Practicing good oral hygiene is all about making sure your mouth, teeth and gums are clean and healthy.
Regular brushing and flossing will help to prevent dental problems such as dental cavities and gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). These problems are mostly caused by plaque, a sticky film that constantly coats your teeth, which needs to be removed daily by brushing and flossing. If left, it can build up and inflame your gums and eventually affect the bone that supports your teeth. This can cause teeth to become loose or require extracting by your dentist.
Other things you can do to improve your oral health include eating a healthy diet (limiting food and drink high in sugar), stopping smoking and having regular dental checkups.
2 minutes morning and night
Consider your oral health care as part of your daily beauty regime!
Plaque starts to accumulate on the surface of your teeth. It forms when bacteria combines with food and saliva. Sugary foods are one of the main causes of plaque.
What to look for
How to prevent it
This is the early phase of gum disease; it is inflammation of the gums caused by plaque build-up at the gum line. If daily brushing and flossing do not remove plaque, certain types of bacteria with-in plaque produce toxins (poisons) that can inflame the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. At this early stage in gum disease, damage can be reversed.
What to look for
How to prevent it
If untreated gingivitis can become progressively worse and cause periodontitis to develop. At this stage, the supporting bone and fibres that hold your teeth in place are irreversibly damaged.
What to look for
How to prevent it