5 Dental Health Mistakes To Stop Making Now

Even if you think you’re doing everything right, there may be dental health mistakes you’re making every day that you’ve never considered.

Daily habits that might seem look like no big deal add up over the years, setting you up for bad breath, gum recession, and sensitive teeth in the long run—

but don’t worry, many of these are reversible or involve a simple change in your oral care routine!

Here are the top five mistakes I see all the time, along with how to fix them so you can be well on your way to better dental health.

1. Using Mouthwash
Despite what a lot of advertising would have you believe, mouthwash actually isn’t all that great for your dental hygiene.

It disturbs the natural flora in your mouth and can even be drying, thus promoting the growth of the very bacteria you’re trying to kill!

In fact, you want to nourish and promote a healthy balance of bacteria in the mouth for great breath, cavity prevention, and even overall health.

Ever heard of taking probiotics for gut health? The same principle applies for your mouth.

If you’ve been using mouthwash for a long time or have taken antibiotics at any point in your life (that’s most of us!)

you can help restore this balance by including probiotic-rich foods in your diet like cheese and taking a probiotic supplement.

2. Brushing Too Hard

Harder isn’t better when it comes to brushing. In fact, if you brush your teeth too hard, you could be causing damage to your mouth, specifically, your gums.
When you brush your teeth too hard, your gums will begin to recede up and away from your teeth.

This leaves sensitive parts of the tooth exposed, and it can also make you more susceptible to gum infections.

This problem is compounded when you’re brushing too hard with an old toothbrush. When nylon toothbrush bristles are first made,

they are rounded into little domes to make them less abrasive to your teeth, but as they wear away with use, they become sharper, like little knives.

This can cause damage to tooth structure and enamel, literally wearing your teeth away and making them susceptible to damage and cavities.

I recommend replacing your toothbrush every four weeks if you’re brushing twice a day

All of these problems are even further compounded if you’re also brushing too hard. Brushing too hard not only contributes to tooth enamel being stripped away,

it also doesn’t clean teeth effectively. When you brush hard, you usually have less control over where your brush is going,

meaning you’ll clean the outside of each tooth quickly, but you won’t get into the spaces between teeth.

3. Ignoring Pain
Mouth pain is a sign that something’s wrong in your mouth, and that should never be ignored.

While some pain can be easily soothed at home with oil pulling or painkillers, most mouth pain requires a visit to your dentist.

Some pain can be caused by an infection or abscess, which can be quite serious if not treated. Other tooth pain can come from grinding or clenching your teeth,

which should prompt your dentist to screen you for sleep apnea or another sleep breathing disorder.

Other pain, such as increased sensitivity to food temperatures, pressure sensitivity, or general dull aches in your teeth and jaw can

mean that your teeth themselves have been damaged, and to fix this, you’ll definitely need the help of a dentist.

The reason not to wait and see is simple: once the damage is done to a tooth, it never gets better. Yes, teeth do heal themselves,

but the pain is an indicator that you’re past the point of the tooth healing itself and waiting only leads to further damage.

The sooner you make an appointment, the smaller the problem will be (and the easier it will be to fix).

4. Brushing at the Wrong Times

You were always told to brush after every meal, right? Well, the truth is a bit more complicated than that.
While certain foods and drinks—especially ones high in refined carbohydrates—spur the growth of bacteria in your mouth in as little as 20 minutes,
requiring immediate brushing afterward, if you brush after other foods, especially acidic ones, you might be doing more damage than good.

Brushing your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods can damage tooth enamel. Acidic foods weaken tooth enamel for about 30 minutes after eating,
so brushing up to 30 minutes after meals will actually strip away the enamel in its weakened state, leading to an increased susceptibility to cavities.

This is why I like to say it’s better to brush and floss before breakfast, rather than after!

Instead of brushing after eating acidic foods, swish with water or chew gum to neutralize acid in the mouth. Once 30 minutes have passed, you’re free to brush.

And as for the debate over whether to brush or floss first, it isn’t actually all that important. While there’s a case for both side, what matters is that you’re doing both.

5. Being Afraid of the Dentist!

Have you ever been scolded or felt humiliated at the dentist? Unfortunately, it’s common to not only fear the pain and discomfort of going to the dentist but also the shame—and this is simply unacceptable.
Going to the dentist shouldn’t be painful or anxiety-inducing at all…if you’ve chosen the right practitioner, that is.

Finding a shame-free dentist is one of the best investments you can make not just in your dental health, but your overall health as well since dental health impacts virtually every other system in the body.

The right dentist will take the time to explain every procedure, put you in the driver’s seat, and will put you at ease.

There should be zero tolerance for dentists who make insensitive remarks or shame their patients. The right dentist should make you feel good, not ashamed!

source: http://generalhealthinfo.com/2017/12/12/5-dental-health-mistakes-to-stop-making-now/

cc: lalasticlala mynd44

Thank you for number 4.
That's why I don't brush my teeth anymore because I never know when is the right time to do it.


Am I really FTC or is my eye paining me?

No I won't stop. Do your worst

Top 5?

One of the many useful posts rarely found in front page these days.
Still looking forward to a day without BBNaija news on frontpage. Keep it up with the educative research OP.
God bless you as you educate others on healthy livings

BabyApple:
No I won't stop. Do your worst

This better be sarcasm

Good one.. Used a ton of mouthwash but realized eventually that I was worsening my dental issues... Stopped the mouthwash, started taking yogurt at least twice per week and surprisingly my oral issues resolved. Yogurt I believe contains probiotics. Makes a lot of sense now

Good one from a good guy



If you're reading this, this morning
A big congrats to you, you made it to this month.
Chineke bless us all

OK agreed... but that brushing after every meal part is uhhh... I dunno

Have never visited dentist in my life..for me to open my mouth for someone to check makes me feel somehow. ....
Cant really explain it..

May be i will have to think it again..

Brush after every meal?? Who does that?
First thing in the morning n last thing before night sleep n you're good to go.

Nwakpaife where have u been?

That no. 4 is what I totally disagree with.
U can brush ur teeth anytime.
There's no odd time to brush teeth.
The law is brush ur teeth daily.

Where is the time to remember all these rules when one has to rush out early in the morning and returns late at night?

I have my reservations on your number 4 point. internationally it is recommended that you brush not later than 5 minutes after b/fast or dinner
1. oid food getting harden on you tooth
2. carious process begins from 5 minutes after introduction of suitable substrates

NwaAmaikpe:

NwaAmaikpe the great

I can relate with That mouth wash o. That thing is as harsh as acid
Check my signature

bjayx:
Brush after every meal?? Who does that?
First thing in the morning n last thing before night sleep n you're good to go.

Actually its last thing at night and then brush after breakfast.
You can swish with water before breakfast as long as you brushed last night, you are covered.

Everyone constantly making laws for others.

When do we enjoy our existence free from others' biased projections?

BabyApple:
No I won't stop. Do your worst

Bros....hope all is well at home

Skepticus:
Everyone constantly making laws for others.

When do we enjoy our existence free from others' biased projections?

my dear am tired already....just wanted to fulfill all righteousness make mouth odour nor disgrace person so I was following all the rules religiously that I have gotten used to taking breakfast without brushing....in a situation where am lazy(which is always the case)and am not going out that day...I go combine all my brushing till night but I must eat the 6meals a day complete make all this people keep their rules sef if u day unlucky u con visit me wen I nor comot that day you go hear am

WHICH TEETH AM BRUSHING?

battling with dental florosis,. any help, and it's causing a crack on my teeth

BlissB:
my dear am tired already....just wanted to fulfill all righteousness make mouth odour nor disgrace person so I was following all the rules religiously that I have gotten used to taking breakfast without brushing....in a situation where am lazy(which is always the case)and am not going out that day...I go combine all my brushing till night but I must eat the 6meals a day complete make all this people keep their rules sef if u day unlucky u con visit me wen I nor comot that day you go hear am

One cannot kill himself na. Life is too short for the boredom and rigidity of rules.

Our evolution as a specie over billions of years was not one achieved under fixed.

Just follow basic rules which is brush your teeth for good oral health. Before or after is inconsequential

peacettw:
Good one.. Used a ton of mouthwash but realized eventually that I was worsening my dental issues... Stopped the mouthwash, started taking yogurt at least twice per week and surprisingly my oral issues resolved. Yogurt I believe contains probiotics. Makes a lot of sense now

yoghurt kwa u mean all those fan milk yogo for #100?

kinzation:
yoghurt kwa u mean all those fan milk yogo for #100?

Naaa.... Farm fresh type of yogurts. I don't really like farm fresh though cos it's too fluidy but in shoprite there is another type of yogurt in white plastic bottles that is a bit thicker. I can't remember the name but it sells for N567...the plain vanilla variety is the best type.
I stopped buying the N100 type years back when I learnt about the terrible state of hygiene used in preparing them.

good points but, how does this affect those that use chewing stick..


PMB2019, daura..

go and buy oral b whitening
thank me later

BlissB:
Bros....hope all is well at home

O ti shayo baby yi

Newpride:
That no. 4 is what I totally disagree with.
U can brush ur teeth anytime.
There's no odd time to brush teeth.
The law is brush ur teeth daily.

Yes, It's better early during the morning when you wake up and every after a meal