Maintaining disease-free oral health is not an arduous task. Dental hygiene practice is the key to keep pearly white teeth and eliminate the harmful microbes in our mouth. When it comes to mouth cleaning, things like toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwashes and others will come into our mind.
Even if we exploit these accessories to clan our mouth, most of us are suffering from oral hazards like tooth decay, gum diseases, etc. Suffering from dental diseases even after indulging in proper oral care is abnormal. It indicates that the person has underlying health issues.
Otherwise, the person might have been doing oral care routine mistakes without his/her knowledge. Such common oral hygiene mistakes most people are doing are explained here.
Multitasking while brushing
Some people do not like to keep their other hand idle while one of their hands is brushing. They begin to scroll the newsfeed in their mobile phones while brushing. Few people do their favorite things with one hand when the other hand is busy in brushing teeth.
If they handle many tasks including brushing at a time, then how can they assure that their brushing action effectively cleans their teeth? It is mandatory to brush in front of a mirror and ensure that the brush reaches all the teeth surfaces.
Aggressive Brushing
Brushing vigorously or too hard is really bad for the teeth enamel. Such excess pressure over the teeth leads to wear down the enamel and recede the gums. It discloses the soft and sensitive tissues inside the teeth.
Such exposure of a tooth’s inner layers and nerves put them at risk of infection and disturb their actions like blood supply to the tooth, etc. This may end in the dead tooth.
Using Toothpicks
The small wooden sticks with a sharp edge in one end are used to remove the food particles stuck between the teeth. The chances are higher for that toothpicks may injure the gum tissues while poking the small spaces between teeth and gums.
Flossing is the right way to remove such small substances trapped between the teeth.
Dentists also suggest that brushing twice a day with flossing a day will keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Flossing in an incorrect manner
Some people indulge in flossing without knowing how to floss correctly. Few people use a piece of thread instead of flossing wires to floss. In such cases, they are introducing the bacteria again into their mouth. Improper flossing will injure the gum tissues.
Hence it is important to know the right flossing technique. Take a flossing wire and hold its edges with the middle fingers of each hand. Carefully insert the wire in the teeth spaces and bent it to make a “C” Shape. Then rub the teeth with it by moving up and down.
Forget to clean the tongue
Tongue – The muscular organ plays a dominant role in our oral health as well as our life. When it comes to mouth cleaning, many people easily forget their tongue. Similar to teeth and gum regions, the bacterial build-up is also possible in tongue.
If it is left unclean, bacteria in the tongue will spread to teeth, gums, cheek and other oral areas. It means cleaning the mouth will be incomplete unless the tongue is cleaned.
Everyone should clean their tongue with a tongue scraper or tongue cleaner to extract the bacteria, dead cells deposited on the tongue surfaces.
Skipping the gums
Bacterial infection on the gums is responsible for gum inflammation and serious periodontal (gum) diseases. Cleaning the gums with a toothbrush is possible if the brush is placed at 45 degrees on teeth towards the gums. Then a part of the brush is involved in cleaning the gums.
Similarly, massaging gums with a finger regulate the blood flow inside the gums. It will help the gum tissues to get nutrients and fight against disease-causing bacteria.
Mouthwashes
Rinsing mouth with mouthwash fluids is a good dental care practice. Most people do this without knowing the chemical components present in some mouthwashes. Such chemical substances feed oral bacteria instead of eliminating the microbes.
Hence it is better to use coconut oil or sesame oil to rinse the mouth. This is a natural remedy and will not cause any side effects. Otherwise, prefer organic mouthwashes which do not contain any chemical substances.
Conclusion
The results of dental hygiene practices remain neutral if they are handled in an incorrect or imperfect manner. Re-evaluating the oral care practices we have learned in childhood is essential to rectify the oral care mistakes and maintain a healthy mouth.
Author Bio:
Dr. Hussain Al Saleh is the Specialist Prosthodontist and Oral Implantologist in a dental clinic in Dubai. He has completed his Dentistry course on Advanced Dental Implant at Jordan University of Science and Technology. He is a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.