Taking care of your oral hygiene is one of the most important parts of your daily routine.  However, in your drowsy morning mental fog or your overwhelming evening fatigue, you might feel tempted to neglect the most basic of oral hygiene practices such as brushing your teeth or flossing. Failure to maintain these consistent practices can not only be detrimental to your oral health, it can also cause harm to your overall physical health.  According to webmd.com, poor mouth health has been linked to heart disease, pregnancy complications, and osteoporosis.  The inflammation caused by poor dental hygiene can contribute to inflammation in other areas of your body, causing more problems than mere bad breath. In order to stave away bad breath, sore and swollen gums while improving overall health, making proper dental care a mainstay in your routine. 

Brushing

You have likely been brushing your teeth since you were a wee child.  Your teeth-brushing strategy is likely so engrained into your routine that it is doubtful that you question your technique.  Sharecare.com reports that optimal brushing occurs when your toothbrush is positioned at a 45 degree angle.  Adjust the angle to be flat across your teeth when addressing chewing surfaces and don't forget to brush your tongue.  Spending two minutes brushing your teeth twice daily should help to keep your mouth in good shape.  Taking merely four minutes today can make such a tremendous difference in your overall health!

Flossing

Flossing is all too often over looked in the daily routine.  However, Dr. Alex Naini of doctoroz.com states that flossing might even be more beneficial than brushing!  Flossing helps to remove food and bacteria lodged between teeth and causing damage to teeth and gums.  When initiating your flossing routine, remember that your unhealthy gums might be sensitive.  Consistent flossing will help to strengthen gums and prevent bleeding, pain and soreness. 

Regular Dental Visits

Dentalwellness4u.com reports that you should visit your dentist as regularly as once or twice a year.  Your dentist can provide a thorough cleaning and assess your mouth for any diseases or conditions that will require treatment.  It is important to see your dentist regularly as your dentist might be privy to issues without your mouth of which you might be unaware. For example, a simple x-ray might reveal that your wisdom teeth are causing crowding of your teeth.  If this is the case, a referral to an oral surgeon might be appropriate.  This fact might have otherwise gone unnoticed if it was not for the watchful eye of your dentist or oral surgeon.

Often dental hygiene can seem like a chore.  However, with mere minutes a day and and one dental visit a year, you can improve your overall health and have a health smile to show as well!  Next time you feel tempted to cut oral hygiene out of your routine, remember these tips and get to brushing!   

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