There’s no question about it: to preserve your healthy, beautiful smile, you have your work cut out for you. You need to brush your teeth twice a day and floss once daily. The best dentists in Dubai also emphasize that you have to do both of them properly, too. Uncover invaluable knowledge and receive expert guidance from our dental clinics in Dubai to assist you in making well-informed decisions
You will also have to watch what you eat and drink. This means avoiding or minimizing your intake of sweet, sugary, and sticky treats and beverages. With the best veneers in Dubai, you will also need to be careful of how you use your teeth: biting and chewing hard objects, whether edible or not, are big no-nos.
Lastly, you have to see your dentist twice a year. This is something that may require some effort on your part if you always have a busy schedule and need to move things around to make it to your dental appointment.
Oral Hygiene Habits That Are Bad for Your Teeth
Certain oral hygiene practices can also cause a variety of dental issues. Whether you are doing them knowingly or unknowingly, the earlier you stop practicing or correct these mistakes, the better it will be for your teeth.
Below are the most common oral hygiene mistakes you may be making that you should avoid or stop doing now:
1. Brushing too quickly
Many people think that running the toothbrush on all surfaces makes their teeth clean. Because of this, they spend less than a minute of brushing. This, of course, is the wrong way to brush. Making this a habit will cause you a lot of problems in the long run.
To ensure your toothbrush removes all food debris and bacteria it can get rid of, brush for a full two minutes. Run your toothbrush slowly and gently on all surfaces. Remember to avoid scrubbing in a back and forth motion since this action can damage your gums and tooth enamel.
2. Using the wrong kind of toothbrush
Brushing with a large-sized and hard-bristled toothbrush can cause oral abrasion and hurt your gums. Additionally, these types of toothbrushes can lead to gum recession.
A small or medium-sized toothbrush with soft bristles gently cleans your teeth while ensuring that no damage is done during the brushing process. However, remember to lightly scrub your pearly whites even if you are using a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid any kind of oral injury.
3. Brushing immediately after eating
Although brushing after eating will also ensure you have clean teeth and better-smelling breath, you need to wait at least 30 minutes after your last bite before brushing. You have to strictly follow this if you ate or drank something acidic, including coffee.
If you brush immediately after eating or drinking, you will spread the acidic ingredients or substances on your teeth. When you do this frequently, you will cause your enamel to weaken faster.
As such, wait for at least half an hour after eating to brush to give your saliva time to neutralize the acids.
4. Not rinsing after eating and drinking dark-colored beverages
Since you shouldn’t brush immediately after eating or drinking, or when brushing is impossible (for example, you’re on the road or traveling), make it a habit to rinse your mouth with water after your meal.
This simple practice will dislodge the remaining food particles from your teeth. Additionally, it will help reduce the acidity left in your mouth after eating and drinking. It will also remove substances from dark-colored beverages and foods that can stain your pearly whites.
5. Forgetting to brush your tongue
Food debris and bacteria do not only stick to your teeth; they can also be found on your tongue. Because of this, you also need to brush your tongue every day to get rid of unwanted particles in your mouth.
When you brush your tongue regularly, you also reduce bad breath.
You can use your regular toothbrush to clean your tongue. There are also specialized tools that are more efficient in scrubbing your tongue. You can ask your dentist about them.
6. Not using a fluoride toothpaste
There is nothing wrong with using organic toothpaste. Their natural ingredients offer benefits that can improve oral health.
However, you have to be careful about which toothpaste to use. Many of these natural products have corrosive ingredients that are harmful to your tooth enamel. These substances can also hasten gum recession.
If you want to use this type of toothpaste, look for one that contains fluoride. Another option would be to use it in combination with regular fluoride toothpaste. But make sure you brush with fluoride toothpaste with greater frequency than the natural tooth-cleaning product (i.e., use it only twice or thrice a week).
7. Not drinking enough water
Lastly, water plays a crucial role in maintaining good oral health. It helps freshen up your breath and keeps your mouth moist all day.
Drinking plenty of water can prevent dry mouth as well. Dry mouth or xerostomia facilitates the growth of bacteria, which contributes to bad breath and tooth decay.
To ensure you have good oral health, drink at least eight glasses of water every day.
Your dentist will help you have that veneers in Dubai. However, you can have a healthy, beautiful set of natural teeth by being meticulous with your oral hygiene habits and correcting the mistakes you may be doing.
If you are not satisfied with your smile or need help with your preserving your natural teeth, request a consultation with one of our dental experts today.