacteria.

It’s important that you go in for a dental exam at least once every six months.

Dental Phobia & How to Overcome It

Dental phobia is much more than a stubborn unwillingness to go to the dentist; this condition affects millions of people all over the world and can seriously hinder the state of your oral health. If you have a fear of the dentist, use these proven tricks to help you overcome your phobia.

Communicate with Your Dentist

Communication is key for overcoming your fear of the dentist. Before your first exam, schedule a consultation with your dentist so you can get to know him or her and have the opportunity to express your concerns. This will help you to feel more comfortable when you’re in the dental chair and your dentist will likely be able to give you a bit of reassurance.

Make a List

Grab a pen and a notebook and put your fears on paper. This will help you to uncover specific fears and better understand your phobia. You may even realize that some of your fears are irrational and you can begin to work through them.

Prepare

Mentally prepare yourself for an upcoming appointment by scripting scenarios, engaging in relaxing activities, and packing a few effective methods of distraction to take with you. By means of distraction, we mean your favorite book, a pair of headphones and a tablet, or a fully charged phone equipped with a music playlist that soothes you.

Take Someone with You

If you’re feeling incredibly anxious before your appointment, you may want to consider taking someone with you to the appointment. A trusted friend or family member by your side can prove to be very useful in stressful situations.

Reward Yourself

It may sound a little juvenile, but employing a reward system is a great way to make your visit to the dentist a more positive experience. Give yourself something to look forward to during your visit, whether you treat yourself to a small indulgence or a full-blown spa day, you definitely deserve it!

It may take some time and experimenting to find the best method that works best for you. However, adopting a thorough oral health routine into your daily schedule will be well worth the trouble in the long run. With these tips and the right oral health products, you’ll be able to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Reviewed By:    

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.