Healthy teeth and gums: Follow these, and keep smiling

Here’re 10 tips to ‘be proud of your mouth’

For representational purpose

KOCHI: This year’s World Oral Health Day advocates the slogan ‘be proud of your mouth’ reiterating the need to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Amid a plethora of misinformation, people are often confused about the ideal protocol for better oral health.

Let’s discuss 10 hacks to keep to mouth healthy  

• Frequently check the changes in the oral cavity: Inspect daily during brushing for any signs of red or white patches or unhealed ulcers. This will help diagnose many precancerous lesions in the budding stage itself   
• Avoid DIY dentistry: Often people fall prey to fantabulous advertisements and start treating themselves without proper guidance from a dentist. Lots of uncertified aligners and tooth-shaping devices are now available with false promises. Think twice before trying all these              
• Choose mouthwashes wisely: Always use sugar-free and non-alcoholic mouthwashes. Use at least 30 minutes after brushing to avoid interaction with fluoride in the toothpaste        
• Be receptive to warning signs: Sometimes the key to a chronic headache, neck and shoulder pain or back pain that remains unresolved might be your oral cavity. Understand that sleep apnea and related tooth grinding can induce chronic pain in these areas. A proper evaluation of facial muscles associated with jaw joints and solving the disparities could help alleviate the pain    
• Watch out for your Vitamin D levels: If you miss out on sun exposure during your daily chores, keep a check on your scores. Vitamin D deficiency affects your overall health, including gum. Exercise more and include a Vitamin-D-rich diet    
• Avoid inserting foreign bodies such as a toothpick or safety pin to take out food wastes trapped in between teeth. Instead, use flosses, interdental brushes and more convenient water flossers         
• Check persisting habits in babies like thumb sucking, breathing through the mouth, frequent nail biting, etc. as this may affect the facial form and teeth alignment. As soon as you see such habits try to intervene with the help of a pediatric dentist  
• Too much cooking will spoil the broth: This is true with vigorous brushing too. Keep the 3-3-3-3 rule. With a soft toothbrush brush three teeth at a time for three seconds each. The total duration should be three minutes. Don’t forget to change toothbrushes every three months or when the bristles get frayed  
• Don’t entertain snacking between meals, especially in children. Always give them water bottles with a broader orifice rather than the sip version. This will cleanse food remnants that stay locked in pits and fissures                  
• Avoid self-medication for tooth or gum aches. Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem, and you don’t require antibiotics every now and then to treat a dental issue. Consult a doctor before you go overboard

The writer is a consultant periodontist at Government Urban Dental Clinic, Thiruvananthapuram

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