If you are looking for a simple, easy way to improve your overall health, one of the easiest things you can do is brush your teeth regularly. This habit, although small, can have a huge impact on your oral hygiene, physical health and confidence level. If you want cleaner, healthier teeth and gums with fewer dental and health issues, make sure to brush daily.
Why Brushing Your Teeth Regularly Matters
While you may not think about your teeth often, they play a role that goes beyond just chewing your food. They help shape your face, and provide a welcoming smile. Brushing them helps to remove plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that leads to tooth decay and gum disease. In addition, brushing fights bad breath, strengthens your tooth enamel and can lead to a brighter smile.
Top Reasons to Brush Your Teeth Regularly
- Prevent Cavities: Brushing clears out build up from consuming sugar, reducing acid that harms your teeth while preventing cavities.
- Healthy Gums: You also remove debris from collecting along the gumline which keeps your gums healthy and free from painful infections.
- Stronger Teeth: While you shouldn’t drink water with fluoride, fluoride in your toothpaste can strengthen your teeth’s enamel and improve tooth structure making you teeth more resilient.
- Better Breath: A problem people have when food particles get trapped in their mouth is bad breath or mouth odor. Brushing your teeth removes this food, leaving you fresh breath, which in turn improves your confidence.
- Professional Cleanings Are Easier: If you take care of your teeth with a regular oral health routine of brushing and flossing your dental checkups and cleanings become faster, easier and less painful.
Little-Known Information About Brushing
- Soft Bristles Are Best: Choose a toothbrush with softer bristles to better protect tooth enamel and gums.
- Gentle Circular Motions: Try brushing in small gentile circles for more effective brushing rather than using back and forth movements.
- Don’t Skip Morning and Night: Don’t forget to brush your teeth twice a day; in the morning after breakfast and in the evening after dinner. If you have a toothbrush at work, brush gently after lunch as well. Brushing helps wash away acids and leaves you with healthy saliva production.
- Add Flossing and Mouthwash: Along with brushing, add flossing, which is more effective at removing debris and tartar between your teeth. Finish it off with mouthwash which helps the cleaning process.
- Nutrient Balance Matters: Make sure you consume foods sufficient in calcium, vitamin D and vitamin A or take supplements [1]. Also, reduce your consumption of sugar for stronger teeth.
Making Brushing a Daily Habit
Like any habit it is sometimes difficult establishing the habit of brushing your teeth twice every day. From the science of habit formation, make sure you have a cue, a routine, and a reward to ensure this habit sticks. Choosing a cue and reward that are location independent ensures you can follow this important habit even when on vacation or traveling.
- Set a Consistent Cue: Link brushing your teeth to something you already do such as brushing after you shower and shave in the morning or after going to the bathroom at night.
- Keep Brushing Simple and Short: Don’t make brushing a burden. Keep it short – 2 minutes and use a timer to make sure you don’t brush too long.
- Reward Yourself: Make sure to reward yourself with a toothpaste you like the taste of or by using a refreshing peppermint mouthwash afterwards
- Track Your Progress: If you find it difficult to remember to brush, then consider tracking this as a habit in a habit tracking book or app.
How to Brush Your Teeth (and Tools That Help)
Brushing your teeth may be a chore, as it is with me. For effective brushing you can’t just move your brush around your mouth. You need to hold your brush at a slight angle toward the gum line and use short strokes or circular movements. Don’t even get me started with flossing, which I hate doing. No problem, technology has come to the rescue with electric toothbrushes and water picks for flossing.
- Electric Toothbrushes: If brushing with a manual toothbrush is a hassle you can consider getting an electric toothbrush. The electric toothbrush will simplify the brushing process. Some models have timers and pressure sensors to ensure you brush properly and evenly.
- Water Picks: A water pick can replace manual flossing as it sends a stream of water between your teeth and along your gumline. It reaches spots where floss might be difficult to get to. It also helps to irrigate your teeth, cleaning out your entire mouth. A water pick is great because it does a good job and saves you time.
Additional Tips to Help You Brush Your Teeth Regularly
- Replacing Your Toothbrush or Brush Head: What people usually tend to do is keep using the same toothbrush far past the point it should be thrown out. The same goes for electric toothbrush heads. Make sure to switch up your brush after about 3 months for a new one.
- Caring for Your Toothbrush: Make sure to store your brush upright in an open area where it can dry out rather than stored in a closed container where bacteria can grow.
- Choosing the Right Toothpaste: Nowadays there are so many options and flavor of toothpaste it may be difficult to pick one. Firstly, choose one with fluoride as it strengthens your teeth (be sure not to swallow it as it is poisonous). Then, if you have sensitive teeth, choose a paste with a sensitive formula. For me, I also want whitening agents to help counteract all the coffee I drink. Toothpaste isn’t too expensive – try some out and keep what you like.
- Beyond the Bathroom: To make an even bigger impact on how your teeth look, cut back on tobacco and coffee, both of which stain your teeth. Also consider reducing the amount of sugar you consume as it acts as an acid on your teeth’s enamel.
- Link to Overall Health: Failing to brush and floss or doing it irregularly can lead to gum disease. This in turn can lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease, so it is important to take oral hygiene seriously [2].
Conclusion: Remember to Brush Your Teeth Regularly
While brushing your teeth may seem mundane and obvious, doing so regularly and properly isn’t always on people’s minds. However, doing so not only improves the health of your teeth and gums but also improves your overall health. And, with healthier teeth and gums, you have fewer dental problems, which save you from painful, expensive procedures. Use technology such as an electric toothbrush and water pick to make things easier and your teeth cleaner. Do it for a better, more confident smile, fresher breath, and a healthier you!
Check out Eat Less Sugar: Great Reasons to Cut It Out.
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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support and guidance of your physician when you are unsure about any health issues.
