Tips to Protect Your Mouth

Being safe and healthy is a big deal in 2021.  The pandemic and mandatory draconian mask laws have changed how we live.  The bad breath we now smell is caused by a piece of cloth that doesn't protect us and is mandatory anyway.  So I wanted to at least give tips on staying healthy during the totalitarian regime we now live in with the United States.  Few things can ruin my day more than waking up to a nasty feeling mouth.  You know what I am talking about right? When you forget to brush your teeth at night and you wake up to a nasty film on your teeth.  That feeling simply haunts me personally and it can make my day from starting at 100 down to a 50 feeling really fast.  So what is that film that grows on your teeth and gives you bad breath?  

It is no mystery that a sticky, soft gum-like substance is plaque. It is well known and now we are just seeing it more without attention to dental health in 2021.  When people eat, bacteria in the mouth breakdown the carbohydrates from food into acid, which mixes with leftover food particles and saliva to create plaque.  And if you leave it on your teeth too long it will turn into Tarter.  That yellowy hard substance only leads to worse diseases and some serious complications down the road.  So what are some ways that you can overcome the plaque and tarter? Let me list a few things out to make all our mornings better. 

So stay up on the important parts of life and the first tip is simply to set a plan for good dental hygiene.  This sounds really simple, but habits are hard to create.  In order to create a solid habit, you need to do the same routine around 30 times in a row.  So even if that means making an evil alarm on your phone, start the habit now. The American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day. They also recommend that the toothpaste be fluoride based toothpaste. Another area that should become a habit is also to floss once a day.  Rather that is in the morning or nighttime is up to you, but try to get that flossing motion into your system so food particles don’t stick to your teeth for a long time. Also to make sure your hygiene is proper when brushing your teeth make sure you are getting all surfaces.  You may need to make a mental system for starting with the bottom row and then moving to the top.  Make sure your brush strokes are getting to the front and back of each tooth.  If you have to sing a song, feel free to do so, but maybe just in your head! The last section is to use mouthwash to get the final bits of plaque-causing material out of your mouth.  Get a nice mouthwash and add it to the routine. Most of all ask your healthcare provider about their routine and what you should implement into yours. 

There is no point in living unhealthily and wasting money on things when your dentist could give you a quick answer.  So be proactive and beat these issues before they begin and that is the biggest tip of all.