If you want to be your healthiest self, you must maintain good oral health. Yep, the answer to a good immune system is literally right under your nose and in your mouth! Read on…
In life, it’s so important to prioritize your physical health.
Embracing self-care not only ensures you’re living a happier life – but a healthier one too.
While you may have lots of aspects of your physical health in check, you may not give you oral health the attention it deserves.
There are so many problems that can occur if you have poor oral health care – and many surprising health benefits to showing good oral care.
As you might know, I’m a longevity research geek. I wrote a health boosting bestseller, Life Is Long. In my research I discovered that brushing your teeth regularly can actually reverse early signs of heart disease.
Via traveling oral bacteria!
Researchers at the University of Milan discovered that a special bacteria in the mouth—Porphyromonas gingivalis— is a huge culprit in not only gum disease but also heart disease.
Dr. Mario Clerici, the study leader and an immunologist, said he was surprised to learn that something as simple as taking care of your gums could reverse lesions in the blood vessels that could lead to heart disease.
Dr. Clerici explains that the bacteria in the mouth trigger an immune response that increases the production of T lymphocytes, a vital part of the body’s immune system.
However, once the immune system starts to attack the bacteria, it moves on to the proteins in all the blood vessels and ultimately to the heart.
(Pssst…You can learn more about preventing heart disease and other ailments in my book Life Is Long)
With all this in mind, it’s good to know how to properly maintain good oral health.
So how can you do this?
Try following all 8 out of 8 of these oral health suggestions below.
To ensure that germs and bacteria are removed from your mouth while you brush, check that your toothpaste includes fluoride.
This powerful ingredient is key to ensuring that you combat tooth decay and it even creates a protective barrier over your teeth.
Although you might be drawn in by toothpastes because they claim to have whitening powers or that they will give you long-lasting fresh breath, this ingredient should be at the core of your purchasing decision.
If you have any doubts about brands you should use, you can always ask your dentist for advice.
Following on from the above, another part of maintaining good oral health is through booking in regular dental appointments. Through these checkups, your dentist will be able to identify any issues with your teeth and suggest other ways to help improve them.
Although many people neglect to do this, it’s so important if you want to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and other issues down the line. Also, the more regularly you go, the less the bill will be at the end of it!
As well as choosing the right toothpaste and visiting your dentist, you should also use mouthwash daily.
By making this part of your daily routine, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of acid that’s in your mouth, remove any excess bacteria and benefit from fresh breath.
Using mouthwash is something that you can do right after brushing. It takes less than a minute – which makes it easy for those who are living busy lifestyles!
Note: Some research reports that it’s best to use a mouthwash which is alcohol-free.
It might be easy to eat plenty of sugary treats – whether they are sweets or sodas. However, when you frequently consume these, you’re only damaging your health in the long run.
Not only can they contribute to further issues like diabetes, but they will start to erode your teeth.
This could result in your teeth becoming brittle and even falling out.
While there are solutions like Affordable Dentures, crowns and other ways of improving the look of the missing teeth, it’s important to avoid this happening from the start.
Although this might seem easier said than done, by quitting smoking you’ll be able to improve your overall oral health.
Over the years, smoking not only affects the color of your teeth (turning them yellow or black), but it will start to destroy your gums.
So if you can, start to gradually cut down the amount of cigarettes you’re smoking a day.
To help motivate you to do this, you could even join a support group or start taking nicotine tablets (or something similar). You don’t want to experience oral issues because of this and you don’t want your life to be shortened. So the sooner you do something about this, the better.
Another important part of your oral routine should be flossing!
By doing this daily, you’ll be able to prevent bacteria from building up between your teeth.
Although this isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do, the long term benefits make it worth the effort!
Just make sure that when you’re flossing, you are guiding the floss gently between your teeth and your gums. Otherwise, you might notice that your gums start to bleed.
There are plenty of guides online to help with this, for those who haven’t done this before.
Brushing your teeth might feel like a chore. But when you rush it, you’re only paving the way for problems down the line. When you brush your teeth, make sure that you do this for at least two minutes.
Focusing your attention on each tooth, move the toothbrush back and forth gently. This way, you’ll be able to prevent any harmful plaque and bacteria from building up.
Water truly is the elixir of the gods.
And yet so many people forget to drink enough of it every day.
Not only will water help your body, but it will also help your teeth!
By drinking the right amounts of water each day (just over 3 liters for men and just under 3 liters for women), you’ll be able to rinse away any food debris or bacteria that’s been left behind.
Although we’ve touched briefly on this above, it’s important to look more thoroughly into why you should be prioritizing your oral health.
Firstly, when bacteria is left on your teeth, it starts to decay the enamel over time. When this occurs, your teeth start to break down and you could start to experience sensitivity in your teeth. It could also result in significant cavities, leading you to have to have fillings.
Secondly, by neglecting this, it could be the start of gum disease. When this bacteria and plaque builds up, it can lead to an inflammation of the gums and gingivitis. This is the start of gum disease – which causes tender, red and swollen gums. If you notice this, it’s important that you visit your dentist as soon as possible.
So, there you go! Those are 8 simple ways that you can maintain good oral health throughout the years. By following an efficient and effective routine every day, you’ll have beautiful and healthy teeth and gums!
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