Studies are now showing that beside tooth decay, bad teeth can cause a lot of health problems

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“As the years went by, I stopped looking inside my mouth. When I brushed, I wrapped my lips around the toothbrush, so I wouldn’t get a glimpse of the terror within. Of course, I stopped smiling. And I covered my mouth with my hand when I laughed. The horror show in my mouth became my shameful secret, and I went to great lengths to hide it from everyone.” Anonymous

You would be surprised at how common stories like the one above are. Sometimes people don’t have the means to go to a dentist on a regular basis, and because of this they live with years of pain and embarrassment. The thing is not taking care of your mouth could cause more problems than just losing teeth.

Tooth decay is the most common health problem caused by bad teeth. It occurs when food particles are trapped in between and on top of your teeth, where it will eventually turn into plaque. Bacteria feed off this plaque and create acid, which eats through the enamel of your tooth.

Another disturbing health problem is heart disease. Plaque inside of your arteries causes heart disease, and science is showing that if you have any type of build-up in your mouth it can travel to your heart. This build-up will cause trouble for your heart and it may even lead to a heart attack.

Your immune system needs to stay healthy and strong in order for your body to fight off disease and infection. Unfortunately, bad teeth can decrease your immunity because of the bacteria that has been spreading throughout your mouth.

Finally, plaque on your teeth may contain a lot of zinc and copper, which is bad, because these metals will accumulate in your brain. This accumulation can cause dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Some scary stuff right! I guess this means that we are going to have to find ways to prevent any of these things from happening.

When is the best time to brush your teeth?

You might be surprised to hear that the best time to brush your teeth is not immediately after eating – especially if you’ve had very acidic or sugary food or drink. This is because sugar and acid weaken tooth enamel, and you may damage your teeth by brushing them when they have just been exposed. Instead, rinse your mouth with water straight after eating and brush your teeth 30-60 minutes later.

Should you floss before or after brushing?

The NHS and the Oral Health Foundation both recommend flossing before brushing teeth since this helps clean the surfaces between the teeth, making the fluoride in toothpaste more effective. However, there is also a case for flossing after you brush, as this helps spread fluoride between the teeth. Either way, the important thing is that you floss regularly.

Should you brush your tongue?

Brushing your tongue helps to combat bad breath, and lower the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Brushing your tongue with a toothbrush is not as effective as using a tongue scraper, though. The special design of tongue scrapers also makes them less likely to trigger your gag reflex.

What are some good tooth care practices?

Angle the brush at 45 degrees, and when brushing the sides of your teeth, tilt your brush 45 degrees so that the bristles can reach inside the small gap between your teeth and gums. If plaque builds up in this pocket, it can lead to gum disease.

The easiest way to explain this is to push your soft toothbrush very gently downwards into your gum pockets, then move upwards to clean spaces in-between your teeth and your teeth. Do this for each tooth and gum pocket and you won’t believe what comes out of those pockets.

Many of us have the bad habit of brushing hard across the teeth, neglecting to clean the gum level and that is the worst way to clean your teeth. Also being in front of a mirror while you brush your teeth instead of doing a walk or standing outside, will condition you to concentrate on cleaning each tooth instead of brushing hard while you think over some situation in your life.

Healthcare extends past the body, and mental. We want you to take care of every part of your body so that you can live your best life, all day, every day!