Maintaining a healthy smile takes a lifetime of regular care and attention if your goal is to achieve optimal oral health. More than merely preventing cavities, gum disease, and other dental issues, taking care of your teeth is a vital step to maintain general health as studies have shown that oral health reflects the overall health of your body. In a world where 44% of people worldwide have untreated tooth decay, keep reading below to learn the best habits we recommend you practice to improve and maintain oral health.

Avoid Sugary Drinks and Foods

When you run your tongue against the surface of your teeth, do you feel a rough or fuzzy sensation? If so, chances are this is an accumulation of dental plaque which loves to eat sugar, thus producing harmful cavity-causing acids. If you’re setting goals to improve your oral health, then omitting sugary foods and drinks from your diet is the first step you should take. In place of sugar, try including more fruits and vegetables into your diet as their fiber actually strengthens teeth.

Eliminate Smoking, Chewing Tobacco, & Alcohol 

Smoking, in particular, is one of the most detrimental habits out there to your oral health because it can cause gum disease, oral cancer, and your mouth’s ability to heal itself. Additionally, it’s best to avoid drinking alcohol because it can dry out your mouth and reduce saliva production which enables plaque to flourish. In place of alcohol and tobacco products, try drinking water more frequently as it can help wash sticky plaque off your teeth.

Visit Your Dentist Twice Per Year

We highly encourage everyone to see their dentist for an oral examination and cleaning every 6-months. Dentists also have special tools which enable them to scrape away hard tartar which standard toothbrushes and flosses have difficulties getting rid of.

Floss and Brush

This should go without saying, but flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day is imperative to maintaining optimum oral health. When you eat, drink, or breathe, bacteria and other microorganisms enter your mouth. When these bacteria combine with your saliva, tartar begins to form between your teeth and along the gum line. When tartar isn’t regularly removed, it hardens into a yellow substance called plaque which can build up along your gum line. Poor oral hygiene habits allow the acids produced by dental plaque to eat away at tooth enamel over time, which causes cavities. This slow buildup of sticky tartar eventually leads to gingivitis, resulting in red, swollen, and often bleeding gum tissue. If gingivitis is left untreated, the next step in this bacteria buildup is gum disease. Gum disease causes numerous serious health concerns like a receding gum line, bleeding gums, and even tooth loss. 

Integrate Fluoride

Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance that helps strengthen and defend your teeth against decay. Acting as a protective barrier, fluoride is present in toothpastes, tap water, and foods such as oatmeal, spinach, potatoes, raisins, black tea, and many other healthy foods and beverages.

GumChucks

To prevent numerous painful health complications such as gum disease and cavities, it’s important to practice affective oral health habits beforehand. Flossing is the only way to remove tartar from between your teeth and keep plaque out of hard-to-reach places. Fortunately, GumChuck’s unique design does this better than any other flosser on the market. GumChucks’ design ensures a flossing experience that’s faster, easier, and more effective than competing flossers or traditional floss. Our two handles with disposable floss allow you to comfortably reach all your teeth, even those in the back, while wrapping the floss around each tooth. This creates the vital “C-Shape” necessary to get below the gum line and effectively clean each tooth.