Oral health begins with clean teeth. It is therefore important for you to know how to promote oral health. Besides paying the dentist a visit once a year, it would also be a great help if you practice a daily dental hygiene routine.

Follow these tips to avoid dental problems and to ensure healthy teeth:

    • Brush your teeth at least twice a day. When you brush, don’t rush. Take enough time to do a thorough job.
    • Use the proper equipment. Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Consider using an electric or battery-operated toothbrush, especially if you have arthritis or other problems that make it difficult to brush effectively.
    • Practice good technique. Hold your toothbrush at a slight angle against your teeth and brush with short back-and-forth motions. Remember to brush the inside and chewing surfaces of your teeth, as well as your tongue. Avoid vigorous or harsh scrubbing that can irritate your gums.
    • Know when to replace your toothbrush. Invest in a new toothbrush or a replacement head for your electric toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles become frayed.

Flossing for oral health

You can’t reach the tight spaces between your teeth or under your gum line with a toothbrush. That’s why daily flossing is important. When you floss, consider the following:

    • Don’t skimp. Break off about 45 cm of dental floss. Wind most of the floss around the middle finger on one hand, and the rest around the middle finger on the other hand, leaving about 2.5 cm to floss your first tooth.
    • Take it one tooth at a time. Use your thumbs and forefingers to gently pull the floss from the gum line to the top of the tooth to scrape off plaque. Rub the floss against all sides of the tooth. Unwind to fresh floss as you progress to the next tooth.
    • Keep it up. If you have trouble getting floss through your teeth, try the waxed variety. If it’s hard to manipulate the floss, use a floss holder or an inter dental cleaner, such as a dental pick or stick designed to clean between the teeth.
    • In addition to daily brushing and flossing, you may use an antimicrobial or antiseptic mouth rinse to help reduce plaque between your teeth.

To remove food particles from your teeth, you may try an oral irrigator, a device that aims a stream of water at your teeth. However, keep in mind that an oral irrigator doesn’t replace daily brushing and flossing. Resist the temptation to use toothpicks or other objects that could injure your gums.

Teeth are important, not only for our smile but also for our health. There are a number of research results indicating a relationship between the health of teeth and gums and other diseases like heart disease and high cholesterol.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about dental care.