Mere brushing and flossing do not suffice. You feel your oral hygiene is “good enough,” without knowing that there are several common mistakes you’re committing to ruin your oral health.
You must put in some effort to keep a beautiful smile. You can always browse dental clinic near me for orthodontic treatment. But, as we know prevention is better than care, it is good to have some knowledge of good dental care.
At Smile Dental Clinic south Kolkata, we specialize in helping you improve your oral health. Below are some common mistakes that can negatively impact your teeth and gums.
Mistake 1: Using the wrong toothbrush
The most common mistake you can make is this. Often they prefer using hard bristles to clean their teeth without knowing that soft bristles can perform a much better job. They can reach places in your mouth where hard bristles can’t. Abrasive hard bristles can cause your tooth enamel to damage or wear down the soft tissues of your gums.
Fix it: always check the seal of approval on a toothbrush before purchasing it. Opt for a soft toothbrush that can bend under your gum line easily.
Mistake 2: practicing quick brushing
You are supposed to know that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day. But, you may not know that not doing it long enough does not get your teeth cleaned or scrape plaque from your gum line.
You should always brush for at least two minutes, even when you’re in a hurry. You cannot negotiate with this.
Fix it: don’t hurry to grab your cell phone while brushing. Spend 2-3 minutes brushing your teeth well.
Mistake 3: Avoid brushing your entire tooth
What we mean by brushing is massaging your teeth.
Most of the time, you stick the brush in your mouth, move it back and forth and the bite area, and you are done.
Well, you should always start at the gum line and move in an up and down and circular motion as if you are massaging your whole tooth. A touch from below the gum line reaches all over the visible cheek-side, roams the entire tongue side, and the top chewing surface because these are the areas where plaque forms quickly.
Fix it: Use a toothbrush with an angled head for a thorough cleaning.
Mistake 4: Brushing immediately after eating
Another common mistake people usually make brushing their teeth immediately after they eat.
Remember, your body commences the digestive process even before the food reaches your stomach by gaining the amount of acid in your mouth. Immediate brushing after eating can erode your teeth’s enamel, giving rise to more damage than benefit.
Fix it: After eating or drinking, always wait 20-30 minutes before brushing. Give some time to your saliva to break down the excess acid. You can rinse your mouth with water if you cannot wait.
Mistake 5: avoiding your annual dental appointment
Around 100 million people avoid their dental appointment out of fear or negligence.
But in reality, the more you visit your dentist, the less likely you develop extensive treatment. You can Google dental restoration near me for any dental problems, no matter how minor it is. Remember, severe problems involve more complications.
Fix it: Schedule routine dental appointments to avoid pain and more expensive procedures in the long run.
Mistake 6: Skipping tongue cleaning
Most of you prioritize your teeth and gums to maintain good oral hygiene. You may not know that your tongue also requires adequate cleaning. An unclean tongue can cause bad breath as bacteria grow and hide in the cracks and crevices of your tongue and multiply quickly.
Always use a tongue scraper after brushing to lessen the number of bacteria residing on your tongue.
Fix it: a clean tongue prevents oral thrush, yeast growth, and infection. Clean it regularly in a proper way to prevent white patches on your tongue.
Mistake 7: Avoiding Dental Clinic visit
This is a major mistake you could make by stopping annual dental check-ups. Seeking dental services twice a year is the norm. But, unfortunately, you see them only when you require extraction or have an aching tooth. You are supposed to develop the risk of
- Tooth Loss
- Cavity
- Decay
- Oral cancer
- periodontal diseases
- Tartar build-up
Mistake 8: Other Brushing Mistakes
Remember, your system follows a natural cleaning process of your mouth. After each meal, your body uses the saliva to decrease the mouth’s acidity levels. It uses saliva to break down food particles also. The best practice is to drink water after eating and wait for at least 30 minutes before brushing. Thus, you can reduce the acidity levels in your mouth.
Another big mistake you are probably making is brushing your teeth immediately after eating acidic foods. The acid attack begins when you intake drinking or eating highly acidic foods or drinks. Such drinks and foods make your enamel soft and vulnerable.
If you wait for half an hour, your enamel begins to re-harden.
Some of you brush your teeth after breakfast. But, do you know brushing your teeth before breakfast is more helpful? When you sleep, bacteria causes plaque build-up and spread in your mouth. It leads to a mossy tasting of your morning breath when you wake up. It is always advisable to get rid of them before breaking your fast. More so, it will prevent the acid in your breakfast from causing damage to your teeth as fluoride coats your enamel.
Some of you feel too tired to brush your teeth before going to sleep. It’s okay to skip dinner but not brush your teeth before sleeping. It helps keep your teeth clean all night as you’ll be removing food particles. If you don’t practice this good habit, the food particles will cause acid attacks and expose your teeth to plaque overnight.
Mistake 9: Not flossing your teeth
Do you believe that flossing isn’t healthy for your teeth because of apparent bleeding? On the contrary, it’s crucial to floss as it helps keep your gums healthy.
If you don’t floss them, your gums are neglected. This could lead to gum bleeding or other gum diseases.
At Smile dental clinic south Kolkata, dentists recommend using string floss to remove food particles in between your gums. Remember, floss picks are not good to use. Also, never repeat using only one floss as it can potentially spread the bacteria throughout your mouth.
Proper habits matter
- Avoid ice chewing to make your teeth and enamel vulnerable to a dental emergency.
- Limit citrus intake to avoid tooth decay.
- Caffeinated beverages are not good for oral health.
- Sticky and crunchy foods are harmful.
- Avoid sugary foods and carbonated soft drinks.
- Limit your alcohol consumption and sports drink intake.
- Avoid smoking.
- Have whole fruit instead of fruit juices.
- Nighttime teeth grinding wears down your teeth over time.
- Avoid playing sports with no mouth guard.
- Opening plastic packages or bottles with your teeth is not good.
The Bottom Line
There are many oral hygiene mistakes people make, but the ones stated above are the most common. Start undoing them and consult Smile dental clinic south Kolkata to ensure healthy oral health.