Category: Blog

Healthy Oral Habits

Oral hygiene is a significant part of our daily routines, whether it’s brushing our teeth or flossing at the end of the day, or using mouthwash. However, implementing healthy oral hygiene habits within your daily life is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeing significant changes in your oral hygiene and overall health.

Here are some healthy oral hygiene habits you should include in your daily routine:

1. Brush Your Teeth Twice A Day

Brushing your teeth may seem like an obvious one, however, brushing twice a day is essential for maintaining healthy and clean teeth. Remembering this step in your daily routine is a simple and effective way of maintaining good oral hygiene. Brushing again at the end of the day helps in preventing many gum diseases.

2. Remember To Clean Your Tongue

Along with brushing your teeth, cleaning your tongue eliminates harmful bacteria and odors from your mouth and prevents you from developing periodontal diseases. This is an often forgotten step, so make sure to brush your tongue with a tongue scraper or toothbrush every day!

3. Floss!

Flossing is an essential step to maintaining healthy oral hygiene, as it prevents the build-up of bacteria and removes plaque from your teeth in areas where your brush cannot reach. Flossing every day protects you from developing gum disease and removes bacteria that may not be accessible through just brushing. If you do not prefer to floss, you can also use Waterpik or any other interdental brushes. Flossing is a must in your daily routine!

 

4. Minimize Sugary and Salty Foods

Limiting your intake of sugary and salty foods can reduce your chances of developing tooth decay and plaque on your teeth. This is an important habit to create as it increases the prevention of cavities and bacteria in your mouth and is an overall healthy habit to maintain. Make sure to rinse right after or brush 10 minutes after you eat as well!

 

5. Have Regular Dental Checkups

Attending routine dental checkups throughout the year is necessary to follow up with your dental hygienist and adhere to any dental complications and issues you may face. It is essential to have your mouth checked and cleaned throughout the year to maintain your oral hygiene and decrease your risk of developing any complications with your oral health. Your dental professional can help you in the early diagnosis of any abnormalities in your oral cavity such as cancer, which is highly important for early detection.

These are just some steps that can help provide you with simple ways of maintaining good oral health in your daily routine. Implementing these steps in your routine can make a huge difference in your oral health, and can help you stay consistent with taking care of yourself.

At Smiles On Wheels, our team of professionals focuses on educating our clients and sitting with families to discuss their oral health routines to make a plan personalized to their families to make it easier for our clients to implement these habits into their daily routines.

Smiles On Wheels is here to educate its clients on their oral health. Clients can call us at 647-969-0008 to learn more about our oral health educational services. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to be lifted, Smiles On Wheels is happy to come free of cost to educate groups of 15+ on maintaining good oral hygiene, alongside hosting oral hygiene workshops. Contact us by email dental@smilesonwheels.com or by phone 647-969-0008 to learn more about what we can provide for you!

Swish, Spit and Don’t Rinse

The Reason Behind Not Rinsing with Water After Brushing Your Teeth

“Are you supposed to rinse after brushing?” is a common question people have about brushing. Spitting instead of rinsing is an essential part of improving oral health. According to a survey conducted as part of National Smile Month, 62 percent of people rinse their mouth out with water after brushing.

“Rinsing our mouth with water is very bad for our teeth as it washes away the protective fluoride left behind by brushing,” said Dr. Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation.

Fluoride plays a significant role in oral health as it strengthens tooth enamel, making it more resistant to tooth decay. In addition, it reduces the amount of acid that the bacteria on your teeth produce. When you spit out your toothpaste without rinsing with water it ensures that the fluoride will be more effective as it will remain on the teeth.

The majority of people brush their teeth for less than a minute, which doesn’t give the fluoride toothpaste very much time to work on your teeth. The fluoride has more time to work to protect your teeth when you don’t rinse. The result? Healthier, cleaner teeth, which are less prone to cavities.

Mouthwash

The survey also found that 14 percent of respondents rinsed their mouth out after brushing with mouthwash. “It may also be surprising to some but using mouthwash directly after brushing is also bad for our teeth as it also rinses away fluoride,” added Dr. Carter. “If you do like to use mouthwash, try to use it at a separate time to brushing to ensure that you get the full benefit of the fluoride in your toothpaste.” The survey revealed that respondents who rinse their mouth out after washing are also more likely to leave the tap running whilst brushing potentially wasting 12 liters of water every time they brush.

To Rinse or Not to Rinse?

If you are at higher risk of cavities than the average person then don’t rinse. Keeping more fluoride in your mouth for longer can only be beneficial. But remember to brush your teeth for at least the recommended two minutes. This will give the fluoride more time to do its job. On the other hand, if you don’t overeat sugar, don’t have bad crowns or fillings, bad oral hygiene, or lots of cavity-causing bacteria then it’s not going to make a big difference whether you rinse or not as your teeth are not as susceptible to cavities in the first place.

The choice is yours!

Oral Health Seniors

As we age, our oral health care becomes increasingly important. It is more
imperative than you may realize. Aging is a part of life, and it can come with an increased risk of health issues from within your mouth to throughout your body.

What Changes As We Age?

Given all the crunching, chewing, and biting our teeth do, they are bound to wear down over time. No matter how well we take care of our teeth, some significant changes may still occur.

Some examples are:
● Teeth Changes – Over time, you might see your teeth getting darker. That’s the aging dentin, the tooth’s middle layer, getting thicker and darker. At the same time, your tooth enamel thins, which makes it easier for the darker dentin color to show through. Additionally, staining from years of eating food, drinking coffee or tea, as well as smoking can lead to discoloration in your teeth.

● Gum Changes – Receding gums and shrinking jawbones are common issues we see as we age. As the gums pull away from your teeth, the roots of your teeth will be exposed and can cause sensitivity.

What Are The Risks?

A healthy smile can help you look great, eat delicious food, speak confidently, but most importantly, it can help your quality of life. Your dental health is closely linked to your overall health, and harmful bacteria on your teeth and gums can also lead to serious medical conditions.

Gum Disease – Gum disease has various symptoms, such as tooth loss, bone damage, and inflammation. In the early stages, your gums may bleed easily or become red, a disease known as Gingivitis. As the disease progresses, you can develop Periodontitis. Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease. If left untreated, you may lose your teeth or need them to be removed by an oral hygienist.

Dry Mouth – Dry mouth, also known as Xerostomia, can be a major issue that often goes unnoticed in older adults. When there is a minimal amount of saliva to wash away bacteria and food particles in your mouth, your risk of infection increases. Some medications common to older adults can contribute to dry mouth as well. Diligently brushing and flossing your teeth combined with regular dental visits can decrease your risk of this condition.

Root Caries (Decay) – Root decay is a cavity that appears on the roots of your teeth. Unfortunately, these types of cavities can start and spread faster than others. They spread to the inside of the tooth, causing infections.Older adults are at a greater risk of this condition, so it’s important to ask your dental hygienist on ways to avoid the spread of root decay.

Heart Disease – Many of the causes of gum disease are similar to those of heart disease, like tobacco use and poor nutrition. Research has shown that systemic diseases, such as heart disease, have oral symptoms as well. If brushing your teeth can protect your heart, you might want to give it a try.

Tips For A Healthy Smile

Maintaining a healthy smile and mouth is essential to your oral health. Here are some dental care tips we’ve put together to help you maintain your oral health:
1. Brush at least twice a day – Taking care of your teeth is incredibly important. Don’t cut corners on brushing and flossing. Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride twice a day. It will help kill off bacteria that your toothbrush may miss! If you don’t feel like you’re brushing effectively, invest in an electric toothbrush.

2. Floss once a day – Flossing once a day can help pull food particles from
difficult areas of your smile. Food particles can deteriorate and cause bad
breath as well as attract bacteria.

3. Stay Hydrated – The dentist chair and your bathroom aren’t the only places you can take care of your teeth. Staying hydrated will help attack dry mouth head-on. Talk to your dentist about any medications that may be causing dry mouth. Using artificial saliva products or chewing sugarless gum can help too!

4. Calcium– Calcium is an important part of everyone’s diet, however, it is highly essential as we age. Calcium can help prevent bone loss or Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis in your jawbone can lead to your teeth becoming loose or falling out. It’s recommended to get around 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day from dairy foods or vegetables.

5. Visit your hygienist regularly for an oral exam – Visiting your hygienist
regularly is essential to maintaining a beautiful and healthy smile. Your
hygienist has years of schooling to help you take care of your oral hygiene, so communication with your dentist or dental hygienist is highly recommended. Make sure to discuss any irregularities you may notice!

6. Don’t wait until there’s an issue to see a dental hygienist – You should see your dentist about twice a year, but if you start noticing an issue or irregularity – GO! Individuals with ongoing dental concerns may need to see the dentist more often.

Denture Care

Now that you’ve gotten great tips for dental health care, what about your dentures? Just like your teeth, brush them to remove any food or plaque regularly. You can rinse your dentures with hand soap or a mild dishwashing liquid as well! Toothpaste can cause damage to dentures, so make sure you use mild cleaners. Remember to remove and rinse your dentures after you eat and soak them overnight. You don’t want any lingering bacteria to stick around!

Mobile Dental Care

Luckily, you won’t have to search for “dental cleaning near me” anymore. Dental care is done easier than ever with Smiles On Wheels. Instead of taking your day off to visit your dental hygienist; the hygienist comes to you.

Practicing good dental health across your lifespan will help you maintain a healthy smile and improve your quality of life. Your oral health is an investment, but it is worthwhile.

Keeping your gums and teeth healthy can help prevent bacteria from entering your bloodstream. Practicing good dental health across your lifespan will help you maintain a healthy smile and improve your quality of life. Your oral health is an investment, but it is worthwhile.

At Smiles On Wheels we provide services to our seniors in a fully equipped dental hygiene van that brings their scheduled appointment right to their home or facilities. Smiles on Wheels is a new and easy way of fulfilling the dental hygiene needs of clients with very minimal interruption in their daily life. Teeth are cleaned, scaled, whitened and sealed as the client can relax and watch a movie of their choice.

Smiles on Wheels provides Dental Hygiene care throughout the Greater Toronto Area. We are open from 10 am to 6:30pm, seven days a week. To book an appointment or for more information, call 647-969-0008 or visit www.smilesonwheels.com.