World oral health day is celebrated on 20th March of every year to spread awareness about oral health. Oral health is a reflection of our full body health as our oral cavity happens to be the entry point for our digestive and respiratory systems, and a doctor can tell a lot from our oral cavity about our overall health.
Filled with friendly bacteria that help us in breaking down the food with saliva, digestion, and maintaining overall oral hygiene, an infected oral cavity with bad bacteria can lead to many overall health issues. Infected oral cavities can also host bad bacteria responsible for plaque, bad breath, mouth ulcers, cavities, and many more.
In today's day and age, proper maintenance of oral hygiene with a good oral care routine is a must to lead a healthy lifestyle. As we happen to consume much softer food and 10x as much sugar as compared to our ancestors, just brushing once a day might not be the best oral care routine.
Good oral hygiene starts with a few basic habits that one can practice daily. Let's look at them and try to share it with our loved ones on this World Oral health day!
Brushing: Brushing twice a day is the basis of good oral hygiene. It helps keep your teeth clean, stops bacterial growth, and fights bad breath. Making sure that your oral care products do not contain any harsh toxic chemicals (like Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), fluoride, artificial colours, artificial sweeteners, and many more) and are made of natural and herbal ingredients (like neem, clove, babul, triphala, etc.) is very important. As glands in the oral cavity tend to absorb directly into the bloodstream very quickly, any exposure to toxic chemicals is very harmful in the long term.
Tongue scraping: Along with brushing, scraping the tongue is also very important. The scraping of the tongue helps remove toxins and bad bacteria and stops their growth. It also keeps the palate clean and improves the sense of taste.
Gum massage: One of the most important and most neglected steps in an oral care routine is massaging the gums. Massaging gums with finger tips improves blood circulation in the gums, keeps them clean, and makes them strong and firm. Stronger gums prevent the loosening of teeth due to their strong grip over them. In ancient times in India, people used to brush their teeth with their finger tips, which naturally massaged the gums; hence, they had strong teeth even at the age of 80.
Gargling: Thorough gargling is a very important mini-step in the oral care routine. As it is not possible to brush every time after a meal or a snack, gargling is the quickest way to remove any remains in the teeth, stop plaque formation, and keep fresh breath.
Flossing: Flossing is a great way to give your teeth and gums a thorough cleaning. Flossing once a day could be very beneficial or can be done on alternate days to keep gum lines and spaces between the teeth clean. It helps keep teeth clean in tough spots where a brush cannot reach properly and stops bad breath.
Oil Pulling: The ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling involves swishing a tablespoon of oil (such as coconut or sesame oil) in your mouth for 10–15 minutes. Oil pulling is believed to remove toxins from your mouth, promote healthy gums, and freshen your breath. Oil pulling can be done once a week to keep oral health intact.
Healthy diet: Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Avoid sugary and acidic foods, which can erode your tooth enamel.
In conclusion, maintaining good oral hygiene is a very important step to maintaining good overall health. It is very crucial to check the ingredients of our oral care products before putting them into our mouth, as regular exposure to any toxic chemicals can lead to serious health issues. Additionally, using eco-friendly options is also very important going forward as toothpaste tubes available in the market are never recycled as they are made of several layer of plastic and aluminium. Choose non toxic and eco-friendly products for you and your loved ones and keep carrying that beautiful smile and visit dentist for regular check ups.
