The health of our teeth goes beyond just looking nice, our oral health includes the gums and tongue and can have some huge impacts on the rest of our body as well. It’s not hard to take care of our teeth but it does require a bit of a commitment on the part of each individual. Here are some of the easiest ways to keep those teeth as healthy as possible.
Most people are aware that they should be brushing and flossing each year, and yet a whopping 74 percent of Americans currently have some sort or periodontal disease. Luckily a lot of periodontal diseases can be reversible, and it’s easy to avoid. One way to avoid it is simply to go to the dentist regularly.
People might go to the dentist here and there, but some statistics have claimed that people tend to wait three years between their dentistry visits. This is not the way to go. Dental professionals would actually suggest that most people take a trip to the dentist’s office at least twice a year to get a cleaning and a checkup to make sure that everything is going okay. However, some people need to get their teeth cleaned even more frequently than that to avoid the buildup of plaque around the gum lines.
It’s also important to see the dentist regularly so that they can see any cavities that exist before they get out of hand. One in five American are walking around with an untreated cavity at any given time, and those will need to be fixed eventually. You might as well stay on top of the treatments so that you don’t end up having to go through the excruciating pain that a cavity can cause when it gets to an advanced state. It’s generally much easier and less painful to fix when it’s small versus large anyway.
Do keep in mind that you should be replacing your toothbrush regularly as well. As many as 75 percent of people do not replace their toothbrushes as often as they should which is probably just because they aren’t aware of how often that is. The American Dental Association suggests replacing the toothbrush or its head every three to four months. A toothbrush that is old and frayed is not only more likely to be harboring bacteria, but as the bristles wear down it also becomes less adept at cleaning the teeth.
In addition to keeping the mouth healthy, most people want their teeth to look good as well, and the two things go hand in hand. An unhealthy mouth is never going to look as good as it could, so taking good oral care is the first step. The next step would be to do some sort of whitening treatment on the teeth. As many as 18 percent of all people admit that they try to hide their teeth in photos, and some of that concern could be alleviated with a simple whitening. Getting your teeth whitened at the dentist is one of the safest ways to do it, and 82.5 percent of people see a big difference in the shade of their teeth when they do so.
