Proper oral hygiene includes daily brushing and flossing to remove plaque, as well as routine dental visits for X-rays and cleanings. It also includes using tools recommended by your dentist to clean hard-to-reach areas of your mouth.

In the present study, male patients and those living in rural area were nearly four times more likely to have poor practice regarding oral hygiene compared to their counterparts.

Brushing

Brushing your teeth twice daily is one of the easiest and most important dental care practices. It gets rid of bacteria that damage your teeth and gums and cause tooth decay. It also removes food particles from between your teeth, which help to prevent cavities.

If you don’t brush your teeth properly, or if you skip brushing altogether, you may have plaque buildup, which causes tooth decay and bad breath. In addition, if you have a dry mouth, your saliva isn’t there to neutralize acid from foods and drinks that damage your teeth, so be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

It’s important to floss every day to get between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. If you aren’t flossing regularly, you may have a condition called gingivitis that causes the gums to be red and swollen and to bleed easily. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke.

It’s also a good idea to wash your toothbrush and brush holder on a regular basis to avoid the buildup of germs. You should also make it a point to brush your tongue, which is another place where bacteria can build up. This can contribute to bad breath, as well as to serious health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Flossing

Flossing is an important part of the daily routine that helps to prevent gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath (halitosis). It removes debris and interproximal plaque, which is the area between teeth. If plaque is not removed regularly, it can harden into tartar, a bonded substance that can only be removed by a dental professional.

The gum tissue in the mouth is like a gateway to the rest of your body. If you have inflammation in the gums from built up plaque, it can enter the bloodstream and contribute to systemic health issues like heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness.

When you floss, you are not only removing plaque from the surfaces of your teeth but also disrupting the bacteria that can enter the bloodstream and travel to other parts of your body. This is why it is so important to use an effective technique, which your dentist or dental hygienist can teach you how to do.

There are many different types of dental floss available in the market, ranging from standard floss made of nylon to flavored floss and even flat strips of “thread” that look more like dental tape. To perform the proper technique, you must hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers, creating a C shape against one tooth to hug it around the sides and gently slide into the space under the gum line.

Routine Dental Visits

Whether or not patients have good oral hygiene habits, it is important to visit their dentist regularly for a professional cleaning and dental exam. During these visits, dentists can detect issues that might not be evident to the patient and offer advice for improving brushing and flossing practices. Additionally, if problems do arise, they can offer treatment services to avoid the development of more serious problems down the road.

The most obvious benefit of routine dental visits is that they remove plaque and tartar from the teeth. These substances are not easily removed by toothbrushing and flossing alone. Leaving these substances on the teeth leads to tooth decay and gum disease. Regular dental visits allow dentists to detect these problems in their earliest stages when they are easier to treat and less likely to lead to more expensive invasive treatments.

Another benefit of regular dental appointments is that they help to improve patients’ understanding of oral health care. They can teach them proper brushing and flossing techniques and recommend effective dental products. Additionally, they can provide helpful oral health education on topics such as the importance of visiting their dentist, the role of a dental hygienist, and how to spot early signs of trouble.

The recommendation for dental exams and cleanings is every six months. However, some patients may need to make more frequent visits for a variety of reasons. Some factors that influence the need for more frequent visits include genetics, lifestyle, and access to dental care.

Oral Health Products

Oral health products are an essential part of people’s dental hygiene routines, delivering the effective cleaning required to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Oral care products include toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, floss and denture care materials.

Oral care products are the first line of defense against oral diseases and other non-communicable chronic conditions. Research shows that oral disease is caused by a combination of factors such as a diet high in sugar, lack of access to fluoride or oral healthcare and poor oral hygiene. Oral care products can help to reduce these factors by providing a range of benefits such as cleaning teeth, reducing the risk of periodontal (gum) disease and delivering therapeutic antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

In addition to a clinically proven efficacy, oral care products should be easy to use and enjoyable for the consumer. This is a challenge as people often find brushing and flossing a chore rather than a pleasurable activity. To address this, sensory and consumer science are applied to improve product design and make the experience of these important daily tasks more gratifying.

Despite these advances in oral health products, oral diseases remain common around the world. This is due to a variety of factors including low awareness, the historic separation of oral and general healthcare and barriers in accessibility, delivery and affordability. The healthcare industry is working closely with global partners to raise awareness and promote greater understanding of the impact of oral health on overall body health and self-care.