Brushing more than twice a day can damage your enamel, says oral health expert | Exclusive

We all understand the importance of health in life. We also take care of the externally visible body parts like hair and skin but, in the midst of all this, we often do not pay much attention to Oral Health. You may be surprised to know that 80 percent of people in India are troubled by some kind of oral health problem. Even after this, people do not pay attention to oral health. Many types of diseases can occur if the mouth is not cleaned properly. Not taking proper care of the teeth even increases the risk of heart diseases by 70 percent. Therefore, in this article, we will tell you the important things to keep in mind related to oral health.

Speaking exclusively to DNA India, Dr Keshav Chandra Naithani, a dental surgeon at Tower 2 Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, shared the following:

Tips to maintain good oral health:

1. If you brush more than twice a day or too vigorously or with a hard-bristle brush, you risk damaging your enamel, the protective layer shielding your teeth from harm. Ideally brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes is the best approach.

2. If you don't brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles get accumulated in your mouth, promoting bacterial growth between teeth, around the gums, and on the tongue. This causes bad breath. Inflammation of the gums from poor dental hygiene can also cause bad breath. If this continues for a very long time, it can cause periodontal disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on teeth. 

3. A good oral hygiene routine includes brushing and flossing at least twice a day and seeing a dentist at least every six months for an evaluation and cleaning.

4. Bad oral health can cause many chronic diseases such as heart disease. The bacteria that live in your mouth, especially when you have gum disease (acute gingivitis or chronic periodontitis) can cross into your bloodstream, enter the heart, and directly infect the vulnerable heart valves, which can cause heart disease. So, maintaining good oral hygiene is also important to prevent heart disease. 

Dr Keshav Chandra Naithani, dental surgeon, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali

There are several noticeable warning signs:

• Red, swollen, or tender gums
• Bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food
• Receding gums
• Loose or separated teeth
• Persistent bad breath

Any of these symptoms warrant a visit to the dentist. Once the gum disease is properly managed, the high risk to your heart should become less and can even return to normal.

5. If you have a sweet tooth, you need to be aware that candy, cookies, pies and other delicious treats can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums.  So, avoid eating junk foods or any kind of sticky foods at night. At night, there is no self-cleaning process that happens and because of the long gap, the food gets stuck in the mouth and later causes tooth decay. 

6. Crisp fruits and raw vegetables, like apples, carrots and celery, help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath. Many fruits and vegetables contain lots of antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, that help protect gums and other tissues from cell damage and bacterial infection. As with good overall health, maintaining good dental health means eating a variety of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of fluoridated water. Chewing is a friend to our teeth, chewing increases saliva production, which helps to wash away bacteria in the mouth.

Also read: World Oral Health Day 2023: Follow these oral hygiene habits to keep teeth and gums healthy