Bad Oral Hygiene Habits You Need To Quit

We are creatures of habit and the many routines we go through in a typical day quickly become second nature, yet not all of your habits are beneficial. Take oral hygiene as an example, you might think it doesn’t matter if you skip that post-lunch brushing, which soon becomes the norm, or you forgot to buy floss and didn’t think it was that important.

Here are a few bad oral hygiene habits to break:

Skipping Brushing Sessions – It is important to brush your teeth before and after sleep and after meals and missing a pre-sleep brush means there are bacteria in your mouth that has 8 hours in which to thrive. While you’re sleeping, the bacteria get to work on attacking your tooth enamel, which is why the last brush of the day is the most important. It is easy to let things slide and before you know it, you are not brushing as often as you should.

No Mouthwash Routine – Antiseptic mouthwash is great after snacking or tea of coffee, as it kills bacteria and helps to remove food particles. Keep a small bottle in your pocket and make a habit of swilling several times during the day. Mouthwash is also great after you have that lunchtime drink, as it masks the smell of alcohol, albeit slight. Ask any Brisbane dentist or your local dentist about antiseptic mouthwash and they will gladly confirm that this is an essential aspect of good oral hygiene. 

Floss Free – Flossing removes small particles of food that get lodged between the teeth. Brushing is not effective at removing this, which is why we floss after every brush, then swill with water or mouthwash. Agreed, it isn’t the end of the world if you miss a couple of days, but that can turn into a week and before you know it, flossing has vanished from your routine. Keep a spare spool in the car and another in the bathroom, as running out of floss could be the start of abstinence.

Smoking – Aside from the obvious health risks that smoking involves, it stains your teeth and is definitely one habit to kick. Of course, there are many quitting programs that profess to work and according to some smokers, if you can get past the first 7 days, it’s all downhill after that.

Eating Sweet Food – Food with high sugar content can cause tooth decay and if combined with a poor oral hygiene routine, cavities are the likely outcome. This is especially important with kids, who tend to like sweet things and keeping an eye on what they consume is wise.

We should all take an honest look at our oral hygiene habits and if we notice anything amiss, it should be corrected. Let’s not forget the regular dental check-ups, which enable the dentist to closely monitor the health of your teeth and gums. We live a fast-paced lifestyle and in order for your teeth and gums to remain healthy, you need to adopt good oral hygiene practices.