You might think that oral care includes brushing your teeth and using dental floss regularly. But oral health care is much more than avoiding tooth and gum diseases. Studies conclude that poor oral care is a global health burden.

Neglecting proper oral health can lead to other issues like heart diseases, cancer, and more. You can acquire effective dental care within your home and dentist's office by following best practices. Let's dig right into it!

1.  Brush Properly

 Every person is well aware that brushing your teeth twice daily is a part of good dental care. But still, people often don't brush their teeth at night before going to bed which leads to teeth and gum erosion. Brushing at night removes all the bacteria and opaque consumed throughout the day.

Other than brushing teeth twice daily, ensure that you are brushing properly. Proper brushing of teeth often consumes 2 to 3 minutes. For proper oral care, ensure that you brush at the top, bottom, and back of every tooth. 

Avoid aggressive brushing as it will damage protective tooth enamel and gums. Rather, use circular motions to brush your teeth. 

2.    Use The Right Type Of Toothbrush

Aggressive brushing or using a brush with hard bristles has diverse effects on dental health. Hard bristles damage the protective layer of enamel on teeth and gums. Therefore, you should be careful about choosing the right type of toothbrush.

The consequences of using a toothbrush with hard bristles include tooth sensitivity, gum erosion, and permanent damage to the enamel layer. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends using a toothbrush with soft blisters. Moreover, make sure to change your toothbrush every three months or when the ends of blisters look worn out. 

3.    Use Fluoride

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in rocks, which is later released into ponds, rivers, soil, and plants. According to the World Health Organisation and ADA, the presence of fluoride in toothpaste, mouthwash, and drinking water prevents tooth decay. 

Even if you maintain good oral hygiene, lack of fluoride can result in the cavity and extreme tooth decay. Therefore, while choosing your toothpaste, make sure that it has fluoride. Fluoride will not only prevent cavities in your mouth but will also provide an extra protective barrier on your teeth. 

4.    Floss Every Day

Flossing is the ultimate way to get rid of small food particles stuck at hard-to-reach places of teeth. People, most often children or older adults, neglect flossing. But flossing is useful because it can remove debris and food stuck between teeth and prevent bad breath. 

Although ADA and CDC continuously recommend flossing daily, there is still a lack of long-term studies that could prove the benefits of flossing. Dentists also suggest flossing every day. But do flossing gently to serve its purpose. Gently push the floss all the way down the tooth line and slowly give up and down motion to remove plaque and food particles. 

5. See A Dentist Regularly

Although you might not be experiencing any dental issues, it is recommended to visit your dentists twice a year. A dentist visit is necessary to quickly diagnose ithere are's any visual signs of the tooth cavity, gum erosion, or other oral health issues. 

To quickly treat any signs of dental disease, make sure that you visit your dentist every six months. 

6.    Clean Your Tongue

While taking care of your oral health, do not neglect your tongue. Remember to brush your tongue as well when you're brushing your teeth. It will prevent bacteria from the tongue and bad breath. 

Scraping this bacterial layer from the tongue prevents tooth cavity and swelling of gums, which is surely painful. You can also consider using tongue cleaner for better oral care. Take good care of teeth, gums and tongue to ensure good oral hygiene and healthy teeth.

7.  Drinking Sufficient Water

Drinking a sufficient amount of water throughout the way positively affects a person's overall health, including oral health. Drinking more water cleans the layer of bacteria from teeth, gums, and tongue. 

Moreover, drinking sufficient water helps build the right amount of saliva in the mouth. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily to ensure stronger gums and proper oral care. 

8.    Limit Sugary And Starchy Foods

Consuming more amounts of sugar leads to many dental issues. Sugary foods quickly convert into acid in your mouth, damaging the enamel on your teeth. Although sugar plays an important role in damaging dental health, acidic food and coffee also erode the enamel of teeth. 

The World Health Organisation recommends consuming ten percent sugar of daily calories. If you can reduce it to 5 percent, you will have the least chance of getting any dental issues. Besides sugary food, you should avoid consuming starchy food such as bread, chips, and pasta. Starchy food also creates acid in the mouth, which causes tooth decay. 

Therefore, the American Dental Association (ADA) suggests eating fibre-rich crispy food such as vegetables. Limiting the use of sugary and starchy food will lead you towards enjoying long-term good oral care. 

Conclusion

Here, we have explained the best eight habits with which you can acquire easily to get good oral health for a longer time. Long-term oral care promises stronger teeth, gums, and oral care and contributes to overall physical health. 

Make sure to brush twice a day, floss your teeth, drink more water, and avoid sugary and starchy food to permanently eliminate gum erosion, tooth pain or decay, and other dental issues. Moreover, these eight daily practices will also let you maintain a brighter smile for a longer time.