A lot is riding on your oral health. Poor mouth health has been shown to have connections with a wide variety of other health problems, ranging from heart disease, to diabetes, to Alzheimer’s, to oral thrush, strep throat, bodily inflammations, and halitosis (chronic bad breath.) One recent study even suggests a possible link with esophageal cancer.

And the more immediate effects of poor dental hygiene, like tooth decay, tooth loss, oral infections, and festering periodontal disease, are also a major motivator toward taking good care of your teeth and gums.

Here are some tops tips to help you win the “battle of the mouth:”

1. Use “Good Order” When Caring For Your Mouth
Not only should you brush and floss daily, you should floss first to make your brushing more effective. Removing food trapped between teeth lets the brush bristles get in and clean there. So, floss first, then brush, then finish up with an antiseptic mouth rinse.

2. Use Toothpicks To Save Your Gums
Not only can toothpicks budge those stubborn particles of food out of your interdental spaces, but you can use them to gently push away “gunk” building up on the edge of your teeth and gums. This helps protect your gum line, lowering your risk of gum line recession and of periodontal disease.

3. Replace Your Toothbrush Often
It doesn’t take long to brush the new off of a toothbrush and end up with a frayed, flattened, and worn down collection of floppy bristles on the end of a plastic stick. It’s best to replace your toothbrush every 3 or 4 months. Also replace it immediately after recovering from an illness. And get a new bristle for an electric toothbrush per manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Always Brush Your Tongue
The tongue is a center of bacterial growth in your mouth, and unless you brush it, it will soon spread bacteria onto your teeth and gums right after you clean them. And besides the dangers of cavities and infection, these bacteria are known to cause bad breath.

5. Learn To Fight Dry Mouth
The most common cause of dry mouth is its occurrence as a side effect of various medications. You have to take your medicine to get well, but dry mouth causes bad breath and decreases oral health by limiting the natural mouth-cleaning actions of saliva. Drinking plenty of fluids and chewing sugarless gum are two proven ways of fighting dry mouth and its effects.

6. Brush Your Teeth With Baking Soda
To remove coffee, tea, or other tooth stains, try brushing your teeth with baking soda (and water) once or twice monthly. Be sure to rinse out your mouth thoroughly when your done. An alternative is to use a brand of toothpaste that contains baking soda, though that would dilute the concentration.

7. Eat Your Way To Oral Health
A proper diet will do much to reduce oral health problems. Avoid high-sugar foods and drinks, and opt for natural “tooth scrapers” like apples and celery is a start. Also eat cheese for its casein and whey protein that help with enamel health. And be sure to get plenty of calcium and vitamin-D, which boosts calcium absorption rates. And last but not least, drink plenty of water so food particles won’t linger long in your mouth.

To learn more about how you can optimize your oral health, contact Dr. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, FL, today!