You’re never fully dressed without a smile, and this year’s “World Oral Health Day” theme “a healthy mouth is a healthy mind” reminds us of the impact our dental health has on our mental wellbeing. We all want a smile that makes us feel confident and that we are proud to show the world. Dental health can so often end up in the “too hard basket”, but dental disease is preventable with the right know-how. The best part is a few simple habits can make a huge difference when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile at home.
When we think about dental health, we often think about taking care of our teeth. But a big part of maintaining a healthy smile long term is about looking after our gums. It’s important to remember that healthy gums don’t bleed, and if your gums are bleeding while brushing or flossing, it’s an indication that bacteria is present that needs to be removed – think of this as a handy self-assessment system at home!
Brushing our teeth (and gums!) well is a really tricky skill to master. Not only this, but many common toothbrushing habits can damage our teeth and gums when implemented over a long period of time. Brushing in a “side to side” scrubbing motion, using a medium or hard bristle toothbrush, using too much pressure when brushing, or not removing plaque from our gums, can be damaging to our teeth and gums in the long run. When we brush, we always want to try to brush one tooth at a time, round and round in little circles, from the gum to the edge of our tooth, with soft bristles and gentle pressure.
This is why electric toothbrushes are a fantastic way to improve how well we are brushing and our overall oral health. They do most of the brushing action for us which helps remove plaque from our teeth and gums more effectively, can have pressure sensors to let us know if we are brushing too hard, and have bristles that are soft on our teeth and gentle on our gums. Ordo Sonic Toothbrushes are our favourite as they are designed to provide superior cleaning efficiency and promote overall dental wellness. Utilising cutting-edge sonic technology, Ordo toothbrushes deliver up to 40,000 strokes per minute, effectively removing plaque and enhancing gum health with every use.
And then there’s the one that divides us all – flossing. Unlike toothbrushing which is important to implement twice a day, flossing once a day, in the evening before our nighttime brush, is a key step in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Using string floss or flossettes is a crucial part of our “between teeth” cleaning routine, and can be enhanced by using a Water Flosser, especially if you have larger gaps between your teeth, which can be more common post orthodontics.
And the simplest habit you can implement to promote dental health everyday is to spit and not rinse after brushing!
And, of course, don’t forget to visit the dentist twice a year to make sure if there are any concerns or high-risk spots with your teeth or gums, they are identified and treated early. Prevention of problems is always preferred, and achievable, to maintain your healthy smile for life!
Learn more about World Oral Health Day here.
Read more of our Health & Wellness articles here.
