If your gums are weak and don’t have a great enough blood supply, it can lead to periodontitis. With this disease, your gums bleed, become inflamed and soft, and reveal dental necks. And you can eventually lose your teeth.
To make your gums stronger, you need to massage them with your toothbrush or finger with circular movements. Eat solid food, and chew it thoroughly. You can also rinse your mouth with oak bark or sage teas or with a salt solution.
If your gums are inclined to bleed, visit a dental hygienist. He or she will prescribe specific medications to strengthen your gums.
4. We don’t get our tooth tartar removed.
Tooth tartar is the hardened product of minerals from saliva and foods that accumulates in plaque around the teeth. It has a yellowish-brown color and can’t be removed with a toothbrush. Dental plaque and tartar cause periodontal disease, including inflammation of the bone surrounding the teeth. Tartar can become as hard as rock, becoming removable only by a dentist or dental hygienist with special tools.
Have a hygienic cleaning procedure at least once a year. Your dentist can advise you on the proper frequency for your teeth condition.
3. We think we are too old for dental braces.
A lot of people think they can make their teeth straight only during their teens. When they are adults, they think it’s just too late to wear dental braces. But that’s the wrong conclusion. A beautiful smile is not even the main reason to have the treatment. If you have a problem of snagged teeth, it can lead to cavities and decay.
If you feel embarrassed to wear regular braces, you can always choose invisible lingual braces which are placed on the back side of the teeth. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with an orthodontist.
2. We chew only on one side of our mouth.
Chewing has self-cleansing properties. So if you chew food only on one side of your mouth, it can lead to cavities and decay on the side you don’t usually use.
Apart from that, chewing food on one side of the mouth causes thick and strong muscles on that side. The muscles on each side of the face will become asymmetric. Eventually, it can lead to pain and even hearing problems.
Pay attention when eating, and try to chew your food on both sides of your mouth. Don’t forget to eat solid food, such as fruits and vegetables. It will make your teeth stronger.
1. We don’t teach our children to take care of their teeth properly.
Some parents think there is no need to take proper care of milk teeth because they are temporary. But a child should be in the know about what is right and what is wrong because the teeth will change but the habit will stay. The process of brushing teeth should last for at least 3 minutes, and the brush should be moved up and down.
The enamel of children’s permanent teeth is not as strong as that of adults’ teeth. And the grooves (fissures) on their grinder teeth are deeper, which is why the food particles are not so easy to brush away. Teach your child to brush their teeth carefully. Perhaps it’s worth taking the procedure of fissure sealing (a specific dental treatment intended to prevent tooth decay).
Bonus: How to use an old toothbrush
Dentists recommend changing a toothbrush every 3-4 months. But old toothbrushes can have a much more interesting afterlife than the trash bin.
Here are some ideas for what you can do with your old toothbrush:
- scrub and massage your lips
- clean your nails
- brush and dye your eyebrows
- clean corn and young potatoes
- clean shoes, keyboards, gaps between the bathtub and porcelain wall tiles, and any other places that are hard to reach
To make a convenient tool out of a toothbrush, you can heat its handle with fire from a lighter, and bend it at the necessary angle.
You can find other ways of using an old toothbrush in this video.
