Oral Hygiene
Good oral health enhances your life.
Healthy set of teeth enables you to chew and savour tasty and nourishing meals. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to dental hygiene.
If your mouth is not taken care of properly, dental plaque can build up in between teeth, which causes tooth decay. Additionally, poor dental hygiene can lead to various complications such as respiratory infections and an increased risk for heart disease and strokes. To prevent the potential health risks, you need to practise proper oral hygiene routines.
Here are some tips to maintaining good oral health:
1. Practise Proper Brushing
- Use fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride prevents tooth decay.
- Angle the bristles toward the gumline.
- Brush gently in small, circular motions.
- Clean all sides of every tooth.
- Brush your tongue.
- Change your toothbrush when bristles are worn.
2. Floss between your teeth
- This removes not only food bits, but also plaques. If plaques are not removed, they can later harden and irritate the gums.
- When using a string to floss, make sure to curve the floss in the shape of ‘C’ around the side of each tooth. Then, slide up and down.
- If a string floss is difficult to use, try some other flossing tools that suit your preference:
- Floss holder
- Water Flosser
- Interdentals
3. Visit the dentist for regular check-ups
- Your dentist or dental hygienist can give you a proper cleaning of your teeth. They can also check if there are any oral health risks that must be attended to.
4. Be mindful of what you put in your mouth
- Limit sweets and sugary drinks.
- Do not smoke – it can increase your chances of gum disease.
For more information, visit government’s health direct website: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/teeth-cleaning
Living Waters Aged Care provides the personal care that enhances the well-being of your family member. If you are seeking help, contact us.
