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Comments Off on Key Ways Your Everyday Choices Affect Your Oral Hygiene and Health
Woman brushing her teeth to achieve healthy oral hygiene

Key Ways Your Everyday Choices Affect Your Oral Hygiene and Health

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Keeping your teeth and mouth clean is about more than just brushing your teeth. The choices you make every day can have an effect on the health of your mouth. What you choose to eat and drink has an impact on your oral hygiene. Whether you smoke and even what medications you take can also influence how healthy your teeth and mouth are. If you want to have healthy teeth and gums and to avoid bad breath, your lifestyle makes a difference. It’s also not just about preventing cavities and halitosis. You can also prevent things like gum disease or teeth staining by making the right choices.

Food and Drink Choices

It’s no secret that your diet can affect your oral hygiene and health. For example, we know that a diet high in sugar can encourage bacteria to grow. It’s also best to avoid having too many acidic foods, such as citrus fruits. Both sugar and acid can encourage bacteria to grow in your mouth. Starchy foods can raise acid levels in the mouth too, and can sometimes get stuck in your teeth. What you drink makes a difference too. Sugary drinks should be consumed sparingly, and alcohol can also cause problems. Alcoholic drinks dry out your mouth, which makes it easier for bacteria to thrive.

Smoking

Smoking and using other tobacco products can cause several problems for you. It can lead to gum disease, tooth decay, and even oral cancer. Smoking also stains your teeth, due to the nicotine, and it can give you bad breath. Choosing to smoke makes it harder to care for your oral health and maintain good hygiene. Not only that, but it can have an effect on your health in many other ways. If you want to improve your oral health, cutting out smoking or using other tobacco products should be the first thing you do.

Medications

Certain medications can have an effect on your mouth. For example, several medicines you can get over the counter can make your mouth dry. As mentioned before, a dry mouth means that bacteria can multiply more quickly and easily. This can lead to bad breath and tooth decay. Some medications could stain your teeth, such as some types of antibiotic. Other prescribed medications might have unfortunate side effects, such as oral thrush. However, you have to balance a drug’s side effects with its intended purpose. Sometimes, the solution is to change medications but other times it’s to be more vigilant with your oral hygiene.

Your Oral Hygiene Routine

Of course, the routine you keep to look after your teeth, gums, and mouth is important too. You have to make a conscious choice every day to brush, floss and perform other tasks for oral hygiene. If you don’t, you can start to get lazy about looking after your oral health. It can sometimes be confusing if you’re not sure when to brush and what you should be doing. If you’re ever unsure, talk to your dentist or dental hygienist.

It’s important to consider all the choices you make and how they affect oral hygiene and health. It should be something you think about every day.

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Comments Off on Is Oil Pulling Beneficial to Oral Health?
is oil pulling good

Is Oil Pulling Beneficial to Oral Health?

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Although the practice of oil pulling existed as an Indian folk remedy for thousands of years, it’s recently grown in popularity in the United States and other countries. Many wonder if the practice of swishing coconut or sesame oil in the mouth is truly beneficial to oral health. If you’re considering taking up this practice, there are some important things you need to know.

Potential benefits

Swishing, pulling or sloshing the right type of oil around in the mouth for 20 minutes helps to eliminate bacteria in the mouth and can, therefore, improve overall health. A large majority of those who practice oil pulling also claim that their overall health has benefited along with their oral health. Improvements oil pullers have claimed include reductions in:

  • Headaches
  • Arthritis
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Infections
  • Liver issues
  • Asthma
  • Acne breakouts

Reported dental improvements from oil pulling include whiter teeth, gingivitis prevention, and plaque elimination. When people practice oil pulling using high-quality oils, the procedure is completely natural.

Theory behind oil pulling

The theory behind oil pulling is that swishing the oil around for 20 minutes pulls bacteria out of the mouth. Proponents recommend using coconut oil or sesame oil because they contain antibacterial properties and only pulling for 20 minutes because any longer and the body can reabsorb the oil. Removing bacteria from the mouth is beneficial because many harmful infections and bacteria can penetrate the blood through the mouth. By eliminating that bacteria before it reaches the bloodstream, people can potentially prevent or improve specific health conditions. Although not everyone experiences overall health improvements, even seeing dental health improvements can be beneficial.

Dental perspective

Dental professionals remind patients that no current scientific research supports the claimed benefits of oil pulling, but that doesn’t mean they recommend against the practice. People should consult with their dentist to gain his or her perspective. Oil pulling has no known side effects and the potential to make patients more interested in their oral health, which is a good thing, but it’s important to remember that oil pulling is not a substitution for thorough dental exams, cleanings, and treatments.

There’s nothing wrong with pursuing more homeopathic ways to promote good oral health, but it’s a good idea to consult with a dentist first to ensure you’re not risking damage to your teeth. Contact Dupont Dental today to find out more great ways to protect and improve the health of your teeth and gums.

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